Lullu Krugel | Leader | Sustainability | PwC Africa | mail me |
The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change draws to a close this week. For Africa, discussions at this year’s conference placed the continent as a central player that is playing an active role in actioning efforts and initiatives for a better, more sustainable future.
In the view of our sustainability experts, Africa’s narrative on climate change is morphing from a passive stance to more proactive engagements, with the inaugural Africa Climate Summit 2023 exemplifying this shift.
Rich traditional knowledge
A key driver for this shift in engagement from the continent is because of the number of frontline communities that are being, and will be, impacted by a changing climate. It is their livelihoods that are often the first to be impacted by climate adversities, and given that these communities possess rich traditional knowledge, they have much to offer in terms of sustainable climate solutions.
In Africa, frontline communities are often located in vulnerable regions such as coastal areas, arid and semi-arid lands and floodplains. They are predominantly made up of small-scale farmers and fisherfolk, who depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. Climate change poses an existential threat to these communities, as they experience extreme weather events, droughts, floods and rising sea levels, which exacerbate existing vulnerabilities.
“When such crises strike these communities, we have seen the vital role played by women in natural resource management, food production and supporting their families. However, they also face gender-specific challenges, such as limited access to land, credit and decision-making power. This exacerbates their vulnerability to climate change.”
– Yulea Roopai, Sustainability and Climate Change Associate at PwC
Resilient efforts in Africa
Across the continent, frontline communities have been exhibiting remarkable resilience and innovation in sustainable farming and environmental stewardship.
Agroforestry in West Africa has been shown to enhance biodiversity and bolster climate resilience, while water harvesting techniques in regions like the Sahel secure vital water supplies.
In Namibia and Botswana, community-based natural resource management empowers locals, ensuring both improved livelihoods and successful wildlife conservation. Rich in traditional medicinal knowledge, these communities contribute invaluable insights to modern medicine. However, we believe there is a pressing need to enhance their existing resilience and adaptation capacity.
“Empowering frontline communities involves providing them with the tools, resources and platforms to actively participate in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. This can be achieved in several ways, including: capacity building, access to resources, policy influence recognising and valuing women’s contributions, and strengthening networks.”
– Matthew Muller, Sustainability and Climate Change Senior Manager at PwC
We unpack these points in greater detail in the fourth blog of our five-part COP28 blog series, as well as frontline breakthroughs that were made at the conference regarding:
- The Loss and Damage Fund;
- The COP28 declaration on climate, relief, recovery and peace;
- The COP28 Gender-Responsive Just Transitions & Climate Action Partnership;
- The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health; and
- The DRR4Africa project.
A call for equitable solutions in Africa
A large reality is that women, youth and other vulnerable groups often have the least adaptive capacity to climate related risks, yet they make up most of Africa’s population.
Based on the work and experience of our sustainability experts, we believe that inclusive, equitable solutions that build this capacity are critical for realising a just transition that leaves no one behind. One approach to this is the Nairobi Declaration that was ratified at the 2023 African Climate Summit held in Kenya. It is an eleven-point call to action proclaiming African States’ unified stance on climate action that took place ahead of COP28.
“The global transition to net zero is one of the most significant economic shifts facing the world as it has not been done before. This means that nobody has a body of knowledge or past experience to draw from. But looking ahead, South Africa has created the Framework for a Just Transition. This provides a plan to transition more effectively as the country has recognised the difficulty of moving away from a carbon intensive economy. We are confident that this plan can also be used as a blueprint for global adoption.”
– Matimba Shimange, Sustainability and Climate Change Associate at PwC
Overall, COP28 hosted key catalytic discussions that allowed world leaders, sustainability champions and change makers to take stock of where we all are on our journey, and served as a platform for robust debate as we build towards a cleaner future.
As we draw our COP28 blog series to a close, we are pleased with the many commitments and triumphs achieved at the conference, some of which are outlined below:
- Just transition: African nations, as part of the G77–China bloc, are advocating for a more flexible approach to the phase-down or phase-out of fossil fuels. They emphasise the need for equity in this transition, arguing that developing nations, including many in Africa, should be given more time to shift to clean energy compared to wealthier, industrialised nations. They also seek increased financial and technological support from developed nations to build the necessary infrastructure for a transition to clean energy.
- Youth Stocktake: The inaugural Youth Stocktake event was a major stride in integrating youth voices into climate diplomacy. It featured the launch of the Youth Stocktake, a comprehensive assessment of youth involvement in climate diplomacy, aimed at boosting youth engagement in the COP process. This initiative was accompanied by the commitment of 38 countries to include climate education in their national climate strategies, as per the UNESCO Greening Education Partnership Declaration.
- Addressing the climate crisis and gender inequality: It was acknowledged that the climate crisis is not gender-neutral, which was evident in the representation at the conference: only 15 out of 110 heads of state attending were women, and women made up only 37% of delegates. The conference emphasised the need to focus on the differentiated needs of women and girls in climate action and aid response.
- The Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative: The Initiative focuses on expanding women’s access to employment, training, leadership roles and financial resources in key industries crucial for the future and the planet. Governments, private sector companies, foundations and civil society have committed 4 billion to support women’s economic participation in sectors like clean energy and environmental conservation.