A coalition of Civil society organisations from across Africa are calling on the French President Emmanuel Macron to champion a transformative, climate-friendly policy agenda for people and the planet during the ‘‘Summit for a New Global Financial Pact’’ currently ongoing in Paris.
The two-day international conference that starts on Thursday, June 22, 2023, is being spearheaded by President Macron.
In a letter signed by 63 organisations, the CSOs have underscored the urgency for comprehensive and robust commitments by world leaders to boost climate finance and resilience in Africa.
As stated in the letter, the group of African CSOs are calling for ‘‘rapid and significant scaling up of debt-free, grant-based finance for African institutions, including the African Adaptation Initiative and community-led efforts to respond to the rising impacts of climate change effectively.’’
The Paris Summit is expected to push fiscal processes and institutions to support heavily indebted countries, mobilise innovative climate finance, and promote private sector investments in developing countries.
In their letter, the CSOs identify four critical areas for attention during the summit, namely:
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Reset and enhance climate finance options
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Boost debt-free adaptation finance
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Strengthen African-led adaptation measures
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Finance climate education, capacity building, and skills transfer.
Mohamed Adow, Director of climate think tank Power Shift Africa: “Africa has been bearing the brunt of the climate crisis since before the world started discussing what to do about it. And yet African voices have been too frequently ignored and our needs left unmet. That will no longer stand, so African civil society groups are coming together to speak with one voice and demand to be heard.
“Plenty of money is available in the global financial system; rich countries have been spending billions on helping Ukraine and responding to COVID-19. It’s time the financial resources were found to pay the climate debt owed by the rich polluting nations and to help Africa adapt and thrive in a climate which has been distorted by the actions of others.”
Courtney Morgan, Campaigner at African Climate Reality Project: ‘‘We cannot talk about climate justice without recognising the need for climate finance. Due to historical emissions, and the unequal impacts of climate change felt by vulnerable communities, particularly in the Global South, we affirm the need for climate finance that is fair and centered on justice.
Climate finance is necessary for mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage and to achieve a just outcome for people who did nothing to cause this crisis. A principled and human rights-based approach must underpin climate finance deals. This requires an urgent shift in the international financial system.’’
Ndivile Mokoena, Project Coordinator, GenderCC Southern Africa said “Climate adaptation has been side-lined in global climate discussions for long. The urgency and importance of climate adaptation in Africa is strongly linked to the continent’s disproportionate devastation, despite its less than 3 percent contribution to global emissions.
Climate models predict that the impacts in Africa will only become more frequent and severe, with vulnerable and frontline communities being most at risk. Therefore, we call for urgent action in financial support from global north nations.”
Chibeze Ezekiel, Executive Coordinator for Strategic Youth Network for Development & ACCESS Coalition: ‘‘I fully endorse the call for a new Global Finance Pact which needs to show precise and deliberate provision for the growth and sustainable development of Africa through climate-friendly measures and adequate climate financing.’’
The experts demand stronger commitments to climate finance as the surest way to create a more resilient and sustainable future for Africa’s vulnerable populations.
