Ministers from over 50 African countries met on Monday to
reinforce their position at the United Nations climate talks (COP17), demanding
an ambitious second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol, the only
legally binding instrument under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“We keep the African position as ambitious as possible, because we need to keep
one billion people safe,” Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, the chair of the African Group of
negotiators said.
During the ‘high-level’ segment of COP17 which starts on
Tuesday, the African Group will present the African Common Position on Climate
Change as agreed to in Mali, in September this year.
Mpanu-Mpanu announced that with adaptation as a priority, the
African Group’s strategy will ensure that the outcomes of COP17 are
comprehensive enough to protect Africans from the worst effects of climate
change. “People in African countries have to walk further and further for
access to water, which is muddy most of the time. We need to adapt to prevent
conflict over these issues.”
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), Africa will be hit first and hardest by global climate change, and is
among the least equipped to adapt to its adverse effects. “The impact that current and historic
greenhouse gas emission is having on agriculture in Africa needs to be better understood
in order for African negotiators to negotiate effectively, armed with the right
kind of information outlined in this report,” Seyni Nafo, spokesperson of the
African Group of negotiators said.
More than one billion people in Africa, and millions of
others living in small islands or vulnerable communities will bear the
potentially catastrophic effects of land lass, food and water shortage, crop
reduction and flooding. “We need to put emotions aside and focus on what the
science tells us,” Mpanu-Mpanu said.
“Africa contributes the least carbon emissions, but is
willing to do its fair share in emission reduction. We all have a
responsibility to reduce emissions, the only difference is the historical
position.”
“We want developed countries that have enjoyed a certain
kind of life to show climate leadership. They have shown us economic
leadership, human rights leadership, political leadership and sometimes even
military leadership.”
According to Nafo, developed country Parties to the Kyoto
Protocol should honour their commitments and reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions by at least 40 percent from 2013 to 2017, which marks the second
commitment period to the protocol. “We stress the urgency of agreeing a second
commitment period in Durban and of elaborating measures to avoid a gap between
commitment periods,” he said.
Mpanu-Mpanu added that the African Group is concerned because
“the Kyoto Protocol makes provisions for people who don’t want it, to get out
of it.” According to Mpanu, the European Union has suggested a politically
binding second commitment. “We understand legally binding, but politically
binding will be too unclear.”
Additionally, the group finds it incomprehensible that
Japan, on which soil the Kyoto Protocol came to life, is backing out of the
agreement. “Where’s the sense of honour of the agreement? It has created a
really bad precedence. It takes a certain level of trust to ask developing
countries to go into a legally binding commitment.”
“If you like the mango, you need to like the mango tree as
well. Carbon markets, Clean Development Mechanisms and the Kyoto Protocol go
hand in hand. It’s a matter of supply and demand.”
Mpanu-Mpanu said the African Group is concerned that
projects under The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has been achieved at the
lowest possible cost. “CDM was marketed to us as a wonderful tool to help
Africa mitigate emissions. Unfortunately the mechanism goes into a perverse
incentive scheme which benefits have not been pursued,” he said. “We should
ensure that the rules are fairer and access to funding is easier.”
Securing the necessary climate finance forms a critical part
of the official African position. “We’ve heard great things about the Green
Climate Fund (GCF). Now some countries want to step back from it. It’s
unacceptable. They have to walk the talk – we need the finance to cope.”
Developed countries have pledged to mobilise jointly $100 billion per year by
2020.
“You have to be responsible if you commit to a legally
binding instrument. If your country doesn’t keep its word, it shouldn’t be
trusted.”
Mpanu stressed that they didn’t want ‘empty shells’, because
the GCF can really make a difference in African countries. COP17 ends on Friday
9 December, when the final agreements will be announced.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.