African Group Of Negotiators on Climate Change Pre-COP29 meeting
Venue : Trademark Center, Nairobi, Kenya
Date: 14-16 August 2024
DECLARATION FOR DOWNLOAD ON OUR AGN MEETING
Background
The report summarizes proceedings, outcomes and way forward from the African Group of Negotiators on climate change Pre-COP29 meeting which was attended by African Climate Justice Caravan members. With the support from Oxfam International, 4 Caravan members from Southern, Western, Eastern and Central Africa attended the meeting in Nairobi from 14-16 August 2024, held under the theme Africa’s collective voice on Climate action and development.
The purpose of attending the meeting was to pre-launch the Caravan together with synergizing AGN’s position with Caravan’s position in the lead up to CCDA/AMCEN in Cote D’vore and UNFCCC COP29 in Baku respectively. The aim was to contribute as well actively participate within the AGN’s position development which will be provided to communities for uptake as well feedback for a unified African voice through the caravan’s planned national and regional initiatives to help strengthen Africa’s position during COP29 and beyond.
Objectives
- Pre-launch African Climate Justice Caravan
- Present the Caravan and its declaration to the AGN
- Collect feedback from the AGN back to the African communities
The Caravan team employed participatory and interactive methodology through assigning tasks to each member for collective efforts and achievement of expected results.
The caravan team was given an opportunity to present and introduce the African Climate Justice Caravan on the 14th of August and this enabled the negotiators to understand and embrace the mission and objectives of the Caravan. After the presentation, printed scarfs with the Caravan message were distributed to the lead negotiators and other members. During the evening, a pre-launch of the Caravan in a press conference was done and this was a hybrid event.
Caravan team doing a presentation
On the 15th of August , a dinner with the lead negotiators was done aiming at a mutual agreement between the caravan and the negotiators. During this session, the negotiators assured the caravan team that they were fully going to support the caravans and expecting the voices of the community to be well represented with their inputs being included in the African position paper prior to COP29 and beyond. On the last day, the team had a round table discussion on way forward and key takeaways.
Why must we escalate our efforts this year?
The frequency and intensity of climate catastrophes are skyrocketing, causing devastating economic and social impacts, especially in the most vulnerable regions. Decades of inaction and broken promises by the governments of the Global North have not only compounded these losses but have also deepened the gross inequalities and injustices endured by communities, economies, and ecosystems.
This year is a pivotal year for Climate Finance. At COP29 in Baku, critical decisions will be made to address the soaring costs of urgent climate action. This year presents crucial political moments that will either propel us toward the radical transformation needed in our social, economic, and political systems or doom us to further climate chaos. Delay is no longer an option— we need to unite and increase pressure on all fronts to ensure decisive action.
What is the climate debt the Global North owes to the Global South?
The Global North has an incalculable climate debt owed to the Global South, stemming from their historical and ongoing greenhouse gas emissions that have caused and will continue to cause massive losses and damages. There is a historial, ethical and legal responsibility of the Global North to repay this debt with urgency based on their fair shares, as part of a larger historical and continuing social, economic, and ecological debt owed to the Global South, arising from centuries of exploitation and inequity.
What do we want?
To begin addressing this climate debt, we demand the governments of the Global North to provide at least US$5 trillion per year to the Global South in public finance. The said amount must be revised upwards regularly as needed, and be considered as merely an initial payment, toward the much larger total climate debt that continues to accrue. It is important to emphasize that the current climate debt is immense and incalculable. This payment provides a realistic, attainable figure for governments of the Global North to deliver as a starting point in addressing the urgent and rising climate needs of the Global South.
What is the basis for the US$5 trillion/year ask?
Several studies suggest that the annual finance needed ranges from US$2.3 – US$10 trillion. For example, using the figure of $192 Trillion until 2050, the annual average from 2023 (when the study was released) to 2025 is over US$6.85 Trillion a year. Recognizing that the amounts are all underestimated, we forward the demand that the Global North collectively deliver US$5 trillion annually as climate debt. This figure does not include the necessary and appropriate investments that the private sector must provide as part of their responsibility.
Is US$5 trillion per year attainable?
The Global North’s claim of insufficient resources for development and climate finance is fundamentally flawed and disingenuous. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these governments mobilized an astounding US$16 trillion in fiscal stimulus to support their economies. Additionally, the G7 spent over US$1 trillion annually funding wars and conflicts globally. This clearly demonstrates that the resources exist—they are just being allocated based on political will and priorities. If trillions can be found for pandemic relief and military expenditures, the same financial commitment must be made to address the existential threat of climate change.
Is the US$5 trillion the number we demand for New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)?
No. The US$5 trillion per year is an initial payment towards the climate debt owed to the Global South and serves as a critical barometer for discussions on the scale of the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) on climate finance. The climate debt is the moral framing for the new climate finance goal, which has to be needs-based, with a core of public grant-based finance.
What kind of Climate Finance do we need?
In light of the NCQG discussions, it is important to emphasize that the delivery of Climate Finance, as part of the payment for climate debt, must be:
✅PUBLIC and should not be driven by profit intrinsic to private investments and corporations
✅NEW & ADDITIONAL to existing financial commitments of the Global North such as ODAs, multilateral and bilateral aids, etc.
✅NON-DEBT CREATING and must not lead to the further exacerbation of the existing debt burden of the Global South
✅ADEQUATE & PREDICTABLE to ensure that resources are available when and where they are needed most and avoid further delays in implementing urgent action
✅COVERS NEEDS FOR MITIGATION, ADAPTATION, LOSS & DAMAGE, AND JUST TRANSITION
✅CHANNELED THROUGH DEMOCRATIC, TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE MECHANISMS and NOT via the existing or new structures where the Global North dominates governance and designs policies favoring their geopolitical and economic interests.
DECLARATION FOR DOWNLOAD ON OUR AGN MEETING
