Africa to Speak with One Voice at Dubai COP28 Summit

Addis Ababa ,November 25/2023(ENA)- Africa is going with one document and one vision to the COP 28 to be held from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, AU Great Green Wall Initiative Director Elvis Paul Tangem said.

At the COP 28 Summit, countries, companies, financial institutions and civil society will come together to affirm their will to tackle the climate challenge through concerted and collaborative action, it was learned.

The director told ENA that this year's COP28 summit is critical for Africa to hear its voice with the same position.

The director said that this year's COP28 summit is critical for Africa. 

“I think this particular COP 28 is going to be very critical because Africa is going with one document, one vision, and there is no longer any division between countries. Now we have the declaration, which is going to be the platform with which we are going to engage our international development partners.” 

Tangem expressed his hope that the summit will put in a win action to adopt funding that is going to support the member states that are being badly affected by climate change.

Africa has the lowest per capita fossil fuel emissions of any region globally. Still, the continent has been facing the most severe challenges due to climate change. 

The negative effects of climate change on the African continent have become increasingly vivid through disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and drought. Seven out of the ten most vulnerable countries by climate change are in Africa.

 

In an exclusive interview with ENA, African Union Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment Commissioner Josefa Sacko said the Union is prepared to actively participate at the COP28 Summit.

Recall that AU member state leaders who attended the Africa Climate Summit (ACS), which took place in September 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, signed the Nairobi Declaration that will serve as a basis for Africa’s common position in the global climate change process to COP28 and beyond.

“We came out with a very bold African leader Nairobi Declaration, and we are already prepared to go and negotiate,” the commissioner stated.

She added that the AU is also in conversation with African group of negotiators to see the areas that the continent really wants to address.

“For us, it is adaptation. Adaptation is our priority, loss and damages another priority access to finance in order for us to implement our climate actions,”

 

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)/CAADP Programme Officer-Monitoring and Evaluation, Fatmata Seiwoh stressed that the continent is still facing climate issues.

There was a COP of last year, she said, adding that “there are recommendations. I know that for us as a regional economic community, we have done some effort in implementing some of those recommendations; but climate issues continue to be imminent in the continent.”

Delegates from nearly 200 countries, leaders of business and finance, and representatives of civil society are expected to gather for the COP28 climate conference with the aim of fast-tracking the transition to a clean-energy future.

The COP28 is expected to stress the importance of collective action to stop climate change and the critical role of finance in the low-carbon transition. With our participation we hope to help investors and other capital markets participants see what’s ahead and back climate commitments with action.