African states walk empty-handed as COP27 summit ends
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By Gerro Biko GAROWE ONLINE
- Posted On 19-11-2022, 06:58PM
CAIRO, Egypt - The 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) came to an end at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
As it concludes, African states walk empty-handed from the summit which was supposed to find long-lasting solutions to problems created by Climate Change.
The globally regarded the African Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) there was a lot of hope for the continent that bears the heaviest brunt of climate change.
By Friday evening the African negotiators were still pushing for the main issues that include financial, adaptation, and mitigation mechanisms.
Egyptian president and Foreign Minister, Sameh Shukri called upon all parties to move up a gear in the negotiations.
"I am still concerned about the number of unresolved issues, including finance, mitigation, loss and damage, and their linkages. I call on the parties to work together to resolve these remaining issues as quickly as possible."
African states were pushing for compensation from developed nations that are responsible for global warming.
Earlier on the European Union made an overture, accepting the principle of creating a loss and damage fund, subject to conditions and the reaffirmation of strong objectives in terms of reducing emissions and limiting global warming.
The EU proposed resolution on the loss and damage fund was tabled on Thursday by the facilitator.
They also put forward an option on the decision in principle on a specific fund, a pressing demand from developing countries.
Pakistani Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, who is also the current chair of the powerful G77+China negotiating group supported the resolutions terming them acceptable.
The continental Climate Change group -Pan African Climate Justice Climate Alliance [PACJA], term the COP 27 summit a failure in its pledges to African states.
Charles Mwangi -Head of Programmes at PACJA “We thought this was our moment to get solid commitments and enough resources from the developed nations to restore our damaged livelihoods. But we have not achieved that at this COP27. There are no bidding pledges or practical framework to enact the loss and damage fund yet.”
Charles argues that “These are the communities we have no good news for from this COP27. We hoped to secure enough practical funds through the loss and damage fund this year. We have failed in this mission and it will be even harder for them now.”
He was addressing a media presser at Mr. M Egypt on Friday where he revealed that developed nations did not allow African issues to be well canvassed at this particular COP. Marginalized and pastoralist communities in Africa need urgent intervention to restore their dead livestock, damaged forests, and dried-up rivers from this fund.
“It's now up to the African states to forge Public Private Partnerships that will catalyst investment in climate change response projects. We must push our governments to allocate more resources to restoring our forests, water catchment areas, and rivers. Because it's now clear that the developed nations don’t have our interest at all. During the COP27 summit, they have not been supportive. It's a wake-up call that we should not sit and hope for the best as our people are dying.”
Most of the main issues that were key concerns for the African states were watered down at the negotiating table.
Brian Onyango, the founder of Usafi Green Energy Ltd which operates in refugee camps like Kakuma camp, said local communities are the most affected because they have lost their livelihoods because they cannot recover their dead livestock.
“Actually thought this COP27 would provide enough funds to enable the poor communities to access food and water after this year’s famine. It is frustrating because the developed nations contribute the most to global warming, but they are unwilling to support damaged livelihoods in Africa.”
It is a double tragedy for the African continent as the only dream of a better and healthy African continent has been killed by developed nations' refusal to honor their pledges.
GAROWE ONLINE
