Food & Climate
At the COP30 climate conference, which begins in Brazil next November, Africa needs financing that goes beyond adaptation and addresses damages and losses.
At the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa, the African Union (AU), in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), presented a clear and unified position for COP30. The position advocates for comprehensive financial mechanisms to address loss and damage from climate change impacts.
The loss and damage fund agreed upon at COP27 in Egypt represents a historic step in recognising the severe and irreversible impacts of climate change. However, as Africa has rightly pointed out, this fund must be adequately capitalised and operationalised. The money in this fund must not only be sufficient but must be accessible to those who need it most – vulnerable communities that are often left out of traditional climate finance channels.
The issue of climate finance brings with it uncomfortable political economy questions. The Global North, responsible for the bulk of historical emissions, continues to hold control over the financial mechanisms designed to aid the Global South.
According to the latest IPCC report, developing countries will require an estimated $1.5 trillion per year in climate finance to meet the needs of mitigation and adaptation.
Yet, the current global climate finance commitments remain a fraction of this amount, with developed nations failing to meet the annual $100 billion target they set at COP15, according to the article of Sadiq Austine Igomu Okoh, PhD, Climate Governance/Net-Zero & Energy Transition/GHG Accounting/Capacity Building ExpertEnergy efficiency solutions, which seen by “Food & Climate” platform.
Climate finance beyond reducing emissions
“For African nations, the climate finance they require extends beyond mitigation efforts aimed at reducing emissions. The true test lies in how the international community responds to the immediate and long-term losses and damages already being experienced across the continent”, Okoh said.
The impacts of climate-induced displacement, reduced agricultural productivity, and damaged infrastructure are not hypothetical – they are happening now.
African countries, particularly those in the Sahel, Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa, face dire consequences. Losses that cannot be prevented must be compensated, and damage that cannot be repaired must be restored. These are the humanitarian and economic needs that the loss and damage fund must address, he added.
With the path to COP30 now set, Africa’s unified call for loss and damage finance is more urgent than ever.
Key Demand for COP30
Loss and damage are not the only areas where African leadership is calling for immediate attention, Okoh said.
At COP30, the AU has emphasised the need for a scaling up of investment in adaptation efforts across Africa. This includes enhancing climate resilience in vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, and health. Adaptation is not a choice for Africa – it is an imperative for survival. The AU’s agenda for COP30 underscores the need for sustainable development with a focus on equitable financing and resilience-building.
The impacts of climate change are not just a threat to the environment – they undermine the very social and economic fabric of African societies. By investing in adaptation, Africa is laying the groundwork for a more resilient future.Energy efficiency solutions.
There are important questions of equity and political economy that must be addressed in scaling up investment for adaptation. Who will benefit from these investments? How will the wealth generated by adaptation and resilience-building be distributed within African nations? Will it continue to flow to the same elites who have historically benefited from climate exploitation, or will it reach the vulnerable communities who need it most? The answer to these questions will determine whether the call for adaptation is truly about resilience or just another tool for maintaining the status quo.
Africa’s focus on adaptation is not an opposition to mitigation; it is a call for justice. Africa does not oppose emission reductions; however, it insists that the financial resources promised for adaptation must be honoured. The Global North must prioritise adaptation because it is an immediate need for vulnerable nations. Moreover, the loss and damage fund, which was established at COP27, must be adequately capitalised and made operational to help African countries deal with the irreversible impacts of climate change.
Africa’s call for adaptation finance is a call for climate justice. The Global North must recognize that Africa’s survival depends not only on global mitigation efforts but also on financial support for resilience-building and adaptation. The time to act is now, and COP30 offers a crucial opportunity to achieve a balanced approach that meets both mitigation and adaptation needs. As the world gathers for COP30, Africa’s message is clear: no one should be left behind in the fight against climate change.