Climate Action 2011-2012

It is to be noted further that the Bali Action Plan calls for
consideration of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions
(NAMAs) by developing countries. In the Copenhagen
Accord, developing countries have agreed to develop and
implement NAMAs. This agreement is also reiterated in
the Cancun Agreements. Whether NAMAs will be taken
up by developing countries is contingent upon the size of
support, financial, technological and capacity development
provided by developed countries. Several countries in Africa
have submitted their NAMAs to the secretariat of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Africans are forced to adapt to
climate change, using their precious
and limited domestic resources,
with little international support.
Africa calls upon all developed countries which are historically
responsible for this problem to take enhanced actions to finance,
and support in other ways, these NAMAs which are an essential
part of efforts targeted to contain the average temperature
increase below 2ºC above the pre-industrial.
cent so far, with only one year left for the fast-start financing
period. Therefore, Africa calls upon the developed countries
to be true to their word and deliver on their commitments to
provide enhanced support to help African countries in their
response to climate change challenges.
In conclusion, climate change is real. It is occurring.
Africans are on the frontline of this momentous battle for
survival, grappling with the effects of climate change on a
daily basis, and indeed have been doing so for some time
now. Needless to say that Africa has contributed little to the
concentration of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet Africans are
willing to share the burden of taking mitigation actions and
follow a low carbon development pathway. This willingness
for action needs to be globally shared. Indeed, it should be
deeply rooted in just, equitable and respectful international
relations that developed countries should: assume ambitious
mitigation targets to contain the increase in temperature
to below 2ºC above pre-industrial levels; provide resources
to help Africa adapt to the effects of climate change; and
provide resources to help Africa in its mitigation efforts and
low carbon development path.
adaptation iS critical For aFrica
But the critical point of action for Africa remains on
adaptation. Whereas incentives are required to mobilise
individuals, firms and countries into climate friendly
activities, such is not the case regarding adaptation.
Adaptation is not a choice. It is much more basic and
fundamental than that. It is what allows for livelihoods to
be sustained and ecosystems to be protected. Ultimately, it
is about survival and the continuation of life as we know
it. Africa is already adapting the best it can, at high cost, to
current and expected climate change. Africans are forced to
adapt to climate change, using their precious and limited
domestic resources, with little international support. It is
a matter deeply rooted in ethics, equity and justice that
developed countries should provide timely and adequate
resources (in terms of finance, technology and capacity
building) to fulfil their obligations in supporting African
countries deal with the effects of climate change.
In Copenhagen, developed countries declared their
commitment to provide ‘new and additional’ fast-start
financial resources amounting to US$30 billion over the
period 2010-2012 with ‘balanced allocation’ between
‘adaptation and mitigation’, also to be scaled up to
US$100 billion/year in 2020. This commitment was
further reinforced at the Cancun climate talks. However,
preliminary analyses show that a significant part of the
resources reported to have been provided to developing
countries is not ‘new and additional’. Much of it is simply
official development aid (ODA) repackaged as climate
finance. Furthermore, the pace of disbursement of funds
has been frustratingly slow, amounting to less than 10 per
Dr Youba Sokona is the Co-ordinator of the African Climate Policy
Centre (ACPC) based in the United Nations Economic Commission
for Africa. He is also a co-chair of IPCC Working Group III. Dr Sokona
was the Executive Secretary of the Sahara and Sahel Observatory
(OSS) from June 2004 to May 2010. A citizen of Mali, he focuses on
the energy, environment and sustainable development nexus and he
has broad experience in Africa in policy development. Before joining
OSS, he worked for the Environnement et Développement du Tiers
Monde, based in Dakar, Senegal. Before that, he served as professor
at Ecole Nationale d’Ingenieur of Bamako in Mali. Throughout his
career, Dr Sokona has served in various advisory capacities to African
governments. He has published several books and articles on the
issues of energy, environment and development with a focus on Africa.
The African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) is a joint initiative of the
African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. It was established in
2010 to serve as the knowledge-management and policy-facilitation
arm of the Climate for Development (ClimDev) Africa Programme. Its
goal is to become a credible knowledge hub, effectively contributing
towards poverty reduction through successful adaptation to, and
mitigation of climate change impacts in Africa; and improving the
capacity of African countries to participate effectively in multilateral
climate change negotiations.
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
African Climate Policy Centre
PO Box 3001, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 7200 | Fax: +251 11 551 0350
Email: acpc@uneca.org | Web: www.uneca.org/acpc
95 climateactionprogramme.org