As COP29 approaches, African negotiators are under increasing pressure to secure a new collective quantified goal on climate finance that addresses the continent’s urgent needs. The stakes have never been higher for the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), led by Kenya’s Ali Mohammed and Tanzania’s Richard Muyungi, as they prepare to advocate for equitable climate finance at a time when industrialized nations appear resistant to settling their climate finance debts to developing countries.
At a recent meeting in Nairobi, climate justice movements presented a demand document to the AGN, emphasizing the need for a robust, needs-based climate finance framework. Amos Wemanya, Responsive Campaigns Lead at Greenpeace Africa, lamented the continued inaction, stating, “Climate negotiations have perfected the act of kicking the can down the road. COP29 must put a stop to kicking the poor in the stomach. The climate crisis is biting in Africa.”
The urgency for action is palpable, as communities across the continent grapple with the devastating effects of climate change on their lives and livelihoods. The upcoming conference offers a critical opportunity for African negotiators to push for an ambitious climate finance goal that aligns with the global commitment to limit warming to no more than 1.5°C.
Charity Migwi, Senior Africa Campaigner at Oil Change International, articulated a clear stance against the use of climate finance for fossil fuel expansion. She emphasized that funding should focus on sustainable development: “Fossil-driven development contradicts Africa’s visions and sustainable development goals. Under the New Collective and Quantified Goal on climate finance, funding should not go to dangerous distractions that are expensive, speculative, a proven failure, or unproven at scale.”
The advocates highlighted the need for a zero-carbon, climate-resilient development path that enables Africa to leapfrog to cleaner energy sources. A document presented to the AGN proposed innovative funding mechanisms, including a Climate Damages Tax (CDT) on fossil fuel extraction, which could generate billions of dollars for climate action, particularly in developing countries where it is most needed.
“The proposal for a Climate Damages Tax on the extraction of fossil fuels is one example of a new source of finance based on the polluter pays principle,” the document noted. This approach aims to hold high-emitting sectors accountable, arguing that the moral, economic, and environmental case for such measures has never been stronger, particularly in light of the fossil fuel industry’s record profits amid rising greenhouse gas emissions and increasing climate-related disasters.
Antony Madilschy Otieno, a Greenpeace volunteer and resident of Mai Mahiu, recounted a recent climate disaster that struck his community, reinforcing the urgency for action. “What happened in the early hours of April 29, 2024, in the Mai Mahiu area must never be allowed to happen again. Human greed and the prioritization of profits over lives must cease. An ambitious and needs-based new collective and quantified goal on climate finance must be established,” he stated.
Among the key demands presented to the AGN were calls for a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) that prioritizes increased public climate finance, supported by the proposed Climate Damages Tax. Additionally, campaigners urged for public and debt-free financing mechanisms to prevent further economic burden on African nations already grappling with the impacts of climate change.
As COP29 draws near, the pressure on African negotiators to deliver an effective climate finance strategy intensifies. The outcomes of this conference could determine the trajectory of climate action in Africa, shaping not only the continent’s response to climate change but also its broader development goals. The time for action is now; the world must rally to support Africa in its quest for equitable climate financing.
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