Concept note
COP 21 African Pavilion
I.
Background and Context
Climate change has significant and unequivocal implications for Africa’s development.
The Revised ClimDev‐Africa Framework Programme Document 20121 notes that addressing climate change has become central to the continent’s development and poverty reduction agenda. Poorer countries and communities will suffer earliest and hardest because of weaker resilience and greater reliance on climate‐sensitive sectors like agriculture. In Africa, recent modelling indicates that a temperature increase of 2oC could mean a loss of 4.7% of GNP, most of it as a result of loss in the agricultural sector. A temperature rise of 2.5‐5oC would be worse;
hunger for 128 million, 108 million affected by flooding and a sea‐level rise of 15‐95cm.
Although the continent contributes only 3.8% of total greenhouse gas emissions, Africa’s countries are among the most vulnerable. Climate variability lies behind much of the prevailing poverty, food insecurity, and weak economic growth in Africa today. Climate change will increase this variability; the severity and frequency of droughts, floods and storms will increase, leading to more water stress. Changes in agricultural, livestock and fisheries productivity will occur, and the continent will face further food insecurity as well as a spread of water‐related diseases, particularly in tropical areas. Some 200 million of the poorest people in Africa are food insecure, many through their dependence on climate sensitive livelihoods – predominantly rain‐fed agriculture. Temperature increases and changes in mean rainfall and evaporation are likely to become ever greater and more damaging to livelihoods through the 21st century.
The UNFCCC COPS have become important spaces for the continuing global effort to refine and strengthen the international collaborative and regulatory framework on climate change and to improve global climate governance. The COPs are attended by government delegations, many non-state actors including the private sector, civil society representatives as well as bilateral and multi-lateral institutions. COP 21 scheduled for Paris is particularly significant in that it will usher into existence the post-Kyoto Climate order, set to come into being by 2020. While initially African participation in the COPs was fragmented and uncoordinated, it has increasingly become more organized. Recognizing that Africa stands to be most affected by climate change while contributing the least to greenhouse gas emissions2, member States of the African Union have progressively articulated a common position on climate change and to develop common positions in the negotiations through a streamlined coordination mechanism involving the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), the African Ministers Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC).
1 http://www.climdev-africa.org/system/files/frameworkdoc/01_Revised_ClimDev- Africa_Framework_Program_Document_April2012.pdf
2 Africa's CO2 emissions are estimated at less than 7% of the world total (AfDB) (http://www.climdev- africa.org/)
2 African governments and their partners have progressively created spaces to support the negotiations processes, but also to meet and brainstorm African positions, debate ideas, develop partnerships and seek to influence global climate governance. The African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in its 16th Ordinary Session held in February 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, took a decision mandating the creation of a physical space at COP 17 in Durban to allow for formal and informal meetings of different African participants in the COP, as well as to organize exhibitions, debates and other side events in this space. Pursuant to this decision (Assembly Dec. 342 (xvi)), ClimDev - the climate partnership between the Africa Union Commission (AUC), the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and the UNECA Africa Climate Policy Center (ACPC) - launched the African Pavilion as the African exhibition and meeting space to debate a whole range issues around the African positions in the negotiations, African perspectives on climate change mitigation and adaptation, and concerns about climate change broadly.
Drawing interest from policy makers; researchers and scientists; and practitioners from civil society and the private sector, the Pavilion was the hub of African events and a venue for informal networking. The Durban Pavilion was highly successful. The African Pavilion at COP17 showcased African initiatives and innovations in the area of climate change. It effectively debunked the notion that Africa is a passive victim of climate change, and instead demonstrated how Africa is also proactively working towards minimizing adverse consequences and solving the underlying challenges of climate change.
