Janet Ogundepo, who covered the inaugural African Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, writes about the Nairobi Declaration, commitments made, views from experts and civil society organisations as well as Nigeria, Africa’s position as it goes to COP 28 in less than 74 days
The resplendence of the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, tucked in between Kenya’s Supreme Court and the parliamentary building, shone through as individuals from all walks of life thronged in and out of the premises.
The African Climate Summit which was held from September 4-6, 2023 was the binding force that brought them together.
The sprays from the water fountain welcomed the Heads of State and Governments of about 16 African countries amid other international dignitaries and representatives at the conference’s courtyard as Kenya’s President, William Ruto, read the Nairobi Declaration on the last day of the summit.
The declaration prepares the roadmap and influences the negotiations with global north leaders as well as the continent’s stance on climate change issues.
Before the declaration at the courtyard that Wednesday, a closed-door session of Heads of State and Government and Delegations was held at the Amphitheatre while the plenary was held at the Tsavo Conference Room earlier that day.
The summit was organised by the African Union and hosted by the Government of Kenya, to deliberate and to present the stance of the continent on the climate crisis, particularly on driving green growth and climate finance solutions as well as to present a united front prequel to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference holding in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from November 30-December 12, 2023.
Titbits of the declaration
The declaration made clear how the world is not on track to cutting down global emissions by 43 per cent and keeping the temperature within the 1.50C limit as stated in the Paris Agreement and how Africa suffered adversely from the effects of climate change.
It also stated how Africa got only two per cent of the $3tn renewable energy investments in the last decade despite having over 40 per cent of the world’s renewable energy resources.
With only seven years to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the fact that 600 million and 970 million people in Africa lacked access to electricity and clean cooking respectively, it reiterated “Africa’s readiness to create an enabling environment, enact policies and facilitate investments necessary to unlock resources to meet our climate commitments, and contribute meaningfully to the decarbonisation of the global economy.”
The declaration further stated African leader’s commitment to “Developing and implementing policies, regulations and incentives aimed at attracting local, regional and global investment in green growth and inclusive economies; propelling Africa’s economic growth and job creation in a manner that limits our emissions and also aids global decarbonisation efforts, by leapfrogging traditional industrial development and fostering green production and supply chains on a global scale;
“Focusing our economic development plans on climate-positive growth, including expansion of just energy transitions and renewable energy generation for industrial activity, climate-smart and restorative agricultural practices, and essential protection and enhancement of nature and biodiversity; Strengthening actions to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, deforestation, desertification, as well to restore degraded lands to achieve land degradation neutrality…”
The commitments made in the declaration further positioned Africa as wanting to take the lead in advancing green industrialisation, engaging in sustainable agriculture, accurately valuing and compensating for the protection of nature, bio-diversity, socio-economic co-benefits and provision of climate services through its abundant natural resource.
The African leaders further called on world leaders to align and coordinate technical and financial resources directed towards Africa to promote sustainable utilisation of the continent’s natural assets to enable progress and contribution towards global decarbonisation.
They jointly called for the mobilisation of the necessary capital for development and climate action as well as a time-bound action on the proposals to reform the multilateral financial system.
The declaration proposed the establishment of a “new financing architecture that is responsive to Africa’s needs including debt restructuring and relief, including the development of a new Global Climate Finance Charter through United Nations General Assembly and COP processes by 2025.”
Some commitments made
At several sessions during the summit, several commitments made from the private and public sectors, international organisations and countries, and multilateral development banks, among others culminated in about $26bn.
About 14 donor governments made new partnerships and commitments at the summit.
A document on the breakdown of the commitments made, complied by the ACS Secretariat showed the commitments of the donor governments, private sector, banks, civil societies, United Nations agencies, cities and foundations at the summit.
Aside from the commitments, youths, indigenous groups and civil society organisations further called for inclusion and presented their declarations to Kenya’s president.
The Chief Executive Officer of Equity Bank, James Mwangi, speaking on behalf of the private sector, said the private sector was committed to investing in green projects, equitable wages and supporting market and trade opportunities.
The Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus on Climate, Charity Chepkwony, urged African leaders to prioritise the African Declaration in COP 28.
Chepkwony further called for support for achieving global adaptation goals on the continent and the inclusion of members of parliament in the climate change discussion.
The Secretary General of the World Metrological Organisation, Wenjian Zhang, pledged to strengthen the provision of the early warning signs for all.
The African leaders also called for the acceleration of ongoing initiatives to reform the multilateral financial system and global financial architecture for a New Global Financing Pact.
Concerns about declaration
Commenting on the summit and the declarations made, a climate change expert and Professor of Global Climate and Environmental Governance, Chuks Okereke, stated that the summit was needful as it presented Africa’s vision to tackle climate change.
He said, “It is noteworthy to know that Africa is thinking about how it can contribute to the global aim of decarbonisation. The small movement away from kind of begging and thinking about how Africa can contribute to the global public good of climate integrity is a good one.
“However, I am a bit sceptical that a lot of the emphasis of the conference appears to be on how to make Africa a good market for the West to invest in and to support their climate pollution through the voluntary and regulated carbon market. I do agree that Africa should develop the capacity to attract investment in the carbon market, but I don’t think that it should be the priority. I also worry about the possibility of Africa being flooded with cheap green wash carbon market by private investors.”
The climate change expert expressed worry over the lack of emphasis on climate adaption and loss and damage, stating that the conference should have dwelt more on the historic responsibility of the West and the need to unlock a significant amount of finances and technology to support African climate action.
The don further stated that the declaration and the conference were not clear on the need for extensive support from the West to help Africa develop sustainably.
“I am not happy that many big African Heads of State were unable to attend the conference. It would have been very good to see a greater and stronger representation from the big African countries like Nigeria. But this is a step in the right direction and I hope that future conferences will be better. I hope there would be commitment and political will to translate some of these good declarations into actions,” he said.
Okereke also noted that the need for effort, determination and will to move from “a talk shop to real action on the ground and hear leadership is required from African policymakers and governments” after the conference.
Fuel subsidy removal, step to transition – Minister
Although President Bola Tinubu could not attend the conference because he was at the time in New Delhi, India, to attend the Group of 20 Summit, he was represented by the Minister of Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako.
The minister, in an interaction with Nigerian journalists at the summit, stated that the President’s decision to remove subsidy from fossil fuels was a step towards saving the planet.
He added that between May and June after the fuel subsidy removal, the consumption of fossil fuel dropped by almost 28 per cent, consequently reducing “a million tons of emission in the environment.”
The minister added that the decision had created a shift in the usage of clean sources of energy.
Salako said, “The bold and courageous step taken by President Bola Tinubu to remove subsidy from fossil fuel is not an economic decision. It is a survival decision because if you don’t do it, we are playing with the survival of planet earth. From the declaration, the whole of Africa has agreed that subsidising fossil fuel is not something that we should continue to encourage. What we should do is see how to transition from using such climate-hazardous sources of energy to more friendly ones.
“It also focused our attention as a country to look at more environmentally-friendly energy sources. Now we are talking about using compressed natural gas, a lot of people are paying attention to solar energy which is more environmentally friendly. I think in the long run, Nigeria can only be better for the removal of fuel subsidy.”
Commenting on the country’s plan for an equitable energy transition in light of energy poverty and its challenges, the minister said, “Nigeria is calling up a lot of initiatives concerning the use of renewable energy. But more importantly, we have two initiatives to transition from the use of firewood and coal to the use of natural gas and more environmentally friendly sources of energy. We target to address about 30 million Nigerians in doing that and we are ensuring that no one, regardless of their social economic class, is left behind to ensure energy equity.”
He added that the job creation agenda of the President would use the clean energy transition approach to provide green jobs.
The minister stated that the country played a lead role in climate change issues in the continent, noting that Nigeria was the first to commit to the reduction of methane in the continent.
“Our energy transition plan is configured in a way that whatever we do affects a lot of African nations and I want to assure you that we are taking our leading role. However, the issue of climate change is not a sprint but a marathon and not something that we can do overnight but we require speed and consistency and Nigeria is committed to doing that,” he added.
