The Nairobi Declaration marked the end of the three-day Africa Climate Summit in Kenya, which was dominated by discussions on mobilizing funding for adaptation to increasing weather extremes, conservation of natural resources, and development of renewable energies.
The Africa Climate Week (ACW) is an annual event that brings together leaders from Governments, businesses, international organizations and civil society to explore ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while adapting to the mounting fallout from the climate crisis. This year, ACW 2023 is taking place from 4-8 September in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted by the Government of Kenya.
ACW 2023 is being held alongside the Africa Climate Summit (ACS) which is running from 4-6 September, also hosted by the Government of Kenya. During the ACS, African leaders are being called upon to make ambitious pledges and commitments, towards the adoption of a “Pledging and Commitment Framework.”
One of four Regional Climate Weeks held this year, ACW 2023 builds momentum ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP 28 in Dubai and the conclusion of the first Global Stocktake, designed to chart the way for fulfilling the Paris Agreement's goals and provide region-focused contributions to inform the Global Stocktake.
ACW 2023 is organized into four systems-based tracks, each focusing on specific themes:
- Energy systems and industry
- Cities, urban and rural settlements, infrastructure and transport
- Land, ocean, food and water
- Societies, health, livelihoods, and economies
ACW 2023 is organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank, with the support of regional partners: African Union (AU), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Update 11th September 2023:
A joint declaration is the result of the first African climate summit. The demand for a global climate tax and ambitious expansion targets are at the forefront.
The first African climate summit was held in Nairobi from September 4 to 6, 2023. At the end, the African states agree on a joint declaration. This declaration contains demands that describe the African plan for the expansion of renewable energies. However, this declaration also addresses global issues that could be groundbreaking for the UN Climate Summit starting November 30, 2023 in Dubai.
To date, Africa's combined renewable energy capacity stands at about 50 gigawatts. One of the main points of the declaration resolves the planned six-fold increase in this amount. Large deposits of key raw materials are also expected to make the expansion of electric mobility possible.
Financing issues
The call for a new tax could thereby advance the crucial issue of financing. It would put extra taxes on CO2-heavy operations such as fossil fuel trading and air travel. "We believe that is one of the ways to provide additional and adequate resources that we can use to finance our development," says Kenya's President William Ruto.
Meanwhile, other financing strategies have reportedly already been adopted in isolated instances. For example, the European Union wants to provide nearly 12 million euros for the founding hydrogen industry. In addition, compensation payments from countries with high CO2 emissions are being discussed. Afterwards industrialized countries would have to pay annually 100 billion US Dollar for climatic damage to countries with smaller means. The conference of the African countries should take place every two years in the future.
Note: UNASDG agreed already to support the Republic of Malawi as one of the 5 stakeholders of the Cliamate Initiative with Kenya as leading partner and to achieve especially the Goals 13 (Climate Action), 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy), 15 (Life & Land) with appropriate project realization.
Further UNASDG agreed with the Republic of Malawi to introduce fundings to Malawi to support the Malawi Carbon Markets Initiative (MCMI) and to support projects in line with MCMI road map to activate their plan in Malawi.
President Ruto and Kenya have received a similar offer from UNASDG and there are ongoing negotiations between the UNASDG and the Republic of Kenya.
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