Africa to make the Western world honour $25bn climate change adaptation financing promise
African Heads of States led by President Akufo-Addo, will on Monday, September 5, 2022, head to the Netherlands to meet leaders of the Western world for the Africa Climate Change Adaptation Summit.
The Summit to be held by the Global Center on Adaptation, will provide African Heads of States, the opportunity to present to demand in full the $25bn climate change adaptation financing promised by the Western world.
Already, some $12.5bn has been mobilised to finance climate change adaptation programmes on the Continent.
At the Summit, President Akufo-Addo together with his peers on the African Continent, will be presenting to Western leaders the various climate change related programmes and projects that needs to be funded with the $25bn pledge from the Western world.
Speaking in an interview on Ghanaian-based media outlet, Joy News, ahead of the Summit on Monday, Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, remarked that funding of climate change adaptation projects and programmes on the Continent are crucial and needed now more than ever.
According to him, funds needed to finance climate change adaptation programmes and projects in Africa should begin flowing to the Continent with no delay.
“Africa didn’t cause the climate crisis because it only emits 3% of greenhouse gas emissions globally, but despite that it is paying the price for the climate crisis, and so now there is a need for a reset of this phenomenon.
“As you know, the world promised Africa to double adaptation finance to address these climate phenomenon, and that money has to flow and start flowing now,” he said.
Adding that, inactions or delays on the part of the Western World to provide funds to finance for instance climate change adaptation programmes in the area of agriculture in Africa, will come at a later cost of $200bn as against the cost of spending $15bn in the present moment.
The Africa Climate Change Adaptation Summit will take place in Rotterdam and see in attendance the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte.
Africa losing $7-$15bn to climate change every year
According to the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the African Continent loses about $7-$15bn annually due to climate change impacts on African countries.
The Continent’s losses to climate change are projected to rise even further to $40bn by 2030.
Africa suffers disproportionately from the negative impacts of climate change, including increased frequency and intensity of droughts, cyclones and floods, compounded by desertification.
This is despite the fact that Africa contributes the least to global warming, accounting for only 3% of all carbon emissions.
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization which works as a solutions broker to accelerate action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sector, to ensure we learn from each other and work together for a climate resilient future.
Founded in 2018, GCA is hosted by the Netherlands, working from its headquarters in Rotterdam with a knowledge and research hub based in Groningen. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Dhaka, Bangladesh and Beijing, China.
Through this evolving network of offices and global and regional GCA teams, the organization engages in high-level policy activities, new research contributions, communications, and technical assistance to governments and the private sector.
