The program for the conference can be found here. If you haven’t already, please register here: https://reg.unog.ch/event/27702/ Registration is free of charge.
Please note that there will be a dedicated, fully-equipped Media Center in the heart of the Accra International Convention Center for your convenience.
The Africa Climate Week will be formally opened by President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Ghanaian television host and actress Joselyn Dumas, and UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa at a high-level ceremony on Wednesday 20th March. It will bring together at least 20 African ministers, 200 policymakers, and a further 800 representatives from business, finance, and city municipalities. The full program for the event can be found here: regionalclimateweeks.org/programs
What is the background of the Africa Climate Week? With the finalization of the Paris Agreement Work Program at COP 24, the world has entered a new era in our collective efforts to address climate change. If 2018 efforts focused on defining the Paris Agreement through negotiations, this new era is about enhancing national ambition to implement it. The Africa Climate Week is the natural platform with respect to facilitating this implementation and building nations’ confidence to foster the necessary ambition. It is mobilizing policymakers from all 54 African countries and key stakeholders for focused, in-depth discussions on climate action – tailored for their respective countries, regions, and continents. It serves as a critical ‘stepping-stone’ towards this year’s ambition centerpiece – the Climate Action Summit that the UN Secretary-General will host in New York on 23 September 2019: http://www.un.org/en/climatechange/
What is the purpose of the Africa Climate Week? The central objective is to encourage all countries to raise their climate ambition by the year 2020. In practice, this means that all stakeholders – both State and non-State – will utilize the opportunity of the Climate Week to demonstrate how they are working together to implement the Paris Agreement goals of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees and enhancing resilience to changing climate.
How is Africa being impacted by climate change? Africa will be severely impacted by climate change [UNEP]. From floods in the Lake Victoria basin, to drought in Somalia, to environmental degradation in the Sahel region, climate change is a particular threat to continued economic growth and to livelihoods of vulnerable populations across the continent. However, while Africa is the lowest contributor of global emissions, it is leading the way by mitigating climate impacts through climate action initiatives.
Do you have examples of climate action initiatives in Africa that I can contact? Yes. Over 25 climate action projects and initiatives in Africa have been awarded the UN Global Climate Action Award (formerly Momentum for Change award). Below are 5 examples.
If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with me.