Last week was a major milestone in the history of climate change action in the African continent. The African climate summit did run simultaneously with the African Climate week in Nairobi, the Republic of Kenya. The week was action-packed and demonstrated our determination as African people, to be the global leader in climate action. The event was highly epic, gathering more than 10.000 participants from heads of governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector and civil society across the African continent and the world at large. Impressively, at least 20 African Heads of State and Government highlighted their countries’ commitment to spearhead initiatives in renewable energy, sustainable land use and innovative climate technologies. Another important, climax of ACS was the adoption of the Nairobi declaration which called for: a new global tax to fund climate action, an increase in Africa’s renewable generation capacity and a new debt relief architecture.This gave us a big sigh of hope as African climate activists and has strongly encouraged us to keep fighting the good fight.
As climate impacts intensify across our continent, ACW stressed the urgent need for swift and coordinated action to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate. The event featured discussions, workshops and high-level panels showcasing the opportunities for growth and development, that abound when innovation and sustainability are applied to tackling the climate emergency. ACW was the first Regional Climate Week to bring key and mandated regional climate meetings under a single umbrella event, with the aim of cultivating efficiency, collaboration, and idea-sharing across various tracks. We also saw numerous speakers highlighting the vital role of climate finance in unlocking Africa’s green energy potential and nurturing climate-resilient development. Having most of our African leaders proponenting for a substantial boost in investments, global financial reforms and greater support for vulnerable countries so as to address climate challenges effectively.
Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, also said: “ACW has identified creative solutions that can attract investment, facilitate technology transfer, build and strengthen capacities and position African nations as leaders in sustainable development and climate action. Going forward, let us push for ambitious outcomes at COP28, where we can turn the outcomes of this summit into a global consensus and, most importantly, into reality.” Therefore, as the ambassadors of the vulnerable communities, at AGAPE earth coalition we acknowledge how there is still a significant amount of work to be done in the enhancement of these climate action ideas which transpired at the ACW, before they are transformed into global solutions. We are convinced, we have a mandate to deliver the climate justice that the African people deserve.
Together with many young people we led conversations on the need for urgent and concerted efforts by all nations to lower emissions and increase climate ambition. Our representatives from different countries at the ACW included: Evelyn Achan, Alupo Caroline, Summaya Ayoob, Isaac Ssentumbwe, among others. They worked alongside multiple organizations like Blue earth organization, and they spearheaded Adaptation In Focus action at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on the 8th of September. The mission was to ensure emphasis on the critical issue of climate change impacts, with adaptation as the solution way forward. Furthermore, we carried out twitter space discussions and twitter storms during the week to encourage participation for individuals who couldn’t make it to Kenya. In solidarity, we did advocate for the same goals and stuck united as African climate activists. keeping us all updated on the ongoing activities at the summit, promoting our goals and solidarity. Just like most African activists, although our team was busy with multiple activities running concurrently, we were thrilled we succeeded due to teamwork and diligence.
Finally, we believe Climate change is a moment to look beyond differences and apply the lens of opportunity including ground-breaking investments in renewable energies as well as adaptation. The continent of Africa, home to the world’s youngest population, is already on the sharp edge of combining access to electricity and overcoming adverse climate effects like drought and floods. We are certain that some of these new pathways of development through decarbonization could combat the pressing need to combine climate action solutions which are sprouting up across Africa, with brand-new sources of finance; ensuring that all communities across Africa bolster their climate resilience. The fact is our continent is heating up faster than other parts of the planet, we cannot and will not be silent.
