CSOs meet to consolidate position ahead of Glasgow climate change conference

19 October 2021: Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) held a consultative dialogue forum at the Sarova Stanely Hotel on 18 October, 2021 to consolidate their positions ahead of the 26^th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) to be held at Glasgow, United Kingdom from October 31 to November 12 2021.

The Pre-COP consultations aimed to develop a CSOs country position, identify key priorities for Kenya and provide recommendations for the Kenyan government as they prepare for the negotiations at COP26. The discussions also aimed to recommend advocacy strategies that will advance the CSO position during the negotiations.

The meeting was organised by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance-led Kenya Platform for Climate Governance, in partnership with Transparency International-Kenya, Care International and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Kenya Office. Representatives from the CSOs present in the meeting highlighted issues such as compensation for loss and damage and funding adaptation projects as key priorities for Africa to be presented at the COP 26. It was observed that such issues have not been a priority for the developed nations and thus, not prioritised in the last COP meetings.

Since Kenya’s economy depends on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, water, energy, tourism and wildlife, and health, climate change has increased the vulnerability of the people, economy and environment due to rise in the occurrence of extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as observers are, therefore, key in the negotiation process especially in ensuring that the negotiation process guarantee the future of vulnerable groups and countries significantly impacted by global warming.

The speakers of the event; Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director, PACJA, Dr. George Wamukoya, Team Leader, African Group of Negotiators Support (AGNES), and Bastian Schulz, Country Director, FES-Kenya, emphasized on the need for CSOs to collaborate and develop a joint position and message for greater impact at the negotiations in Glasgow. 

PACJA position

PACJA has been organizing a series of regional pre-COP26 build up events including the “Road to COP” conference held in Abuja in July 2021, the nexus between climate change and Covid 19 conference, the African roundtable on Cop 25 reflections, the Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justice, the ninth Climate Change and Development in Africa Conference (CCDA-IX),  the World Forum on Climate Justice,  the Global Peoples Assembly and the Mexico and Paris Forums of the Generation Equality. These discussions culminated in the development of a CSO position paper for COP26 – that will further be refined during side events in Glasgow on 31 Oct 2021.

Dr Mithika observed that although climate change is a much older problem, and likely to have greater impacts than Covid-19, it has not received as close attention as the pandemic. As a result of increasing global temperatures, Africa faces exponential collateral damage, posing systemic risks to its economies, infrastructure investments, water and food systems, public health, agriculture, and livelihoods. Other key observations made included the need:

• To consider Africa as a region with special needs and circumstances, based on IPCCC findings released in August 2021. The report indicates that the world is likely to reach the 1.5⁰C temperature increase sooner than previously expected. African will continue to experience devastating impacts of climate change considering the at some parts of Africa are already warming beyond 1.5⁰
• To enhance ambition particularly from the highest emitters. It is worth noting that 20 countries in the world, which control 80% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) account for 80% of the total Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.
• To consider the costs of climate change adaptation, which could reach $50 billion a year by 2050, that is if the global temperature increase is kept within 2°C above preindustrial levels.
• For new and additional financing to support the adaptation needs of the African people and to address loss and damage. The adaptation needs for Africa are higher than mitigation needs. Ironically, only a total of 25% of climate finance goes to adaptation initiatives.
• To consider that although African countries have outlined bold aspirations to build climate resilient and low-carbon economies in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement, many of these commitments are conditional upon receiving adequate financial, technical and capacity building support.
• For developed countries to make immediate and significant emission reductions and commit to cuts of at least 85-95 per cent by 2050 (relative to 1990 levels)
• For developed countries to honour their pledge of mobilizing US$100bn a year for climate action in developing countries.
• For fundamental reform of existing mitigation fnancing mechanisms to provide sufficient capital for Africa to develop in a low-carbon sustainable pathway.

Organisations present

• PACJA
• FES Kenya
• Care Kenya
• Act Alliance
• HIVOS
• Conservation International
• Christian Aid
• African Wildlife Foundation
• ENVIROSAN
• Pragramatic Social Action
• Natural Justice
• RF-KI
• ARTSPACE254
• Laikipia North Community Conservation Initiative
• Action on Sustainable Development Goals Coalition (ASDGC)
• Jenga Future Initiative
• The Association of Green Champions
• Association of Green Champions
• Artspace254
• Concern Worldwide
• Artspace254
• ALIN
• Artspace254
• AGNES
• African Council of Religious Leaders
• The University of Nairobi
• Mt Kenya Network Forum
• Concern Worldwide Kenya
• National council of NGOs
• FES Kenya
• The National NGO council
• Ecovista Kenya
• Kenya Network Forum
• County Government of Kisumu
• AYICC/KPCG
• Caritas Meru
• KPCG
• ATGWU
• AYICC/ GYCAF
• KB consultants
• KARA
• KPCG / SOCAA
• Pamoja Initiative
• Ukulima Tech
• Imarisha Africa initiative
• Safedrive Africa Foundation (SDAF)
• Expertise France
• NGOs Council
• County government Agriculture department, Laikipia north sub-county
• University of Nairobi
• Concern Worldwide – Kenya
• Inter-Religious Council of Kenya
• AYICC-KENYA/KPCG
• Y4SDGs
• Radio Maisha, Standard Group Media
• Kenya News Agency
• NASARU