In a historic and united show of solidarity for a continent that contributes only 5% to global emissions, more than 30 heads of state and global leaders committed to prioritise actions that help African countries adapt to the impacts of climate change and “build forward better.”
Speaking on Tuesday during a virtual Leaders’ Dialogue convened by the African Development Bank, the Global Center on Adaptation, and the Africa Adaptation Initiative, participants rallied behind the bold new Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program. Its objective is to mobilise $25 billion to accelerate climate change adaptation actions across Africa.
President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and African Union chairperson, called on fellow leaders to revisit their climate ambitions and accelerate the implementation of their actions planned under their national priorities. “To do this we will need to focus on actions to adapt to the impacts of climate change, including nature-based solutions, energy transition, enhanced transparency framework, technology transfer and climate finance.”
The programme is intended to address the impacts of Covid-19, climate change, and the continent’s worst recession in 25 years.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is eroding recent progress in building climate resilience and leaving countries and communities more vulnerable to future shocks,” said Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations. “Africa must make up for lost ground and lost time. Climate change did not stop because of Covid-19, and neither should the urgent task of preparing humanity to live with the multiple effects of a warming planet.”