Following its success at COP 17 in Durban, calls have been made for the Africa Pavilion idea to be made a permanent feature of the COPs. The Pavilion is seen as a knowledge and ideas market place where African ideas and positions are presented and debated; where African approaches, lessons and experiences in climate change mitigation and adaptation are shared;
where African governments, civil society and the private sector meet; where opportunities and challenges are identified and common solutions are worked out; and where new partnerships are built and existing ones solidified
II. The African Pavilion at COP 17
Thus COP 17/CMP 7 in Durban saw the launching of a dedicated discussion and exhibition facility in COP17/CMP7, called the African Pavilion. The pavilion was the hub of African events and a venue for informal networking of participants among high-level policy makers from African Member States and their Regional Economic Communities, multilateral organizations, and representatives of bilateral organizations; scientists and researchers from international, regional and sub-regional climate centers; and practitioners, including representatives of the private sector and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), media and independent writers on climate change and development issues. The African Pavilion sought to highlight the African climate change and development agenda: ‘Development First’ and to emphasize this focus in framing the discussions and events at the COP17/CMP7. The side events organized at the Pavilion also sought to identify and prioritize strategies for a climate safe African continent.
3 The Africa Pavilion was officially opened by three African leaders: President Jacob Zuma (South Africa), President Idriss Deby (Chad) and Vice-President Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos (Angola). The leaders emphasized the need for Africa’s collective voice to be heard throughout the Durban Conference. In his opening address, President Zuma of South Africa noted that “[T]his pavilion puts up a very powerful case for the continent of Africa.
People will come here not just to discuss theories and imagine Africa. They are going to see it in reality. I think this is an absolute innovation we have made. This pavilion represents Africa in its totality. And I think it makes a powerful case to this conference.”
The objective of the Africa Pavilion was to provide a forum for:
Discourse and debates that set the context for Africa-relevant climate change issues and themes in the larger framework of sustainable development in Africa;
African policymakers, practitioners, researchers and community representatives to articulate the gaps and demands for appropriate knowledge, policy directions and actions and technical services, including those for the wider public;
Knowledge-sharing among decision makers and practitioners, the research community and negotiators;
Identifying policies, practices and research recommendations for stakeholders; and
Promoting quality scientific research, field experience and evidence-based policy more extensively.
The activities organized at the pavilion built on and were informed by fora, initiatives, activities, consultations, conferences, meetings and workshops held before the COP17, particularly the African Development Forum (ADFVII), the Conference of African Heads of States and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), consultations of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), and the inaugural ClimDev African Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA) held in Addis Ababa in October 2011.
The report of the African Pavilion Secretariat, “The Africa Pavilion: A summary of African discussions and lessons from the Africa Pavilion, COP17/MOP7”, details the organization, discussions and outcomes of the Pavilion at COP 17. The main outputs of the COP 17 African Pavilion included:
A series of African events bringing together policy, practice and research communities to discuss, debate and progress in the African climate change and development agenda;
Social and networking opportunities around climate change and development in Africa;
African multimedia products highlighting the African climate change and development agenda;
Worldwide media exposure for Africans at the COP17;
Physical and virtual networking spaces;
4
Helpdesk to provide information on COP17 and beyond; and,
Development marketplace for innovative ideas and proposals on climate change and development across African.
Among the several outcomes of the African Pavilion the most significant include
A recognition that climate change in Africa can only be addressed in Africa through development;
An understanding that Africa owns the African agenda on climate change and development; and,
A greater awareness of what countries, institutions, organizations and individuals are doing to address climate change and development across Africa.
Ultimately, African ownership of the African agenda was intended to strengthen Africa’s negotiating position and lead to greater coherence and integration of activities addressing climate change in Africa.
III. The African Pavilion at Cop 21
A. ObjectivesThe report of the COP 17 African Pavilion Secretariat concludes that as an umbrella of different kinds of events and services, the Africa Pavilion was well attended. The round tables, side events and Africa Day provided opportunities to discuss climate change in relation to Africa’s development. The different countries and organizations had a chance to showcase their activities in the area of climate change and development and it certainly provided them with a forum for consultation for future activities. The success of the African Pavilion concept, coupled with the continuing demand for physical networking space for African participants at the COPS, the continued salience of African specific issues in the construction of a post 2015 Climate agreements, as well as the need to amplify African voices in the global arena entails that the COP 17 pavilion concept be not only replicated at COP 21, but also that the space be used more creatively building on the COP17 experiences and outcomes.
Climate change continues to pose complex and changing challenges for Africa. The evolving global climate governance regime requires that Africa develop ever more nuanced and sophisticated responses to guide the continents engagement at all levels of the climate response.
