By Winniecynthia Awuor
Although Africa has the potential to implement climate action, various challenges such as finance still pose a hindrance to climate action and climate change response as of now.
This is according to the Commonwealth secretary General Patricia Janet Scotland who was speaking at the Africa climate week (ACW2022) in Libreville, Gabon on the road to Egypt twenty-seventh Conference of Parties (COP27).
In her remarks, she noted that as much as Africa has opportunities to mitigate this epidemic, challenge such as inadequate finance to implement the climate action do not make it commendable.
Climate action is a step-up effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to induce impacts like climate-related hazards.
“We need trillions to fully implement the climate action, today the commonwealth hub for climate finance with a tiny US$1.5million has unlocked US$50million for climate-vulnerable countries and US$900million in the pipeline which is not enough,” said Scotland.
She noted that there is a need to provide a climate finance advisor for Africa to work in partnership with others. “It is essential that the global climate finance promise is delivered,” Scotland added.
Besides, Africa needs over US$3 trillion in mitigations and adaptation by 2030 in order to implement its nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
In addition, agriculture is a big player in meeting climate action, especially in African countries where 20% of its total GDP comes from and provides employment to the population.
Also, Africa holds 60% of uncultivated land and a third of degradation with potential restoration however little is done to conserve the environment.
Agriculture currently generates 19 to 29 percent of the total greenhouse gas emission globally and if action is not taken, the Paris agreement on a carbon-gas-free climate will not be achieved.
Tackling climate change requires the most significant political, social and economic effort the world has ever seen, and Africa climate week is a fantastic opportunity to set the tone and divulge that effort.
