The 5th Africa Climate Talks | Events | United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

Introduction

The African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) of the African Union Commission (AUC);the ClimDev-Africa Special Fund (CDSF) of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), in collaboration with the University of Addis Ababa, will host the 5th round of the Africa Climate Talks (ACT!) series on the margins of the 10th session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD 10) as a build up to the 11th conference on climate change and development in Africa (CCDA-VII) and the 29th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP29). The event whose theme is “Making third generation NDCs (NDCs 3.0) deliver for Africa” will be organized in hybrid format.

The ACT! series brings together different perspectives and stakeholders to stimulate a pan-African discourse aimed at contributing to the emergence of an African narrative on climate change and development, drawing on lessons and experiences of civil society groups, academics, researchers, youth, the private sector and climate change negotiators. ACT! articulates opportunities that could be translated into policy options by African decision makers to build more resilient societies and economies, while enhancing environmental integrity. The inaugural session of the ACT! was held in Tanzania in 2015 in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam on the theme “The Promise of Paris – a critical inquiry into the issues, challenges and prospects of a post Kyoto climate framework for Africa”. This was ahead of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) that in Paris, France. Thereafter, three other rounds of the Talks were convened in Ethiopia, online (hosted by Cape Verde during the COVID-19 pandemic), Mozambique, and Niger. Read More

Objective

The main objective of the 5th ACT! is to mobilize diverse African constituencies to contextualize the next generation of NDCs in the just transitions discourse on the continent. In particular, this session of the ACT! will seek to mobilize the engagement of African stakeholders into defining the NDC 3.0, focusing on defining a common framework and inclusive, transparent approach to the elaboration of the NDCs to be communicated by February 2025. These reflections contribute towards the identification of African solutions to the climate challenge.

Expected outputs/outcomes

African perspectives of Just Transition elicited and documented for inclusion in the African common position for COP29.
Contributions to the elucidation of the 3rd generation NDCs, with particular focus on just transitions.
Broadening of the climate change debate to include critical linkages between climate change and underlying economic, human security and political dynamics.
Contribution to a more comprehensive climate response, to complement regional strategies and global frameworks.
Robust interrogation of the science behind the inter-connected crisis i.e. escalating climate change and the resulting economic challenges.
Key messages for common position on Africa’s priorities for COP29.

Targeted audience

African researchers, policy and decision makers, civil society, youth and women groups as well as marginalized groups in the climate change and development communities.