Over the last decade or so Africa has generally been experiencing high levels of economic growth. The implications of climate change for the sustainability of this growth, or its translation into development, are immense. The principal climate change concern for Africa is its implications for development and the wellbeing of societies and ecosystems. The governance of climate change adaptation on the continent thus requires a review of the nature and trajectory of growth and development processes, the democratization of global systems to achieve equity, and the realignment of decision making processes to facilitate greater public engagement in the formulation of global and national responses to climate change. At the same time, it is now also generally acknowledged that climate change creates new opportunities which, properly harnessed, will enhance the continent’s development agenda.
5 The Pavilion will host various African “Side Events” bringing together all interested participants to address themes of fundamental importance to Africa. The Pavilion side events programme will be synchronized with the COP21 programme so that speakers and participants can readily transition between the Pavilion and other events. The Pavilion will allocate time slots for roundtable discussion panels, Africa Day, for events organized by the Regional Economic Communities side events, and for other side events to be convened by other organizations such as river basin commissions, countries and their ministries, Civil Society Organizations, universities and others. The organizers for each of these time slots will be responsible for every aspect of the side event, such as the organization of speakers etc. All the events at the Pavilion are organized to culminate in a high level Africa Day.
As with the COP 17 Pavilion, the objectives of the COP 21 Africa Pavilion will be to:
Provide a forum for discourse and debates that locate Africa-relevant climate change issues and themes in the larger context of the continent’s sustainable development;
Provide a platform to further enhance thinking and critical debate on the linkages between available information and knowledge, technical services and policy directions for climate change in Africa;
Create opportunities for knowledge-sharing among decision makers and practitioners, the research community and negotiators;
Explore the implications of climate change for the inclusive growth agenda, especially focusing on the interactions between climate change and vulnerabilities;
Identify opportunities for Africa from climate change;
Identify policies, practices and research recommendations for stakeholders; and
Promote quality scientific research, field experience and evidence-based policy more extensively.
B. Organization and call for proposals
The proposed COP 21 Africa Pavilion will seek to continue to engage with the implications of climate change for Africa’s development, focusing on the ways in which the post 2015 climate agenda will intersect with Africa’s development agenda, exploring the challenges and opportunities for Africa, and sharing information on research, innovations and adaptation responses. The pavilion will serve as the hub of African networking through debate, information exchange, exhibitions and formal and informal meetings. The debates will be structured at different levels, including high level debates and panel discussions, round tables and other formal meetings and exchanges organized by the African Pavilion secretariat in conjunction with principal partners from African governments, regional economic blocs and other state partners; multi-lateral and bilateral partners; NGO/CSO and private sector partners, and others. The themes for the discussions and meetings will be determined by the outcomes of COP 20 in Lima and guided by the progress of the negotiations towards the post 2015 climate agenda. Key themes emerging out of the negotiation process and Africa’s positions so far will be prioritized in the Africa Climate Talks (ACT) to be convened by ClimDev-Africa and partners in the 5 sub-regions of Africa in the lead up to COP 21. These dialogues will be
6 crystallized in CCDA –V. The issues arising out of these dialogues and CCDA-V will become the core focus of the ClimDev organized side events in the Africa Pavilion.
The Technical Committee of the COP 21 Africa Pavilion organizing committee will send out a call for panel and round table proposals based on the thematic issues proposed below.
Government agencies, African Researchers, Regional and International organizations such as the regional economic commissions and river basin commissions, multilateral and bilateral organizations, researchers in universities, think tanks and other research institutions, as well as CSOs and the private sector will be encouraged to submit abstracts of their proposals. Once panel or side event proposals are accepted, the successful applicants will be responsible for all organizational aspects of their panel/side event, including speakers, session chairs, rapporteurs etc. Each organizer will be requested to provide a detailed report of the discussions and presentations, and these will be compiled into a report on the Pavilion events to be widely circulated across the continent. Research and policy papers addressing the most pertinent issues and will be selected for publication as monographs, or compiled into other publications to be made available to researchers and policy makers.
