PACJA, partners launch African Green Climate Finance Nationally Designated Network (AFDAN) at COP 27

The implementation of the Paris Agreement and the nationally determined Contributions will not be workable if the sub-national governments such as cities, local authorizes and communities are not looped into the implementation plans.

Speaking at the launch of the African Green Climate Finance Nationally Designated Network (AFDAN) at COP 27, Dr. Mithika Mwenda, and the Executive Director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance said communities have solutions to the climate crisis but lack the needed support.

“We need proper implementation of the policies designed to ensure locally-led action is financed for and by the communities at the frontline of the climate crisis,” said Mwenda.

At the launch, participants noted that COP27 was premised on implementation and therefore it must come out with workable and scalable solutions that lead to action at the grassroot.

African countries contribute less than 4% to global emissions but bear the brunt of their impacts. Expetrts note that climate change is impeding Africa’s long-term sustainable development and poses an immediate threat to its people, creating conflict and destroying lives and livelihoods.

According to the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) Sixth Assessment Report 6, by 2030, more than 250 million people across Sub-Saharan Africa could face water shortages, and rain-fed agriculture could contract by 50% in some African countries.

The ND-GAIN 2018 index, indicated that 30 out of the world’s 40 most climate-vulnerable countries are in Africa, putting local populations at high risk of severe climate events impacting their health and well-being as well as the productivity of the economy.

There is an urgent developmental challenge with the potential to derail progress toward achieving all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. From Morocco to Kenya, the poor, and especially women and children, are the hardest hit by the impact of climate change as they rely on natural resources and ecosystems for their livelihoods.

Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) in 2022, and SEI in 2021 indicated that Africa needs approximately USD 2.8 trillion, or USD 250 billion each year, between 2020 and 2030, to implement its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The CPI report indicated that the total annual climate finance flows into Africa for financial 2020 from domestic and international sources, was only USD 30 billion, just 12% of the amount needed.

The financing gap is significant as all African countries together have a GDP of USD 2.4 trillion (World Bank 2021), implying that 10% of Africa’s current annual GDP needs to be mobilized above and beyond current flows every year for the next 10 years. This analysis is based on 51 out of 53 African countries that provided data on the costs of implementing their NDCs. Collectively; they represent more than 93% of Africa’s GDP.

Adaptation accounted for less than 24% of total climate finance flows to Africa, despite Africa being highly vulnerable to climate change, hence, the need for a concerted effort for an increased flow of climate finance to Africa, and a better balance of finance between mitigation and adaptation.