A group of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Africa has called on world leaders to significantly scale up debt-free and grant-based finance for African institutions to effectively respond to the severe impact of climate change.
Development Diaries reports that the CSOs, including Strategic Youth Network for Development, GenderCC Southern Africa, Power Shift Africa, and the African Climate Reality Project, made the call against the backdrop of the Summit for a New Global Finance Pact in Paris.
In a letter to President Emmanuel Macron, the CSOs called on him to champion a transformative, climate-friendly policy agenda for people and the planet.
The summit is expected to push fiscal processes and institutions to support heavily indebted countries, mobilise innovative climate finance, and promote private sector investments in developing countries.
The group highlighted four areas for urgent attention: reset and enhancement of climate finance options; boost for debt-free adaptation finance; strengthen African-led adaptation measures; and the finance of climate education, capacity building, and skill transfer.
‘Africa has been bearing the brunt of the climate crisis since before the world started discussing what to do about it. And yet African voices have been too frequently ignored and our needs left unmet’, Power Shift Africa’s Director, Mohamed Adow, said.
‘That will no longer stand, which is why African civil society groups are coming together to speak with one voice and demand to be heard.
‘There is plenty of money available in the global financial system; rich countries have been spending billions on helping Ukraine and responding to Covid-19.
‘It’s time the financial resources were found to pay the climate debt owed by the rich polluting nations and to help Africa adapt and thrive in a climate which has been distorted by the actions of others.
For her part, Campaigner at the African Climate Reality Project, Courtney Morgan, said climate finance is necessary for mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage.
Africa remains the least contributor to the greenhouse emissions which have been the trigger to the climate crisis.
Photo source: Oxfam International