C. Key Themes for Discussion
A first set of themes for the African Pavilion discussions follows directly from the post 2015 negotiation process, and seek to place the outcomes in the African perspective. For Africa, the key themes in the negotiation emanate from decision 1/CP.19 which "requests the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform to further elaborate, beginning at its first session in 2014, elements for a draft negotiating text"(mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer, capacity-building and transparency of action and support) and "to identify, by the twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties, the information that Parties will provide when putting forward their contributions, without prejudice to the legal nature of the contributions". Thus the key issues will have emerged clearly after the Lima COP 20, and will be in the process of concretizing into the post 2015 agreement at COP 21. Thus far these issues are:
Pre-2020 mitigation ambition
Post-2020 agreement
Adaptation
Finance
Technology and capacity building Pre-2020 mitigation ambition
Parties are discussing ways to increase the level of mitigation ambition in the pre-2020 period, (2015-2020) with a view to ensuring the highest possible mitigation efforts by all parties. The aim is to close the ambition gap between the aggregate effect of Parties current mitigation pledges and an aggregate pathway consistent with maintaining a likely chance of holding the increase in global warming below 2C or 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Major issues in the negotiations include concerns about low levels of mitigation ambition in developed countries’ pre-2020 pledges (lower than developing countries); low levels of finance,
7 technology and capacity building to enable mitigation actions by developing countries (no roadmap for finance to 2020); inadequate progress in implementing concrete mitigation actions to curb warming; and efforts to shift responsibilities away from developed countries under the Convention towards international cooperative initiatives and the private sector.
The African Group is calling, among other things, for an acceleration of efforts under this work stream, for more concrete mechanisms to move from discussions of options in technical expert meetings to implementation of mitigation actions, for specific efforts to create a global support programme for renewable energy, and for more effective implementation by developed countries of existing commitments relating to their mitigation (e.g. under the Kyoto Protocol and Convention) as well as finance, technology transfer and capacity building. How well are Africa’s concerns represented in the final post 2015 agreement, and with what implications for Africa’s sustainable development?
Post-2020 agreement
Parties are negotiating a new climate agreement under the Convention that will be applicable to all parties. This agreement — in the form of a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force — is to be agreed by the 2015 Paris COP and to come into effect by 2020. The two main issues currently under discussion are in relation to the
“elements” of the agreement (whether it will cover mitigation, adaptation, technology, finance, capacity and transparency, and how) and “contributions” (the scope and information to be provided in the “intended nationally determined contributions” or INDCs by Parties to the new agreement).
Major issues include whether the post-2020 agreement will cover all the elements in a balanced and comprehensive manner, or focus asymmetrically on mitigation, carbon markets and transparency or measuring, reporting and verification (MRV) to the exclusion of adaptation, finance, technology or capacity (all of which are important to Africa). Concerns with the latter approach is that it will result in a weaker international regime than the Kyoto Protocol for developed countries, and a stronger one for developing countries, without adequate provisions for support.
The African Group is calling for a comprehensive agreement covering all elements in a balanced way, with general commitments and global objectives, specific commitments by parties, operational mechanisms and provisions on accountability, compliance and review. On
“contributions” the Group has stated that these must be in conformity with the Convention, respect differentiation between developed and developing countries and build on established Convention obligations. Developed countries should put forward contributions addressing adaptation support, finance, technology and capacity (as well as mitigation) as failure to do so will limit prospects for a balanced outcome in Paris.
Adaptation
Parties are discussing adaptation in the context of the post-2020 agreement as well as in the ongoing discussions under the Convention, including the LDC work programme, Nairobi work programme and Cancun Adaptation Framework. Discussions, among other things, are
8 focusing on formulation and implementation of national adaptation plans, and ways to address loss and damage. Most studies suggest adaptation costs in Africa will be US$ 20-30 billion per annum over the next 10 to 20 years (AfDB)3
Major issues include how to include adaptation in the post-2020 agreement in a way that has legal and political parity with mitigation, and does not involve a down-grading of adaptation discussions under a strengthened international climate regime under the Convention. Also of concern is the low levels of finance, technology and capacity building currently available to enable implementation of adaptation actions at the national level (i.e. to support the move from adaptation planning to adaptation action).
