COP28: The Power Imbalance and Africa’s Climate Conundrum

The Africa Group of Negotiators plays a crucial role in advocating for the continent’s interests in global climate negotiations. However, the power dynamics between the Global North and Global South perpetuate a significant imbalance, hindering Africa’s ability to drive its agenda effectively.

Different Priorities, Insufficiently Shared Interests

The Global North, comprising economies that are defined as “developed”, prioritizes economic growth, industrialization, and technological advancements. In contrast, the Global South, including African nations, focuses on sustainable development, eradication of poverty induced policies, treaties, and climate resilience.

This disparity in priorities leads to insufficiently shared interests, making it challenging for Africa to negotiate effectively. For instance, during the 2015 Paris Agreement negotiations, African countries pushed for a more ambitious temperature limit (1.5°C) and increased climate finance. However, the final agreement fell short of these demands, reflecting the dominant influence of Global North interests. It also reflects how African’s political and foreign policy style of negotiations needs more work.

African Union’s Structural Limitations

The African Union (AU) is the primary platform for African countries to coordinate their climate advocacy efforts. Experts, however, have identified that he AU’s current structure and decision-making processes hinder its ability to drive a common agenda effectively.

Unlike the European Union (EU), which has a more centralized and coordinated approach to climate policy, the AU’s climate governance framework is fragmented and often ineffective. This limitation is evident in the lack of a unified African position on key climate issues, such as climate finance, technology transfer, and carbon pricing.

Nuanced Issues Hindering Africa’s Voice

1. Limited Technical Capacity: African countries often lack the technical expertise and resources to effectively participate in complex international negotiations.
2. Insufficient Coordination: The African Union’s (AU) climate governance framework is fragmented, leading to inconsistent and uncoordinated messaging from African countries.
3. Dependence on External Funding: Many African countries rely heavily on external funding for climate change initiatives, which can compromise their negotiating positions and create dependencies.
4. Lack of Access to Climate Information: African countries often have limited access to reliable climate data, hindering their ability to make informed decisions and negotiate effectively.
5. Cultural and Linguistic Barriers: Language and cultural differences can create barriers to effective communication and negotiation between African countries and their Global North counterparts.
6. Historical and Ongoing Exploitation: The legacy of colonialism and ongoing exploitation of Africa’s natural resources can create mistrust and undermine Africa’s negotiating position.

Better Approaches for a Stronger, Respected Voice

1. Strengthening Technical Capacity: Investing in climate change research, education, and training programs can enhance African countries’ technical capacity and negotiating prowess.
2. Enhancing Coordination and Cooperation: Strengthening the AU’s climate governance framework and promoting coordination among African countries can foster a unified and effective negotiating position.
3. Diversifying Funding Sources: African countries can reduce their dependence on external funding by exploring alternative sources, such as green bonds, climate-resilient infrastructure investments, and domestic resource mobilization.
4. Improving Access to Climate Information: Enhancing climate data collection, analysis, and dissemination can empower African countries to make informed decisions and negotiate more effectively.
5. Fostering Cultural and Linguistic Exchange: Promoting cultural and linguistic exchange programs can facilitate better communication and understanding between African countries and their Global North counterparts.
6. Addressing Historical and Ongoing Injustices: Acknowledging and addressing the historical and ongoing exploitation of Africa’s natural resources can help rebuild trust and create a more equitable negotiating environment.

Empowering Africa’s Voice

To become a stronger, respected voice in international negotiations, Africa must:

1. Unite and Coordinate: Strengthen the AU’s climate governance framework and promote coordination among African countries.
2. Build Technical Capacity: Invest in climate change research, education, and training programs.
3. Diversify Funding Sources: Explore alternative funding sources to reduce dependence on external funding.
4. Enhance Climate Information: Improve access to reliable climate data and analysis.
5. Foster Cultural and Linguistic Exchange: Promote cultural and linguistic exchange programs to facilitate better communication and understanding.
6. Address Historical and Ongoing Injustices: Acknowledge and address the historical and ongoing exploitation of Africa’s natural resources to rebuild trust and create a more equitable negotiating environment.

Negotiating like the EU

To address these challenges, the African Union must adopt a more cohesive and strategic approach to climate negotiations, similar to the EU’s model. This could involve:

1. Strengthening the Africa Group of Negotiators: Enhance the group’s capacity, expertise, and coordination to effectively advocate for African interests.
2. Developing a unified African climate position: Foster a common understanding and agreement among African countries on key climate issues, ensuring a strong and cohesive negotiating stance.
3. Enhancing climate governance and coordination: Strengthen the AU’s climate governance framework, promoting better coordination and cooperation among member states, regional economic communities, and other stakeholders.

Sustainable Agriculture: A Continent-Wide Practice

Sustainable agriculture practices are not new to Africa. In fact, many African farmers have been employing these methods for centuries. For example:

1. Agroforestry: African farmers have long practiced agroforestry, integrating trees into their farming systems to promote soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
2. Conservation Agriculture: Conservation agriculture practices, such as reduced tillage and cover cropping, are widely adopted in Africa, helping to reduce soil erosion, improve soil fertility, and promote carbon sequestration.
3. Organic Farming: Organic farming practices are gaining popularity in Africa, as farmers recognize the benefits of reducing synthetic fertilizer and pesticide use, promoting soil health, and enhancing biodiversity.

These sustainable agriculture practices are crucial for Africa’s climate resilience and sustainable development. By building on these existing practices and strengthening the Africa Group of Negotiators, the African Union can more effectively advocate for the continent’s interests and drive a common agenda for climate action.