GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
16. The session was chaired by Mr Ping and moderated by Mr Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. The panellists were Mr Donald Kaberuka, Prime Minister Stoltenberg, and Prime Minister Zenawi.
17. Mr Ping started by welcoming participants and panellists to the Forum. He noted that the ADF conference was not designed to develop a blueprint for UNFCCC Cancun but to generate ideas and reach a consensus on some of the key issues. He then introduced the three panellists and gave the floor to the moderator, Mr Steiner, who invited the panellists to make brief opening statements.
18. Mr Kaberuka reiterated the fact that while Africans contributed negligibly to climate change, they were paying an enormous price for it. He noted that the solution had to come from consultation between the developed North and the developing South. He considered as crucial the willingness and ability of those in power to deal with the effects of climate change. While acknowledging Africa’s role in adaptation to and mitigating the effects of climate change, he emphasized African countries’ right to develop their economies. By way of example he mentioned the opportunity to adopt clean energy frameworks to address the continent’s enduring energy deficits.
19. For his part, Mr Stoltenberg commended the tremendous progress made by Africa in economic and social development in the past decade. However, he noted that there was growing awareness that climate change – which was not a problem of Africa’s making – would impose major costs on Africa. It will profoundly affect Africa’s prospects for economic growth and poverty reduction, and for attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Mr Stoltenberg mentioned some tangible measures that Africans could take, such as limiting forest depletion. Norway is supporting such activities through result-oriented programmes and projects, where funding is directly linked to tangible results.
20. Mr Zenawi discussed lack of leadership in climate-change negotiations in developing and developed countries alike. He pointed out the reluctance of political leaders in developed countries to take risks in the interest of the environment, unless their citizens were behind them to stand up to the vested interests that stood to benefit the most from lack of progress in negotiations. He emphasized the need for the citizens of developed countries to enhance their awareness of climate issues. He called on the developed North to embrace the spirit of global citizenship more fully. Given the prevailing lack of leadership, Mr Zenawi doubted that the UNFCCC Cancun or Durban meetings would achieve a comprehensive legally-binding agreement
21. Referring to funding to mitigate the effects of climate change, Mr Zenawi noted that delivery on the Copenhagen Accord’s commitment to provide USD 100 billion per annum by 2020 to finance adaptation and mitigation was feasible. However, adequate, predictable and reliable resources must be allocated to Africa in line with its needs and its own constrained resources. Furthermore, a simple and efficient mechanism for the delivery of aid is necessary. It must reflect the lessons learnt and the principles agreed on to ensure that the aid is effective.
22. Mr Zenawi urged for a multilateral approach to coordinating financial contributions of bilateral donors so as to lower transaction costs involved in obtaining funds for mitigation and adaptation initiatives. He discussed the proposed African Green Development Fund to be hosted by the AfDB, and whose role will be to collect and disburse climate change funds. Mr Zenawi echoed Mr Stoltenberg’s opinion that carbon pricing would represent a major source of new climate change funding.
23. The Panel agreed that, in spite of its weaknesses, the UNFCCC represented the only legitimate forum for discussion and agreement on climate change. It discussed the need to work around the framework and introduce changes, as required. The Panel agreed that a common African position ensured that the continent’s voice was heard more clearly in Copenhagen in December 2009. However, it reasoned that in future negotiations it would be in Africa’s vital strategic interest to rally behind a
common position rather than continue addressing issues in a discordant and undisciplined manner.
24. The Panel also agreed that reaching a comprehensive legally-binding agreement might not be possible in Cancun or Durban. However interim ‘building block’
agreements in forest management, financing mechanisms, and technology may be attained - which would serve as a platform for future efforts to reach a full agreement.
Recommendations
(a) Africa welcomes the proposed African Green Fund to be hosted by the AfDB. Africa’s leaders should engage with management of the Fund to ensure that countries receive large shares of available resources;
(b) African countries need to build robust national institutions to deal with funds for climate change, as this will encourage development partners, who increasingly provide funding based on results;
(c) Political leaders of developed countries need to show leadership in proper carbon pricing, which is indispensable for raising funds to mitigate the effect of and adapt to climate change;
(d) Political leaders of developed countries should also make greater effort to educate their public on the impact of climate change in developing countries. Commitments on funding for activities related to climate change should not be viewed as “yet more” aid to developing countries but rather as contribution towards tackling a global problem to which African countries contributed the least but to which they are most vulnerable.
(e) African leaders should step up efforts to reach out to leaders and the wider public in partner countries in order to raise awareness of Africa’s perception of financing for climate change mitigation and adaptation;
(f) While rightly demanding financial contributions from developed countries to tackle the impacts of climate change, African countries should use all available funds - including those generated internally – appropriately and in a transparent manner;
(g) African countries should not wait for agreements in international negotiations before taking action to raise funds for climate change mitigation and adaptation. They should collaborate with each other in seeking ways to generate relevant investment projects, looking inwards for opportunities to finance green development; and
(h) African countries should respect their common continental positions on climate change at international meetings, rather than expressing contrary views.