The African Group has recognized the need to priorities adaptation, ensure funding of full costs, increase access to additional public, grant-based resources, expedite support for national adaptation planning, and ensure the Adaptation Committee gives direction to relevant fund mechanisms, and expedite work on implementation of adaptation plans. It has also urged operationalization of the new loss and damage mechanism agreed in Warsaw.
Finance
Parties are discussing finance in the context of the post-2020 agreement as well as under other bodies of the Convention. As well as under the Durban Platform, finance is being discussed under the Standing Committee as well as in various subsidiary bodies of the Convention.
Major issues include how to ensure full implementation of existing Convention finance commitments, and avoid shifting of responsibility towards the private sector or to developing countries under the new agreement. A clear pathway for finance is required between now and 2020; efforts are also required to ensure full and early capitalization of the Green Climate Fund;
and to ensure finance in the short term to enable the preparation of intended nationally determined contributions by developing countries.
The African Group has identified finance as a priority, called for a clear needs assessment and roadmap with milestones to 2020, and emphasized that $100 billion must be a minimum for finance, with larger amounts post-2020. Finance in 2014 should have been $32 billion, in 2015 it should be $44 billion. There must also be clarity about long-term finance for REDD plus.
Technology and capacity building
Technology and capacity issues also arise in the context of the post-2020 agreement and in other work under the Convention, including the Technology Mechanism of the Convention.
The African Group wants to ensure barriers preventing transfer are removed, including the appropriate treatment of intellectual property rights and removal of patents from certain
3 http://www.climdev-africa.org/
9 climate-related technologies. They have expressed the importance of operationalizing the technology transfer mechanism, and extending the mandate of the Durban Forum on Capacity- Building
One topical event, which would also be of great assistance to the African Group, is a discussion about the group's pre-2020 mitigation ambition proposal focusing on renewable energy. Africa’s lead coordinator is in with discussions with some donors about launching a global partnership. An event with key AGN representatives, donor countries and experts could help give this proposal a boost in the context of the COP.
A second focus could be on the need for a “comprehensive and balanced” post-2020 agreement to meet the needs of Africa, with speakers from developed and developing countries speaking on the need for coverage of all the elements — mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, capacity and transparency. This would help to build some momentum, and counter the tendency (despite Africa’s efforts) towards a narrow mitigation-centric outcome.
A third could be on adaptation in the post-2020 period. While some initial thinking has been done about how adaptation and loss and damage would fit in the post-2020 agreement there are clearly opportunities for further thought. How can adaptation receive legal and political parity? What specific mechanisms are required to enhance implementation of adaptation plans? How can support be scaled up? What are Africa’s specific needs?
A fourth could focus on the importance of a finance roadmap, and prospects for the GCF in light of recent announcements of significant financial pledges (e.g. US and Japan this week together pledging 4.5 billion), and what this means for Africa. Africa’s GCF Members and lead finance coordinators, along with selected donor countries, could offer thoughts. It could be an opportunity to help African countries think about how to access this finance.
In addition to the issues arising directly out of the negotiations, other topical issues that will be discussed in panels and roundtables at the Africa pavilion will include, inter alia, issues related to community innovations and adaptations to climate change, accounting for climate change, agriculture and food security, integration of climate information into planning and policy processes, and linkages to sustainable development processes.
Local Government and Community innovations and adaptations to climate change
While regional and national policies are important in guiding adaptations to climate change, needed local responses and actions are ongoing. Because local communities are at the frontlines of climate impacts, they are constantly innovating and finding ways to adapt their livelihood and other strategies to adapt to the experienced climate impacts. Impacts like longer and more severe large wildfires, flooding and crop damage from increasingly heavy rainfall, frequent and severe droughts, the disruption of water supplies and sewage systems, public health dangers and so on are already a significant threat to rural and urban communities and their economies. Local communities are responding and adapting to these threats in different and innovative ways. These innovations are at times supported by local governments. Local governments are already leading the way toward addressing the impacts of climate change, but they cannot build resiliency alone. They need national and regional support, particularly for
10 accounting for climate change in investments such as infrastructure development, but also in planning and reducing emissions over the long-term.
