PACJA lauds leaders on their recognition of the twin “Cs” challenge

 Africa’s leading coalition of Climate change advocates has lauded their Heads of Government and States, African Development Bank Group, and the Global Center on Adaptation for recognizing the urgent need for a post-Covid-19 climate action that revolves around revamping the adaptation financing for Africa and that post-pandemic economic recovery depends on the appropriate climate change response.

Coalescing under the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, PACJA, the advocates reiterated the urgent call for the international community to redeem all pledged commitments on climate financing saying that Africa and other developing countries could suffer irredeemably under the twin “Cs” challenge of climate change and the COVID-19.

“On behalf of the voices from the climate justice advocates from across Africa, I laud the recognition by leaders of the nexus between the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change. The tin problems have worsened our outlook. Solving one while neglecting the other would be perpetuating the neglect Africa has suffered from over generations,” said Dr Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director of the Nairobi-based Pan African Climate Justice Alliance.

Estimates by the Africa Development Bank show that thanks to COVID-19, Africa’s GDP could decline by 3% yearly translating to USD50 billion between 2040 to 2050.

The call by the climate justice advocates comes hot in the heels of a similar call by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres who has called for stronger financial commitments to support climate change mitigation and adaptation programs in the developing world.

Africa contributes only 5% to global emissions but is at the frontline of the climate change impacts in terms of floods, droughts, and famine.

Climate justice advocates in Central Africa were particularly impressed by the call by President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and African Union Chairperson for Africa to raise her climate ambitions and accelerate the implementation of actions planned under our national priorities. “Africa will need to focus on actions to adapt to the impacts of climate change, these include nature-based solutions, energy transition, enhanced transparency framework, technology transfer and climate finance,” President Tsisekedi was quoted as telling the delegates.

Read here the outcome of the virtual meeting on the Covid-19-Climate Emergency and the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program