African Nations are being challenged to utilize the ongoing Africa Climate Summit to set the agenda on negotiations that would promote access to finance to assist in mitigating the impacts of climate change in the continent.
The advice from Herbert Mwalukomo – Executive Director for the Center for Environmental Policy and Advocacy, comes as the Africa Climate Summit has kicked off in Nairobi Kenya, under the theme “driving green growth & climate finance solutions for Africa and the world”.
Among other goals – the Summit which is being championed by Kenyan President William Ruto and the African Union, aims to address the increasing exposure to climate change and its associated costs and provide a platform to influence commitments and pledges towards addressing the crisis.
It comes just two months before the global environmental COP28 conference which will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which will focus on delivering on financing commitments made during previous conferences among many other key areas.
“It’s an opportune time for Africa to define the direction of what we should be telling our colleagues in the negotiations that are coming two months later. All this time we have been trying to skirt around the issues and not really trying to address the challenges; issues of financing, issues of loss and damage.
We have not been coming out clear to really put the money on the table as defined in the convention and most importantly the Paris Agreement,”said Mwalukomo
Speaking to MIJ Online –Mwalukomo also called on the need for Malawi to increase its adaptive capacity by building resilience to climate shocks through proper environmental management, apart from seeking external interventions to combating the climate crisis.
“We need to also mobilize resources locally, by ensuring that the climate fund is operational. We have already been collecting finances through the carbon levy but up to now that money is nowhere to be seen, we need to make sure that those funds are channeled to the right mechanisms,” added Mwalukomo
Earlier in March this year, Malawi experienced yet another climate shock in the wake of cyclone Freddy which devastated the southern part of the country, leading to the loss of over 1,000 lives and properties, including infrastructure and livestock.