CNG to bridge energy gap -NCCC DG
On his part, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on Climate Change, Salisu Dahiru, noted that the energy transition plan included a sector-by-sector strategy on how to decarbonise the country and achieve net zero by 2060.
But to justify the inauguration of a fossil fuel refinery despite the global drive for clean energy transition and the pledge to reduce gas flaring by 2030, Salisu said some sectors globally would still depend on fossil fuels.
He said, “The aviation sector, for instance, some of us flew in planes that had over 400 passengers. The average weight of each of these passengers at 50 or 60kg and some of us are carrying baggage of 60kg and above, plus the fuel. Do you think there is solar energy enough and the technology to get the required solar energy to fly that plane from wherever destination you took it?
“If you take the shipping sector, the weight and massiveness is beyond that of an aeroplane. Do you think there is renewable energy that is heavy or concentrated enough to fuel and energise those transatlantic ocean liners that carry goods and services from different parts of the world? There is the politics of oil and gas, natural resources and international finance and development.”
The NCCC DG further noted that Nigeria’s crude oil and associated gas were needed to provide 95 per cent of foreign exchange earnings and about 65 per cent of federal revenues.
He submitted that the use of compressed natural gas was crucial to the survival of the country and was non-negotiable.
“What is the option of the do-nothing scenario with your gas or petrol? Are we going to resort to coal which we don’t have or solar which we don’t manufacture, even the infrastructure to tap the solar or the finance needed to put windmills?
“The gas infrastructure is the closest thing for Nigeria to bridge the energy gap and help us deal with the issue of energy poverty that we are experiencing. We don’t have to import or buy the gas. We don’t want to burn it anymore we are going to use it. For Nigeria, the use of gas as a transition fuel in our energy transition plan is a matter of survival and non-negotiable. Tell us how to use our gas better but don’t tell us not to use gas,” he said.
In his response to the question on the persistent burning of stolen crude oil, illegal refineries and seized drugs by the military and law enforcement agencies, Dahiru stated such standard operating procedure had been in place before the signing into law of the Climate Change Act.
He further noted that some ministries were not aware that the climate change law was operational in the country.
The NCCC DG added, “Who should carry out the assignment of sensitisation, enlightenment, education, mobilisation, rests squarely on the shoulders of the National Council of Climate Change, plus relevant government agencies but more especially the media. This calls for concerted effort and a well-articulated programme needs to be implemented collectively with the media as the driving force, not just being invited to witness or report but to be part of the strategy to implement and help to drive the strategy and help to gather feedback.”
Dahiru, who is also the secretary of the National Council and administrative head of the Secretariat, further noted that Nigeria’s energy transition plan focused on phasing out portable generators and generating sets that used petrol.
He added that plans were underway to set up subsidised, sustainable and lasting mini-grids that could provide larger communities with renewable energy.
He added that the agricultural sector was not left behind as grants, flood-resistant, climate and disease-resistant seeds were being provided to farmers as well as climate change adaption projects for flood management.
Other views on the Summit
A nongovernmental anti-poverty organisation, ONE Campaign, in a statement signed by its Communications and Advocacy Officer, Damilare Ogunmowo, described the summit as an opportunity for African leaders to chart a united direction for a sustainable and equitable future for the continent.
The group welcomed the plans reached at the summit and called for speedy action commensurate to the climate crisis.
ONE’s Executive Director for Africa, Serah Makka, advocated a triple increase in the financing of the multilateral development bank with a concession for countries that needed it most to ensure Africa’s access to affordable capital.
MDBs, according to Investopedia, provide loans and grants to member countries to fund projects that support social and economic development.
Makka said, “The Nairobi Declaration rightly calls for bold and concrete action that supports Africa’s investment in its development and action on climate change. Unleashing Africa’s potential needs fair access to finance and investment, something the current system is geared against. Practically, leaders laid out a clear agenda to massively increase MDB financing, tackle inefficient debt management processes and better leverage international resources like Special Drawing Rights. Tripling MDB financing, including critically concessional finance for countries that need it most, is the step change we need to see and that would help Africa access the affordable capital it needs.”