A discussion stream will be set up to share the experiences of communities and local governments (both rural and urban) with climate change adaptation. An expected outcome of this discussion stream will be the elaboration of recommendations on how support can be provided to local governments and local community climate adaptation innovations, and ensure coordinated efforts to address climate change effects.
Accounting for Climate Change in National Investments and Planning
Climate change’s implications for critical infrastructure like roads, bridges, and water treatment plants reach across all sectors and economies. National policies such as flood insurance are generally not designed to account for increasing climate risks like greater flooding probability, sea-level rise and so on. African governments need to urgently develop ways to account for the future risks of climate change in their current planning, building and investment programs. How can governments ensure that state-funded construction projects accommodate future flooding risks, create alternative power sources that operate off the electric grid such as solar-powered community-support stations for post-disaster assistance, and so on?
Incorporating climate change into planning decisions can build more resilient communities can result in a more resilient economy nationally.
While adaptation is the priority for African governments, the need to reduce emissions over the long-term to avoid the worst of climate impacts in the future is also critical.
Incorporating emissions reductions into public and private investments, policies and practices is thus an important aspects of investment policies. Strategies that have the dual benefit of increasing community resilience while reducing overall emissions—such as increasing energy efficiency in transportation systems, reducing dependency on fossil fuels through more clean and efficient energy systems, and increasing the use of natural infrastructure should be explored and developed in national investment policies and plans to foster both mitigation and adaptation.
Agriculture and food security
Although rapidly developing and urbanizing, African economies remain predominantly rural and agrarian. Agriculture is susceptible to climate change, and this in part explains Africa’s higher levels of vulnerability. Many African adaptation programmes have been designed to address the risks posed to agriculture and food security. It will be important to take stock of gains made in Africa in the area of food security in these initiatives, such as the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP), and the climate change challenges to be addressed to ensure future food security and development.
Integrating climate data and information systems and policy making
Climate information will be increasingly important in the development of policy decision making over the next decades — but national climate information services (CIS) lack
11 adequate investment in many countries.4 The need for climate information to support policy making in Africa has been recognized at the highest levels, and initiatives such as ClimDev are responses to the recognition that information provision per se is not sufficient to inform relevant policies. What is required is a more comprehensive system encompassing processes and institutions working to supporting the generation of accurate and up to date climate information and packaging this information, through analyses and capacity building, to inform climate smart policy‐making. African governments have been making efforts to improve Climate Information Systems across the continent. The extent to which climate information has been successfully integrated into planning and policy processes must be evaluated, and steps taken to address identified challenges in order to improve the integration.
Climate Research for Development (CR4D)
Linked to the challenges of integration CIS into planning and policy processes is the very important question of climate research for development (CR4D). ClimDev partners have developed a CR4D programme (the Africa Climate Conference 2013 (ACC2013)), which aims to become a mechanism for integrating the Africa climate research community (scientists and institutions) to deliver on priority end user needs in Africa5. The objective is to increase:
1. the understanding of end user needs for climate research, information and services in Africa.
2. the understanding of the drivers, variability, and change processes in the African climate system; and predictive capabilities at all timescales; and
3. the quality and relevance of climate information for users and stakeholder communities.
The intention is to build and enhance the necessary foundations required to deliver climate information and advisory services needed urgently by policy planners, adaptation decision-makers and vulnerable communities in Africa. These knowledge gaps constrain vital progress in the use of climate information for global development and transformations towards sustainability in Africa. The Africa pavilion will be an opportunity to convene scientists and policy makers to discuss ways of advancing this agenda and ensuring the delivery of relevant and timely climate research to policy processes.
Inclusive Growth/Low Carbon Development and Energy Access
African economies have been growing at impressive rates over the last decade or so.
