Developed countries and donors have been faulted for failing to fulfil pledges made 14 years ago to allocate $100 billion in annual climate finance to Kenya and other developing countries to mitigate against adverse effects of climate change.
Speaking in Nairobi recently, BirdLife International, Africa’s (Policy, climate and communications coordinator) Ken Mwathe said: “We support calls made by Kenya and other developing countries to donors and the West to urgently fulfil pledges on climate financing made in Copenhagen in 2009.
“Donor countries should also ensure their funding does no harm to biodiversity but supports ecosystem integrity and the rights of indigenous peoples as well as local communities,”.
Currently, Mr Mwathe observed, there is a huge gap in adaptation finance.
“International adaptation finance flows to developing countries are five to 10 times below estimated needs and the gap is widening….
“According to estimates, about $160 to $340 billion will be required globally for adaptation by 2030 and $315 to $565 billion by 2050,”.
Mr Mwathe added:” There is need, therefore, to make a financial system that supports climate action equitable and Inclusive…
“Donor countries and multilateral financial institutions should also address the debt burden of developing countries,”.
At the same time, Mr Mwathe described the forthcoming 28th Conference of Parties (COP 28) to be held in Dubai in December 2023 “as a once in a lifetime opportunity” for Governments to put nature at the heart of efforts to address the ongoing climate crisis.
“Governments must agree on formula to reduce carbon emissions—especially a plan to phase out coal and other fossil fuels…
“It is also a moment to move from talk to action on climate finance with new, additional, predictable climate finance,”.
During the meeting, Mr Mwathe added, the Loss and Damage Fund should be actualized.
The Loss and Damage Fund was established at COP 27 and aims at helping vulnerable countries respond and recover from climate impacts such as rising sea levels, extreme heat waves, desertification, forest fires and crop failures among others.
Mr Mwathe noted: “The COP 28 meeting also provides an opportunity for countries to objectively measure and report their Paris Agreement actions.
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international UN treaty on climate change which was adopted by 196 parties at the UN climate change conference (COP 21) in Paris, France, on December 12 2015. It entered into force on November 4 2016.
Experts say its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels,”.
However, in recent years, world leaders have stressed the need to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees centigrade by the end of this century.
This is in tandem with the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on climate change which indicates that crossing the 1.5 degrees centigrade threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate impacts including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall.
Mr Mwathe was speaking during a media meeting held at Park Inn Hotel in Nairobi.
Earlier, the African Wildlife Foundation Vice President Fred Kumah challenged journalists to prioritise stories on conservation in order to push for the much-needed transformation.
“It is the role of the media to continue speaking about the linkages between conservation and other highly prioritised sectors such as health, education and infrastructure development as the African continent grows,”.
He added: “Undoubtedly, nature and its biodiversity underpin all economic activities and human well-being globally…
“The total benefit arising from nature is estimated to be at least $125 trillion annually,”.
