Africa: African Climate Summit adopts the ‘Nairobi Declaration’

Dakar — Participating countries in the first African Climate Summit have adopted the “Nairobi Declaration”, which will serve as the “basis for Africa’s common position in the global process on climate change until COP28 and beyond.”

“Africa has both the potential and the ambition to be a key part of the global solution to climate change,” said the document read by Kenyan President William Ruto.

According to France 24’s news site, the African continent must unleash its potential “on a scale capable of making a significant contribution to the decarbonization of the global economy, requiring a multiplication of current flows of development financing and investments.”

To achieve this, the text recommends “a new financing architecture tailored to the needs of Africa, including debt restructuring and relief”, which burdens their economies heavily, the same source reports.

This first edition has attracted international investment commitments of around $23 billion, including $4.5 billion from the United Arab Emirates for clean energy in Africa.

Under the auspices of the African Union, this “Nairobi Declaration” “will serve as the basis for Africa’s common position in the global process on climate change until COP28 and beyond.”

In the joint communiqué marking three days of discussions, African leaders have called on the international community to help them increase their renewable energy production capacity from 56 gigawatts in 2022 to at least 300 gigawatts by 2030.

These efforts will help “combat energy poverty and strengthen global supply of clean and affordable energy.” The document also highlights the need for substantial investment in Africa to “unleash” its potential and “translate it into opportunities.”