AGN pushes continental strategy on climate finance, institutional reform

Africa contributes less than 4 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, but plays a significant role in providing vital ecosystem services.

The Congo Basin, Miombo woodlands, mangrove forests, and initiatives like the Great Green Wall collectively sequester billions of tonnes of carbon annually.

The AGN maintains that these resources are not merely regional assets but global ones, and insists the world must pay its fair share.

Moving beyond rhetoric, the meeting proposed actionable solutions with delegates agreeing to establish a dedicated financial mechanism rooted in Africa’s natural capital.

AGN Tanzania Chair, Dr Richard Muyungi, has been tasked with leading continent-wide consultations.

“The discussions will involve institutions and experts to design a framework that channels revenues from carbon sinks, clean energy, and minerals into climate adaptation and green growth,” he said.

Financing Africa’s climate role

In reinforcing AGN’s stance on finance, an African climate change analyst and President of the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity, Mr Fadhel Kaboub, stressed the scale of global responsibility.

“In terms of climate finance, developed nations should be paying a minimum of $5 trillion per year to the Global South until 2050,” he said.

“These funds should be considered a down payment on the broader climate debt owed and directed toward debt cancellation, grant provision, and technology transfers, depending on the contributor’s capabilities,” he added.

Mr Kaboub proposed that while some countries could cancel debts, others might offer grants or transfer clean technologies—adding that the wealthiest nations should contribute in all three areas.

His remarks aligned with AGN’s position that African wealth should translate into grants, not additional loans.

From resources to resilience

Africa holds over 70 percent of the world’s cobalt and large reserves of lithium, manganese, graphite, and platinum group metals—vital for clean energy technologies like electric vehicles and hydrogen storage.

However, delegates cautioned that without value addition and climate-smart mining, these resources risk being exploited without benefiting local communities.

To address this, the AGN is advocating for beneficiation, green industrialisation, and policy reforms to ensure Africa captures greater value from its exports.

“Africa’s natural wealth must translate into grants, not more loans,” emphasised another delegate who sought anonymity.

Tanzanian environmental activist, Mr Clay Mwaifani, called for deeper regional cooperation—not just during negotiations, but also in implementation, drawing a comparison with Europe’s industrial revolution, whose success was rooted in unity.

Regarding strategic minerals, Mr Mwaifani proposed that African nations collaborate to build joint processing plants in mineral-rich areas, enabling neighbouring countries to benefit collectively and lower investment costs.

"For instance, Tanzania has significant copper reserves, but Zambia and the DRC have larger ones. As a region, the trio could agree to build a refinery in the DRC that serves all three countries," he suggested, pointing out inefficiencies at the national level.

“Tanzania’s Mwanza Precious Metals Refinery has a daily capacity to process 480 kilograms of gold. This means it can handle the country’s annual gold production in just 90 days. After that, it risks sitting idle for the rest of the year. This is not sustainable,” he added.

Strategic resolutions, institutional reforms

To strengthen Africa’s negotiating position ahead of COP30, the AGN adopted several strategic resolutions, including the decision to institutionalise the AGN Secretariat under the African Union Commission, ensuring better coordination and sustainability.

Tanzania’s leadership was commended, and delegates endorsed the extension of its AGN chairmanship through COP30.

The meeting also elevated clean cooking as a flagship agenda. The Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide clean energy access to 300 million Africans by 2030, received unanimous endorsement.

Senior Environmental Management Officer at the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), Mr Boniface Kyaruzi, welcomed the resolutions, emphasising the importance of starting at the grassroots level.

“These are important steps, but we should also focus on local actions. Accessing climate finance is crucial, but initiatives like clean cooking can start with us,” he said.

He cited biogas as an example, “Many households use pit latrines with water and gas pipes. With the right system to capture that gas, we could generate biogas at the household level.”

He urged institutions such as schools and offices to adopt such systems, describing them as cost-effective and scalable.

A unified voice for a just transition

The AGN reaffirmed its commitment to science-based, united African leadership in global climate forums.

Delegates committed to updating Africa’s common position for the upcoming SB62 and COP30 negotiations, focusing on climate finance, adaptation, and a just transition.

The group plans to organise the second Africa Climate Summit and integrate youth and gender-responsive approaches into future climate negotiations.

To build capacity across the continent, the AGN aims to mobilise long-term resources and offer pre-session training on negotiation conduct.

The Zanzibar meeting concluded with a symbolic tree-planting ceremony marking AGN’s 30th anniversary, reaffirming Africa’s long-standing commitment to climate action.

As COP30 approaches, Africa’s unified voice is expected to push for a just global transition—one that acknowledges and compensates for the continent’s critical role in safeguarding the planet.