By Obiabin Onukwugha
On Monday, December 4, environmental organizations, including Friends of the Earth Africa (FoEA) in collaboration with Climate Action Network Africa (CAN-A), Africa Coal Network (ACN), Hand Off Mother Earth (HOME) Africa working group against Geoengineering, and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, hosted a significant side event to review the path to a just transition to 100% renewable energy for Africa.
The event, organized by FoEA was held during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP28 in Dubai., with the theme “A Just Recovery Renewable Energy Plan For Africa,”.
The session scrutinized Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which provides a framework for adopting various carbon market schemes, including Nature-Based Solutions, and various Geoengineering schemes.
Throughout the session, panelists underscored that any proposed solution failing to reduce emissions at the source or maintain global average temperatures below the 1.5°C threshold could result in extensive land grabbing and the colonization of water bodies. Such solutions, they argued, should not be endorsed or advanced.
The discussion highlighted the severe climate change impacts faced by the global South, particularly the African continent. These include floods, cyclones, droughts, water shortages, desertification, sea level rise, irreparable losses, damages, and indirect consequences such as crude oil spills, communal conflicts, and land grabbing. These challenges necessitated urgent conversations.
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Activists, sharing their experiences on addressing the climate crisis, stressed the imperative for a swift transition from dirty energy to renewable energy on a global scale.
Leading the conversation, Marina Agortimevor, the Coordinator of CAN, identified opportunities for Africa to achieve a just transition despite inherent barriers. She pointed out that approximately 600 million Africans lack access to electricity, presenting an opportunity given the continent’s vast renewable energy potential. Marina emphasized the need to address barriers such as poor access to finance, technology gaps, and knowledge transfer.
Safiatou Nana, Regional Coordinator of CAN-A meeting, advocated for a decentralized off-grid system that empowers communities to manage their energy needs. She stressed the importance of considering cultural contexts and re-skilling workers in the transition process, urging collaborations between communities, civil society organizations, and governments.
Event host Ubrei-Joe Maimoni, Climate Justice and Energy Lead for FoEA, emphasized the importance of transferring subsidies from the fossil fuels industry to renewables. He called for a clear policy framework with measurable goals, centered on the people and with government support to make the transition successful.
In response, Josué ARUNA, Executive Director of Congo Basin Conservation Society (CBCS) network DRC, highlighted the DRC’s role in supplying critical minerals for the transition to renewable energy. He also raised concerns about the government granting oil blocs in biodiversity-protected zones.
The urgency of transitioning to 100% renewables was underscored, aligning with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) call to leave known fossil fuels underground. The imperative for a rapid, equitable, just, and fair transition to renewable energy was emphasized to safeguard the world, especially Africa and the global South, from the impacts of climate change.
