African leaders call for global action to combat climate change

African leaders have called on the global community to fulfill commitments made at the Paris Summit for a New Global Financing Pact by taking collective global action to mobilize resources for development and climate action.

The pact dictates that no country should ever have to choose between development aspirations and climate action. Led by President William Ruto and AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki, the leaders urged development partners to align their technical and financial resources towards promoting sustainable utilization of Africa’s natural assets.

The declaration was made on Wednesday at the Africa Climate Summit, KICC, Nairobi, dubbed The African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change.

“We call upon the global community to act with urgency in reducing emissions, fulfilling its obligations, keeping past promises, and supporting the continent in addressing climate change,” read a statement.

Presidents Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Julius Maada (Sierra Leone), Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (Djibouti), Isaias Afwerki (Eritrea) and Idriss Deby (Chad) and DRC Congo Prime Minister Sama Lukonde Kyenge were present.

Others were First Lady Rachel Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Angola Vice President Esperança da Costa, Namibia Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, Commonwealth SSecretary-GeneralPatricia Scotland, former Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo and 66 ministers from different countries.

The African leaders appealed to world leaders to consider the proposal for a global carbon taxation regime.The leaders also called for affordable and accessible finance for climate-positive investments.

President Ruto challenged the global community to address unjust international development financial institutions and governance frameworks. He said reforms in the multilateral financial architecture and the mobilization of adequate financial resources were vital to the continent’s well-being and the success of climate action.

“We have challenged the international community to exercise a level of imagination in governance and climate action that is commensurate with the imperative to overcome the immense existential challenges of our time,” he said.

The President observed that Africa’s vast resources makes the continent the future of climate action and green industrialisation. He cited the continent’s incomparably young, resilient and motivated human capital, natural resource wealth and green energy potential assets that will drive the future.

Dr Ruto described the Africa Climate Summit as a success citing the move by governments, the private sector, multilateral banks and philanthropists to commit $23 billion for green growth, mitigation and adaptation efforts across Africa. The Nairobi Declaration, he added, has set the stage for a new phase in the global climate action and sustainable development agenda.

“We have demonstrated to the world what we have and what we can do and also asked the world for what we need and what the global community can do,” he said.

Mr Faki said the Nairobi declaration has been endorsed unanimously, demonstrating the continent’s desire to mitigate climate change.

“The Africa Union will work out a road map for the implementation of this declaration,” he said.

He called on African leaders to continue pushing for climate justice, concrete action and honouring of commitments.