Experts reflect on former climate conferences, highlight the financial gaps, and question the continent’s future.
While regional efforts are abloom, international financing remains in the gloom. Africa’s sustainability is at the forefront of climate change. The ability to adapt to rising warm and extreme drought is under scrutiny amid insufficient climate finance and long-play adaptative strategies.
COP27 or ‘the Implementation COP’ as colloquially referred to by Egyptian Foreign Minister and COP27 President, Sameh Shokry, comes bearing mighty responsibilities and reflections to the City of Peace: Sharm El-Sheikh. The conference is focusing on underserved communities, financial gaps, and evaluating the goals of the Paris Agreement. Experts are seconding COP27’s agenda and shedding light on short-term consequences.
Why is Africa paying the hefty price?
According to Statista, four of the top ten countries in relation to the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) due to disasters are in Africa, and it is estimated that climate change could force 105 million people out of their homes by 2050.
Duha Abu Yahia, Agricultural Engineer, and Environmental Advocate tells Fast Company that Africa is highly at risk of natural disasters due to its infrastructure’s incapacity to withstand climate change. This, among many discrepancies between developed and developing countries facing climate change, makes the continent susceptible to losing its little resources, and tragically deteriorates its quality of life.
“Based on many UNFCC reports, the percentage of carbon footprint that is produced by developing countries is minimal to the percentage produced by developed countries. Yet, we all unite in bearing the consequence. Considering Africa’s emerging economy, food insecurity, and limited capacity within its nations, the cry for help becomes more of a sounding timebomb,” adds Yahia.
UNFCCC secretariat at COP27, Mohamed Hagag explains that “From an economic perspective, the burden always lies on those with the lowest socio-economic statuses, and we tend to think of vulnerability as a cause of poverty and inequality. Africa contributes only two to three percent of global emissions, however, the mineral-rich continent remains most vulnerable to face climate change effects.”
The Big Short: Paris Agreement Edition
The historic significance of this first-ever legally-binding agreement on climate change is fading. Developing communities struggle to contain the consequences of climate change without international assistance.
A solution for underserved areas is adopting policies that can economically empower those people, they cannot directly follow the globally-set mitigation strategies without initial preparation, awareness, and capacity building, says Yahia.
COP27 addresses how insufficient the current climate finance flows are. It also calls on participants to increase the speed of financial flows to align with the Paris Agreement goals.
This call to action is based on data from the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance, which indicated that the total climate finance flows have merely grown by ~five percent, $862bn between 2013-14 and 2017-18. However, the amount necessary for net-zero emission and economic resilience by 2050 is $1.6tn to $3.7tn per year.
“Paris agreement really lacks the sense of strictness, said the COP27-UNFCCC Secretariat and Community Development Advocate. Participating countries need to significantly increase their individual carbon reduction efforts. Establishing carbon credits and global taxes on carbon are not taken seriously.”
Scientists predict that, even if the countries in the Paris Agreement honor their carbon reduction commitments, the Earth’s temperature will increase by three degrees by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial levels. Climatologists have long said that a two-degree increase will cause a worldwide catastrophe, warns Hagag.
The Transparency of Climate Financing
Many answers did not come through during former COPs. Business manager and SAFe Program Consultant, Bassem Abd el-Kareem says that implementation is an essential element of this COP.
“We’ve spent many hours preparing for our mitigation and adaptation talks because very little has been accomplished locally and regionally. A clear mandate and commitment are due from the top contributing countries to the most vulnerable communities,” Abd el-Kareem, a member of COP27’s field operations,” adds Abd el-Kareem.
There are many other unmet promises. For instance, a 2009 pledge was made to mobilize $100bn per year by 2020, which according to the OECD, will not be delivered before 2023. Noting that only 21% were channeled through grants from bilateral and multilateral development banks, whereas most parts were attributed as public loans (58%).
“We need to change our perspective on climate financing. It should not be regarded as loans to elevate debt burdens or acts of charity, rather than retribution,” expresses Yahia.
Research suggests that climate-induced losses could reach $580 billion annually by 2030 and between $1-$1.8 trillion for developing countries by 2050.
While richer nations have agreed to channel $50bn annually to developing countries by 2025, the actual projections show that solely about $22bn will likely be achieved.
Developing countries have, for decades now, been asking for loss and damage reparation, shares the Environmental Advocate. “We face the worst impact of climate change when our own contribution to global warming is negligible,” adds Yahia.
At last, Loss and Damage makes a debut at COP27. An agenda item that requires active engagement from all climate change stakeholders, including the G-77 and China.
The newly-added element was previously tapped on during COP26, and in last June’s informal climate consultations in Germany, however, no concrete steps were taken to conceive it.
Highlighting the need for Loss and Damage is a promising step for climate action in Africa, Yahia, and Hagag believe.
Closing The Gap in Egypt
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has described the Nile Delta as one of the world’s three most vulnerable hotspots for climate change impacts.
“Nile Delta area, the rural backbone of Egypt’s bread basket and once fertile bed for agriculture, is turning into saline soil amid rising sea levels,” says Hagag.
“Dependence on science in decision-making is of crucial essence; a focus on novel farming technologies to counter the potential food insecurity,” says Yahia.
We are sparing no effort. Community development and SDGs have become an integral part of today’s business ecosystem. There are many examples of the measures we’re going to, explains Hagag: “Digital and AI integrated agriculture, the listing of environmental guidelines in business financing, and launching our first green hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh. We are also progressing in viable projects and total civil action projects.”
While Egypt’s hands are tied in many financial and bureaucratic aspects, proactive government thinking and youth-led initiatives manage to remain resilient.
“With the help of local accelerators, various startups surface each year in the climate action category. Mainly startups providing one-stop-shop green solutions; from production, supplying, distribution, and sales,” shares Hagag.
Moreover, Egyptian climate activists are prioritizing scalable projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as single-use plastic products. Local startup Banlastic or Ban-single-use-plastic broke the Guinness World Record of 8,000 kg of plastic waste. The initiative has held the country’s first green marathon and contributed to climate change awareness nationwide, he adds.