The inaugural Africa Climate Summit which is slated for September in Nairobi, Kenya will provide an opportunity for African countries to address the intersection of climate change, Africa’s development, and the need for increased global investment in climate action on the continent, an official source disclosed Thursday.
The summit will convene under the theme “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World.”
According to a statement by the organizers of the event, the summit also serves as a platform to showcase progress, exchange perspectives, and begin to converge on common priorities for global discussions (including UNGA, G20, World Bank Group (WBG) and IMF Annual Meetings, COP28 and beyond).
It seeks to launch a new ambition for Africa and invite partnerships with the rest of the world, it said.
It is also an opportunity for Africa to consolidate its united voice on matters of climate change, sustainable development and to mobilize support for the implementation of continental programmes and policies such as the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan, it said.
According to the statement, the summit will also enable African countries to define detailed plans, shape their associated tools and investments, inform and push for reforms of the international financial architecture, share innovation, knowledge, experience, and practical approaches to deepen and expand understanding of climate challenges and opportunities.
With another major purpose to enable Africa to renew its vision and become more assertive in pursuing a climate and development agenda through a unified approach, African Leaders will also endorse the first ever Nairobi Declaration on a Green Growth and Climate Finance Agenda and Solutions for Africa and the World.
The above declaration will highlight investment commitments by countries, including showcasing multi-billion dollar worth of green investment deals on the continent as well as the roadmap for implementation of key declaration.
As of June, this year, 45 African countries had submitted an updated version of their first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), indicating their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit the increase in global temperature.
Having signed and ratified the Paris Agreement, nearly all African countries have committed to enhancing climate action through reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and building resilience.
Libya was the only country in the African continent that did not submit any NDC.
Latest estimates by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) show that Africa requires 7 to 15 billion U.S. dollars annually to enhance adaptation to climate change besides nearly 3 trillion dollars investment that is required to implement nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and cap emissions in line with the Paris climate deal.