The high growth rates are sustained by climate sensitive sectors and commodities. Africa’s exports have been dominated by primary commodities, and the agriculture sector accounts for 60 per cent of total employment and around 25 per cent of GDP.6 Vulnerable employment in
4 http://www.climdev-africa.org/sites/default/files/DocumentAttachments/IIED%20ClimDev-Africa%20-
%20information%20services.pdf
5 http://www.climdev-africa.org/sites/default/files/ccda4documents/preevent/CR4D%20Concept_Note.pdf
6 African Economic Outlook, 2014.
12 Africa remains high, with women more likely to be engaged in vulnerable jobs.7 African economies thus need to transform into inclusive economies that are dependent on greener and climate friendly energy. This structural transformation will encounter a number of challenges, not least the imperative to achieve green industrialization and to leapfrog towards cleaner technologies. The continent must overcome both energy and water insecurities, and orient its development pathway on a trajectory that recognizes the imperative for green growth.8 Major policy and strategic decisions are urgently required regarding balancing the fragile economic growth and the rapid industrialization imperative to drive development on the continent. Such strategies to guide the continent’s structural transformation towards more value-added activities and modern jobs and away from the current dominant primary extraction sector presents major challenges9 which need to be urgently debated and addressed. The Africa Pavilion will prioritize this debate.
REDD+, forests governance and vulnerability
REDD+ has been an important initiative towards creating opportunities for carbon sequestration and benefitting forest governance in Africa. Many governments have initiated planning for REDD readiness, and set aside significant forest areas for REDD+ purposes. It is now opportune to assess the impacts of REDD+ on the status of forest and on livelihoods in Africa, and to discuss future directions for this initiative.
Linkages to the SDGs and the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction
The three major international agreements to be concluded in 2015 – the successor to the Hyogo Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, the UNFCCC COP in Paris and the Post-2015 Agenda (including the Financing for Development Conference in Addis) – are all intended to contribute to the pursuit of sustainable development globally. It is not clear yet if a global vision exists or is being developed for what needs to be done to put the world on a pathway to sustainable development in terms of linking the Sustainable Development Goals with the Post Kyoto Climate Agenda and the post-Hyogo DRR agenda. Given the critical importance and complexity of aligning these major global processes, there is an urgent need for analysis and action to enhance their convergence. While the post Kyoto and Hyogo agendas other should recognize the articulation of sustainable development in the 21st century that is evolving out of the OWG on the SDGs, the SDGs themselves should take cognizance of the risks posed by climate change to sustainable development, and integrate appropriate responses into the proposed development strategies. As well, metrics for measuring progress towards sustainable development should be linked into climate change and disaster risk data and metrics through some globally negotiated meta-metric for sustainability. A discussion of the linkages between these three global 2015 processes should thus aim at ensuring coherence between the objectives of the different agreements and encouraging sustainable development processes that are mutually reinforcing. Such discussions could focus on:
7 MDG Report, 2014.
8 http://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/PublicationFiles/africa-brics_2014_fin.pdf
9 ibid
13
Mapping out each process to identify key moments and specific opportunities to improve alignment. Those leading these processes should proactively anticipate how to make best use of these opportunities.
Aligning the narratives of post-2015 and related processes so that they put forward a shared vision of sustainable development.
Identifying possible shared measures of progress. Sharing indicators between different processes can help to improve efficiency in data collection and align implementation efforts.
The Blue Economy and African Small Island Developing States
During the AU Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2014, Heads of State formally acknowledged that Africa’s oceans are essential to the sustainable development of the continent and embraced the ‘Blue Economy’ as one of key pillars in their 2063 agenda. It is intended that the ‘Blue Economy’ objective should form Africa’s common position in post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda. Exploiting and developing the full potential of Africa’s oceanic resources and its inland water resources widens development opportunities, and is critically important for the continent’s transformation.10 Like the Green Economy, the desired outcome of the blue economy is improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. The approach is based on the assessment and incorporation of the real value of natural blue capital into all aspects of economic activity.
The focus of the blue economy is thus on environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive growth based mostly on the marine and coastal ecosystems, with economic activities in fisheries, shipping and maritime transport, coastal tourism, marine energy (both fossil and renewable), pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, genetic resources and blue carbon trading opportunities. The transition to the ‘blue economy’ will be complex and require strategic structural transformations of the SIDS economies. How will this transition occur? How will it be financed and what will be the implications for sustainable development?
Gender and Climate Change
Climate change impacts men and women, differently, and exacerbates existing gender imbalances regarding access and use of natural resources, women’s food security vulnerability.
