Key points from Nairobi declaration as climate summit ends

By Peter Ochieng 

The inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS) ended on Wednesday in Nairobi, with Heads of State and governments settling on a ray of points to become the Nairobi declaration.

The points range from commitment to fund climate friendly initiatives across the continent to reducing greenhouse gases. Here are the points:

Recall, the Assembly Decisions (AU/Dec.723(XXXII), AU/Dec.764 (XXXIII) and AU/Dec.855(XXXVI)) requesting the African Union Commission to organize an African Climate Summit and endorsing the offer by the Republic of Kenya to host the Summit; Commend the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) under the Leadership of H.E.

President William Ruto for providing a unified approach and political leadership on an African vision that simultaneously pursues climate change and development agenda;

Commends the Arab Republic of Egypt for the successful COP27 and its historic outcomes, in particular loss and damage, just transition and energy, and calls for the full implementation of all COP27 decisions

Take Note of the 6th Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), stating that the world is not on track to keeping within reach the 1.5°C limit agreed in Paris and that global emissions must be cut by 45% in this decade;

Underscore the IPCC confirmation that Africa is warming faster than the rest of the world and, if unabated, climate change will continue to have adverse impacts on African economies and societies, and hamper growth and wellbeing;

Express concern that many African countries face disproportionate burdens and risks arising from climate change-related, unpredictable weather events and patterns, including prolonged droughts, devastating floods, wild/forest fires, which cause massive humanitarian crisis with detrimental impacts on economies, health, education, peace and security, among other risks;

Acknowledge that climate change is the single greatest challenge facing humanity and the single biggest threat to all life on Earth. It demands urgent and concerted action from all nations to lower emissions and reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere;

Recognise that Africa is not historically responsible for global warming, but bears the brunt of its effect, impacting lives, livelihoods, and economies;

Reaffirm the principles set out in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, namely equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities,

Further recognise that African cities and urban centres are growing rapidly, and by 2050 would be home to over 1.0 billion people.

Cognisant of the fact that rapid urbanization, poverty, and inequality limit planning capacities and other urban dynamics which increase people’s exposure and vulnerability to hazards and have thus turned cities into disaster hotspots across the continent.

Recall that only seven years remain to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, and note with concern that 600 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity while 970 million lack access to clean cooking;

Emphasise that Africa possesses both the potential and the ambition to be a vital component of the global solution to climate change.

Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing workforce, coupled with massive untapped renewable energy potential, abundant natural assets and entrepreneurial spirit, our continent has the fundamentals to pioneer a climate-positive pathway as a thriving, cost-competitive industrial hub with the capacity to support other regions in achieving their net zero ambitions.

Acknowledge Africa’s role as one of the largest carbon sinks through the Congo forest and peatland, as well as, the potential in Africa’s savanna grasslands, mangroves, swamps, coral reefs and marine reserves, and note the progress made by African countries in promoting land and ecosystem restoration through various initiatives and programmes,

Recognize the critical importance of the ocean in climate action, reversing biodiversity loss and the sustainable development of African and other countries globally, and commitments made on ocean sustainability in multiple fora such as the Second UN Oceans Conference in 2022, the African Union Agenda 2063 and UN Agenda 2030, in COPs 26 and 27 and most recently in the Moroni Declaration for Ocean and Climate Action in Africa Reiterate Africa’s readiness to create an enabling environment, enact policies and facilitate investments necessary to unlock resources to not only meet our own climate commitments, but to contribute meaningfully to decarbonisation of the global economy.

Concerned that despite Africa having an estimated 40 percent of the world’s renewable energy resources, only $60 billion or two percent of US$3trillion renewable energy investments in the last decade have come to Africa.

Meeting the 300 Giga Watts (GW) target by 2030 at an estimated cost of $600 billion translates to a tenfold increase in the finance capital flowing into Africa’s renewable energy sector over the next seven years.

Unlocking Africa’s climate positive growth potential on a scale that can contribute meaningfully to decarbonisation of the global economy will require several multiples of the current development and investment finance flows Collective action needed.

We call upon the global community to act with urgency in reducing emissions, fulfilling its obligations, keeping past promises, and supporting the continent in addressing climate change, specifically to:

Accelerate all efforts to reduce emissions to align with goals set forth in the Paris Agreement Honor the commitment to provide $100 billion in annual climate finance, as promised 14 years ago at the Copenhagen conference.

Uphold commitments to a fair and accelerated process of phasing down coal, and abolishment of all fossil fuel subsidies.

Swiftly operationalize the Loss and Damage facility agreed at COP27.