Explore key insights from Mr. Seth Osafo, Legal Advisor at the African Group of Advisors, who provided a deep dive into the complexities of international climate change negotiations. During this enlightening session, Mr. Osafo highlighted the significance of understanding historical contexts and triggers such as IPCC reports and UN resolutions. He stressed the importance of effective preparation, including reviewing conference agendas, conducting stakeholder consultations, and collaborating with regional groups like the African Group of Negotiators to ensure cohesive national positions. Mr. Osafo also underscored the need for inclusive national delegations, comprising diverse expertise from relevant ministries and stakeholders, to enhance representation and alignment of interests on global platforms.
Discover a comprehensive overview of pivotal international climate agreements with Mr. Seth Osafo. In session #2 of our capacity-building series, Mr. Osafo, drawing on his extensive experience in climate negotiations since 1991, explored the evolution of key agreements: the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement. Established in 1992 with global participation, the UNFCCC aimed to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations. The subsequent Kyoto Protocol (1997) imposed emission reduction targets on developed nations, while the Paris Agreement (2015) represents a landmark effort to combat climate change. The session highlighted the complexities of global cooperation and differentiated responsibilities between developed and developing nations, emphasizing ongoing challenges and dynamics in international climate negotiations.
Join us on 16 july 2024 at 10:00 AM (GMT) for an insightful exploration of the key takeaways from the landmark decision on adaptation reached during the first Global Stocktake (GST). This webinar is hosted by the iGST WA Hub, the session features Jingjing Gao, a scientist at UNEP-CCC, who will provide an expert analysis of the first GST decision on adaptation.
iGST WA Hub capacity-building session #1 led by Mr. Walters Tubua, a prominent figure within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Mr. Tubua, with his extensive experience and leadership in climate change issues, delivered an enlightening overview of the first global stocktake, a pivotal element of the Paris Agreement.
A key focus of the session was the dual approach—top-down and bottom-up—necessary for achieving climate objectives. Mr. Tubua explained how the global stocktake fits within the broader goals of the Paris Agreement. He detailed the process of setting pledges through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and subsequent reporting, highlighting the global stocktake’s role in encouraging parties to enhance their commitments.
The urgency of climate action has never been more pronounced, and the SB60 side event held on 7th June 2024, in Bonn, Germany, provided a crucial platform for discussing the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Moderated by Josefina Cobián of the ClimateWorks Foundation, the event titled “NDC Implementation: Latest Climate Science and Regional Perspectives on Turning the GST into Action” brought together a diverse group of experts from different regions of the world, including Dr. Kwame Hackman, a senior scientist at WASCAL and coordinator of the iGST West Africa Regional Hub, to share insights and strategies on the topic. After setting the stage with keynote presentations on emission trends and strategies for implementing the GST Energy Package through a granular roadmap for action, regional perspectives from West Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia were provided. This was followed by a discussion of potential barriers to the implementation of the first GST decision in the next round of NDCs (NDC 3.0) to be submitted by February 2025 (at least 9 months before CMA7 in November 2025). Finally, the experts highlighted ongoing regional initiatives that will facilitate the integration of the GST decision leading to greater climate ambitions.
Addressing Energy Crisis in West Africa
Dr. Kwame Hackman from the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use discussed the urgent need to address the energy demand crisis in West Africa using emerging renewable energy technologies. This, he said, is important to ensure that the region, despite its low emissions, does not resort to energy sources that will follow the same trajectory other regions followed and are now required to reverse due to the high levels of emissions. Accordingly, while applauding the efforts already being championed by WASCAL with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Higher Education and Research (BMBF), Dr. Hackman stressed the need for direct investment that would drive a move beyond pilot feasibility studies and capacity-building initiatives related to the production of renewable energy to actual production.
Transforming Energy in Latin America and the Caribbean
Mariana Gutierrez from Iniciativa Climática de Mexico highlighted the critical need for transforming the energy sector in Latin America. She outlined three key enabling conditions necessary for this transition:
Strengthening Institutional Arrangements: Ensuring that decision-making processes are transparent, accountable, and inclusive of civil society and affected communities.
Building Financial Structures: Supporting a just energy transition through financial mechanisms and skills training for the workforce.
Creating Regulatory Frameworks: Establishing clear incentives and standards for phasing out fossil fuels and integrating climate considerations into national planning and budgets.
These steps, Mariana emphasized, are vital for increasing ambition, ensuring effective implementation, and fostering international cooperation, with a focus on equity, fairness, and transparency.
Decarbonization in Southeast Asia
Danica Marie Supnet from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) shared insights into key sectors for decarbonization in Southeast Asia, particularly the energy, forestry, and land use sectors. Challenges such as inconsistent energy planning, underinvestment in power grid modernization, and the need for sustainable forest management were discussed. Danica underscored the importance of strong political and policy signals in countries like Indonesia and the Philippines to lead these efforts.
Broadening the Discussion: Insights from the Q&A Session
The panel then moved into a dynamic Q&A session, where discussions centered on challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of the first GST decision into NDC 3.0. Topics such as investment de-risking, capacity building (especially those that demystify the global GST decision into easily comprehensible regional ambitions), availability of adequate financial resources, and the integration of climate resilience into planning were explored. Discussions highlighted the importance of context-specific national sector investments and the critical nature of understanding and mainstreaming Global Stocktake (GST) decisions into regional activities.
Conclusion: A Unified Call for Action
The side event concluded with a unified call to address the implementation challenges of the Paris Agreement through increased ambition, strategic investments, and responsive policy adjustments. The insights shared underscored the interconnected nature of global and regional efforts required to combat climate change effectively.
The side event not only provided a platform for sharing valuable regional perspectives but also reinforced the global commitment to turning the Paris Agreement goals into actionable strategies. As we look forward, the lessons learned, and strategies discussed will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping future climate actions across the three regions.
The iGST WA Hub is seeking Small Grant Projects within the Hub. If you’re part of our network, seize this opportunity to showcase your ideas and contribute to crucial climate-related initiatives in the region.
We’re on the lookout for projects focusing on local adaptation and mitigation efforts, capacity building, technology development, awareness creation, and research and systematic observation within West Africa.
This call is exclusively open to iGST WA Hub members. The application window kicks off on March 25, 2024, and runs until April 25, 2024, at 11:30 pm GMT. Send in your proposals to igstwahub@wascal.org .
For more information, candidates can refer to the Terms of Reference and/or contact the secretariat on igstwahub@wascal.org.
Civil Society Organizations and the Global Stocktake: the independent Global Stocktake (iGST) West Africa Hub case. (8th September 2023; 15:00 – 16:00 East Africa Time)
This event was organized in line with the operationalization of the iGST West Africa Regional Hub, to 1) facilitate the socialization among all the Global Stocktake (GST) relevant CSOs, 2) share the best practices toward the formation and operationalization of a civil society hub from a bottom-up approach, 3) present the initial focus of the Hub in line with the GST, and 4) discuss the optimization of complementary activities between the CSOs and the Parties. The
How can Global Stocktake facilitate the regional green growth agenda through adaptation implementation and resilience building? (6th September 2023; 8:00 – 9:00 East Africa Time)
The iGST West Africa Regional Hub led by WASCAL and CSIR South Africa co-organized the event with its funder ClimateWorks Foundation, and its iGST partners namely, UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. The event explored the region’s green growth potential by looking ahead to the GST outputs and discussing the role of civil society, especially the private sector, in this process.
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