The most vulnerable and marginalized individuals are the most affected by the impacts of climate change Women and children are more adversely affected. It has an impact on the relationship that people have with their environment, their endogenous knowledge in relation to their environment, their social and economic positions and the power relationships between men and women in society11. Due to the feminization of poverty and the dominance of patriarchal values in Africa, women have the least capacity and opportunities to cope with the impacts of climate change or to participate in negotiations on issues relating to their mitigation.
10 http://www.climdev-africa.org/content/sids-2014-concept-note
11 CODESRIA 2012. Gender and Climate Change in Africa
14 Africa’s rural economies are pivoted around forestry and other biodiversity. African women are involved in over 70% of agricultural activities. Agriculture on the continent is highly dependent on rainfall and vulnerable to variations in precipitation and other climatic factors.
Moreover, women generally have very limited financial resources including savings and credit, and usually have access to only less fertile, poorly watered and smaller lands. Thus climate change further complicates their ability to perform their productive role. Climate change related disasters such as droughts, floods and landslides, in addition to separating families, exacerbate women’s social and economic vulnerabilities such as increasing their exposure to human trafficking,
African countries need to design gender-responsive adaptation and mitigation for the continent, as already demanded in various forums on gender and climate change in Africa12. The design of adaptation strategies must take into account the gender dimension, which reflects power relations between men and women in society. The patriarchal nature of African societies and the status that is conferred upon men have enabled them to have access to critical information on strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation13. The relegation of women to the domestic sphere and their low level of empowerment explain their relative lack of information and opportunities to enhance their knowledge in climate change adaptation strategies. The application of a gender approach to deliberations and decision-making processes, to make the responses for climate change adaptation and mitigation effective, is also important. Issues regarding the gendering of the Paris climate framework, and the creation of opportunities for the development of gendered adaptation strategies, are thus of significant importance.
D. Proposed programme of events
The Africa Pavilion activities will be set in motion by a high-level panel comprising African ministers, heads of United Nations organizations in Africa, and representatives of the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the African group of negotiators. The Pavilion will be officially opened by a panel of African Heads of State.
Africa Day
The roundtable thematic discussions organized in the African Pavilion culminate in Africa Day scheduled during the high level segment of the COP and will be led by the Technical Committee of the COP21 organizing committee. A series of issues will be discussed by African Heads of State and Government and other world leading African policy makers, practitioners and researchers. The thematic focus, speakers and panelists of the Africa day will be determined by the organizing committee.
Book Launch
Following the opening event will be the launch of the book “Stocktaking of Africa’s Journey in the UNFCCC Process” which is currently in preparation under the leadership of the ClimDev secretariat. The book’s editors and chapter authors will constitute a panel to present
12 Nyasimi, M. 2014. https://ccafs.cgiar.org/blog/gender-agriculture-climate-change-and-policy-responses-africa
13 http://www.codesria.org/spip.php?article1678
15 and debate the main issues and findings of the book. This will set the tone for the debates and discussions in other roundtable panel discussions as well as side events. Recipients of the CDSF grants will also be given space to present and discuss their research and other project activities.
Exhibitions
There will be exhibitions and permanent displays at the Pavilion. The key theme of this COP 21 exhibition will be “Taking Advantage of the Opportunities offered by Climate Change”, and will feature exhibitions of climate smart technological and other innovations by African inventors and SMMEs. African Governments will also be encouraged to display and discuss their policy innovations, and African researchers will display and share their research and publications. There will also be displays by the regional economic communities, the African Union, the African Development Bank, the Economic Commission for Africa, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and other partner organizations.
Expected Outcomes
Articulations of Africa’s position/s on key issues in the post 2015 agreement
Africa’s strategy for the period 2015-2020
Recommendations from the roundtables and panel discussions on key issues of policy and strategy
Knowledge and information sharing
Networking and partnership development Communication
The Africa Pavilion will seek to (i) raise the awareness of the international community on African issues, concerns, policies and responses to climate change. The Pavilion will also seek to raise awareness among development partners of how Africans are grappling with the climate change challenges; (ii) generate greater understanding of Africa’s options on climate change in general and climate change negotiations in particular; and, (iii) motivate actions by Africans, local communities and governments to make informed decisions on the most critical issues and the management of climate change risks and impacts.
