Morocco amplifies Africa’s voice at COP28
Morocco has once again championed climate action in favor of Africa, urging active solidarity with the countries of the continent as they seek to meet their own socio-economic and sustainable development goals.
In an address to the UN climate summit COP28 in Dubai, King Mohammed VI reiterated Morocco’s pledge to help the African continent address climate change and adaptation challenges.
“In a global system that remains inequitable, Africa received $30 billion in annual climate financing flows in 2020, representing less than 12% of its needs,” he said.
“Penalized and disadvantaged, Africa has, nonetheless, all the assets needed to become the solution to the global climate issue – the answer to the major challenges of the 21st century,” Morocco’s King added.
Morocco, currently president of the UN environment assembly, considers the lack of solidarity with the continent as “slowing down the momentum of Africa’s climate action,” said the King.
True to its commitment to Africa, “Morocco is tirelessly pressing ahead with its efforts to implement the decisions of the First Africa Action Summit, held on the sidelines of COP 22, especially the operationalization of the three African Climate Commissions for the Congo Basin, the Sahel and African Island States,” the Monarch recalled.
Morocco is also committed to promoting regional initiatives aiming at a better adaptation of African agriculture, strengthening sustainability, stability, and security on the Continent, and encouraging the climate leadership of young Africans, he said, adding that these “reflect Morocco’s multidimensional and unwavering support for the tireless efforts African sister countries are making.”
Climate remains a landmark feature of Morocco’s commitment to Africa in line with a south-south cooperation approach that focuses on pooling efforts to address common challenges. In fact, countering climate change is a means to safeguard the future of young generations, curb calamities such as migration and displacement and promote agriculture.
During the COP22, Morocco hosted the Africa Action Summit. At the event, first of its kind, the King had said Morocco will make its expertise in renewable energies available to its African partners.
The Climate Policy Initiative estimates that the continent needs $277 billion annually to implement ‘nationally determined contributions’- part of the Paris Agreement- to meet 2030 climate goals. Annual climate finance flows in Africa stand at only $30 billion at the moment.
A UN commissioned report recently said multilateral development banks have to triple their climate finance within five years from 60 billion dollars to 180 billion to help developing nations address global warming challenges.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) estimates that loss and damage costs due to climate change in its region are between $289.2 billion to $440.5 billion and that an 1°C increase in temperature is also associated with a greater probability of conflict in the region of approximately 11%
The International Monetary fund also estimates that 34 of 59 developing economies most vulnerable to climate change, many or which are in Africa, are also at a high risk of fiscal crises.
