Coverage of Side Events at the Katowice Climate Change Conference – Issue#1

As part of Africa Day, the AUC hosted a panel on the Africa NDC Hub, which aims to support member states in operationalizing their NDCs in view of Agenda 2063. The panel was moderated by Harsen Nyambe, Head of Environment, Climate Change, Water and Land Management, AUC.

Anthony Nyong, African Development Bank (AfDB), highlighted that climate-related finance remains a major issue in Africa, given that the implementation of African countries’ NDCs include conditional targets related to the provision of additional resources. He highlighted the AfDB’s Africa NDC Hub, which provides support for implementing NDCs by mainstreaming NDCs into national development plans.

James Murombdzi, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), highlighted that climate change adaptation and sustainable development are “two sides of the same coin.” He noted that many NDCs are conditional upon resources that must be mobilized across the private, public, and civil society sectors. He highlighted that UNECA would reorganize its programming to include new sub-programmes on climate change and natural resource management. Murombdzi further stressed the need to view economic and climate policy in ways that reflect Africa’s economic realities.

Amb Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC, noted the impacts of climate change across Africa and the limited adaptive capacity that increases the continent’s vulnerability. Reaffirming the commitment of AUC to working with all its partners to support member states in the implementation of their NDCs, she announced that the AUC will have a continental strategy to address climate change by 2019.

Regis Immongault, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabon and Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSSC), lauded Africa’s engagement in mitigating and adapting to climate change, but highlighted the lack of concrete responses from public, private, and civil society actors. He stressed that Africa must speak “with one voice” in negotiations in order to ensure just outcomes, and noted that the NDC Hub’s aim of mobilizing resources was encouraging in this regard.

In their discussions, participants agreed on the importance of a just climate transition that reflects Africa’s economic realities, and on the necessity of leveraging resources from the private sector and from civil society into public mechanisms in order to successfully and concretely implement NDCs.

This event presented case studies from developing countries on locally relevant, climate-friendly technologies for vulnerable peoples, with a focus on women. Ajita Tiwari Padhi, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change, moderated the event, with panelists and participants discussing barriers and policy recommendations for promoting and scaling-up these technologies.

Padhi highlighted that women face greater burdens from poverty-related climate change impacts, and stressed the need to consider their needs in an equitable way. She also noted the importance of establishing a dedicated agenda under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and include text in the Paris Agreement on gender.

Priyadarshini Karve, Samuchit Enviro Tech, said that her organization is working with communities in remote locations, bringing them improved cooking stove technology, and stated that they have developed a process in order to understand people’s preferences. She stressed that the stove needs to respond to the different needs of each community and that the organization is trying to train entrepreneurs to make the stoves themselves. She noted that a project is considered successful when the stoves are still used after the end of the project cycle.

Siddharth D’Souza, Laya Green Ventures, discussed projects that aim to reduce the daily burden on women in tribal regions of Andhra Pradesh, India. He shared examples focused on providing energy access, water pumps, water filters, improved cookstoves, and biogas; and highlighted that climate-smart technologies can be developed effectively by starting with a clear identification of community needs and barriers to technology uptake.

Colin McQuistan, Practical Action, discussed technology roll out in local communities and efforts to make local technology development ecosystems fairer and more effective. He emphasized: the catalytic potential of such efforts; the need to align technology-focused efforts in international agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; and that private sector technology development must be driven by community needs, not just profit.

In the ensuing discussion, panelists addressed the main challenges to bringing these technologies to communities, including lack of funding and investment. Saleemul Huq, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), said that future Conferences of the Parties (COPs) need consider ways to scale up bottom-up actions around the world related to technology and gender.

The event, moderated by Vicente Yu, South Centre, focused on sharing developing countries’ views on equity-related issues and emphasizing that greater climate action is only possible with equity among developed and developing countries.

Noting the higher impact of climate change on vulnerable groups, Walter Schuldt, Ecuador, highlighted the need for all stakeholders to recognize the urgency of speeding up green house gas (GHG) emissions reduction. Related to the equity issue, he underscored the importance of addressing transparency issue, and lack of access to finance, technology, and capacity building in developing countries.

Zahir Fakir, South Africa, and G-77/China finance coordinator, emphasized the financial gaps between the USD 100 billion pledge made for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the actual money available, noting the growing number of concessional projects. He called for developing countries to carefully consider their financial mobilization plans.

Ravi Prasad, India, emphasized the need to consider “outcome-oriented equity.” He said there was a need to also consider equity with regards to how it impacts individuals from both developing and developed countries.

Meena Raman, TWN, highlighted that the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities is based on the historical fact that developed countries have had an advantage over developing countries in wealth creation. She highlighted the inequities that continue to exist, and noted that if developed countries are struggling with transformation to fossil-fuel-free economies, then one cannot expect developing countries to transform with ease.

In the ensuing question and answer session, topics centered on: the role of technology transfer in implementing the Paris Agreement; difference between adaptation finance and finance for mitigation; and how to deal with financial gaps.