African activists question the credibility of climate talks. WGN Radio 720
Mombasa, Kenya (AP) — African climate activists have expressed their outrage at the United Nations climate agency, urging companies and individuals with questionable climate credentials to greenwash their pollution activities by attending the annual climate conference. Forgiving and accusing.
The criticism follows Thursday’s announcement that oil chief Sultan Al Jaber will chair the next round of UN climate talks, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates from late November. The Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance called the move “a low point” for UN agencies. The United Nations climate agency has not commented on the appointment.
Activists say they are increasingly concerned that oil and gas representatives are blocking meetings where countries seek to agree on ways to reduce their global warming activities. An analysis of last year’s preliminary list of conference attendees shows that 636 people associated with fossil fuel companies are expected to attend, a 25% increase from 2021.
Continental campaign groups call on the climate-vulnerable bloc to reject any move by the UAE to give fossil fuel actors the lead in the global climate debate.
“This is the textbook definition of impunity and conflict of interest,” PACJA executive director Mithika Mwenda said in a statement at al-Jaber on Monday, calling for the presidential candidate’s resignation. It’s hard to imagine Al Jaber leading an objective, science-backed negotiation for profit.”
Mwenda added he feared the talks would be taken over “by malicious fossil companies who are maliciously trying to derail the transition to clean energy.”
Memory Kachanbwa, executive director of the African Women’s Development and Communication Network, called Al-Jaber’s appointment “an affront to the collective wisdom of all those committed to tackling the climate crisis.”
Several other climate and environmental groups have expressed concern over the announcement, but others have welcomed the move. In response, Al Jaber said he was “a great choice” for the role because he understands the need for a clean energy transition.
Activists have also expressed concern about the lack of climate cash being delivered to the continent. Campaigners say Africa is seeing increased fossil fuel subsidies and oil and gas investment, but still lacks funding for climate change adaptation and renewable energy transition. points out.
Last year, countries agreed that countries vulnerable to climate change should receive funding from the developed countries most responsible for burning the planet down. Details of the fund are under consideration this year.
Over the past eight months, African climate activists have stepped up their criticism of developed countries and multilateral development banks for funding fossil fuels. This undermines his 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the campaigner says. -Industrial age.
The International Monetary Fund has revealed that dirty fuel subsidies will reach $5.9 trillion globally by 2020. Fossil fuel investments in Africa continue to outpace renewable energy, jumping from $3.4 billion in 2020 to $5.1 billion in 2022, according to environmental group Urgewald.
Meanwhile, some climate financing commitments have been repeatedly overlooked, such as pledging $100 billion annually to help developing countries tackle climate change.
The International Energy Agency has found that Africa needs to double its investment in renewable energy to meet its climate goals. Africa has 60% of the world’s solar resources, but only 1% of the world’s installed solar capacity, the agency reports.
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