African Goverments urged to engage rich North on funding climate change interventions

A Pan African organization involved in advocacy and intervention for mitigation of climate change in the continent has called on African countries to take the issue of climate change seriously in their development planning.

In a message to the African heads of State and governments during the just concluded 50 Anniversary of marking the founding of the African Union (AU)/Organization of African Unity (OAU), Pan Africa Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) called on African governments to adopt proactive measures to reduce the effect of climate change. 

PACJA Program Officer Philip Odongo(right) with journalist Oloo Janak

 “As scramble for resources to fuel global growth redefine Africa’s next phase of socio-political and economic development, the biggest challenge for the continent’s economic take-off is climate change, which threatens to roll back multiple gains attained over the past years,” PACJA said in a statement released in Addis Ababa.

The organization said climate change was defining challenge of African at this time adding that as the continent and its people struggled to pull out of poverty and bring prosperity in different countries, it had become extremely difficult for governments to attain national poverty reduction and sustainable development milestones.

“We find ourselves diverting money earmarked for development to respond to climate-inspired emergencies such as floods, famine, starvation, diseases and death,” the organization said in the statement released to journalists at a press conference on the sidelines of the AU Summit.

PACJA Programs Officer Philip Odongo who addressed journalists in Addis Ababa said Africa had contributed the least to the problem of climate change, yet the continent was now on the receiving end of its impacts due to the incapacity of the African people to adapt.

He said it was unfortunate that as the impact of climate change continued to emerge, those responsible for global warming continued to procrastinate and prevaricate on their obligations.

“Industrialised countries have not met their obligations both in the Climate Change Convention and Kyoto Protocol. We have seen shift of goalposts from meeting to meeting,” he said.

PACJA, he observed, had observed the goings-on within the international climate change dialogue process for the last three years and concluded that the North-South divide which denies poor communities a chance for a better future still continued to permeate the negotiations.

PACJA's Philip Odongo addresses journalists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“The future, in our assessment, is quite uncertain as the momentum towards COP20 in Paris coming up in 2015 picks up. The negotiations around Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, which will lead us to the new regime to take effect by 2020 should strengthen the North-South conversation to bearing in mind that solving the climate problem is not a choice, but an urgent duty for all to preserve the health of the planet for the sake of future generations.  

PACJA believes that Africa need to see countries responsible for climate change responding responsibly and equitably and that it is the responsibilities of all countries to act to protect their citizens from climate change. 

According to the advocacy group the forthcoming negotiations on the ADP in Bonn (3 – 14 June 2013), is an opportunity to define an equitable global pathway that sees countries responsible for causing climate change carrying most responsibility to address its causes and impacts.

While efforts were being made by all to take action to cut emissions, PACJA sys it is incumbent on rich countries to take the greater share of action: at the moment it is developing countries, including those in Africa, that are doing more. 

PACJA suggested a five point agreement as a framework for a clear definition of equity that ensures those who have contributed more to climate change take more responsibility with:

• Urgent and sufficient action to stop temperatures increasing above 1.5 particularly by industrialized countries who are most responsible for contributing to climate change. 
•   Commitments from industrialized countries to deliver on climate finance to reach at least $100bn by 2020 including 50% going to adaptation in grant form; action to raise long term sources of finance; and that are new, additional and reliable. 
•  Mechanisms created to address the loss and damage in developing countries will face due to unavoidable warming that threatens to destroy millions of livelihoods of the poor. 
•   Prioritization of food security and small scale farmers who provide most of the food for the continent. 
•  Commitment by industrialized Countries to cut their emission levels by at least 40% by 2020

PACJA says efforts by African countries to invest in climate action were hampered by overstretched budgets focusing on such other key sectors as health, education and security to their citizens.

“By COP19 rich countries must commit the finance that they promised that is new, additional and from their own governments’ budgets.  At least 50% of climate funding should go to adaptation as grants that will not push our countries further into debt,” said PACJA in the statement to African heads of state.

The organization says the important role of the private sector in addressing climate change was recognized, rich countries should not transfer responsibility of delivering climate finance to the private sector who will see no rewards in supporting the most vulnerable people.

PACJA says climate change remains a threat to all aspects of development – including peace and security, there was growing concern that African leaders have not given it the due attention it deserves. Such urgent issues such as security hotspots in Somalia, Nigeria, South Sudan, DRC and Mali, does not mean that the biggest crisis on earth which is Climate Change finds itself at the periphery of priorities in the AU agenda.

“Following the pronouncement by the AU and her member States on developing a strategic work-plan for Africa for the next 3-5 years, we hereby urge the AU to ensure development of a strategic plan to adequately respond to Climate Change in Africa. A strategic Climate Change Plan of Action for Africa is indeed a felt need,” says PACJA.  

AU seat, Addis Ababa, venue of the 50 Anniversary summit

It calls on African states under the AU to establish Climate Change legislation, Policies, Strategies and Action plans and urges AU to provide leadership in this direction to not only address loss and damage but also put into place Climate Change Units in every Ministry to monitor and cushion the African poor from the consequences of Climate Change.  

“We urge the African Union to wake up to this reality and given the subject the necessary political attention it deserves. This will include establishment of climate change Ministries in African Countries, and strengthening the Conference of Heads of States and Governments on Climate Change, which unfortunately became inactive following the demise of the former Ethiopian Prime Minister HE Meles Zenawi,” adds PACJA.

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