What African youth want addressed at Africa Climate Summit

A section of activists from African Countries take part in the 'Real Africa Climate Summit People's protest' against the African Climate Summit on September 4, 2023. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

African youth, civil societies and indigenous people have given their demands at the ongoing week-long Africa Climate Summit(ACS).

Speaking under Africa Youth Climate Assembly(AYCA) during the opening ceremony of the summit, the youth gave eight demands that they want to be met by summit stakeholders.

''We oblige upon stakeholders to recognise, promote and invest in the decision of the AYCA to establish the Assembly as the principal forum for consolidating and meaningfully enhancing the coordination of climate governance across member states beyond the ACS,' said Elizabeth Wathuti, AYCA lead coordinator representing Kenya.

She added: ''We also urge the key stakeholders to support youth inclusion in advancing Africa's sustainable development goals and the green growth agenda in official continental forums.''

The youth want the summit stakeholders to engage Africa Unions' Youth Division and Department of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy to integrate the AYCA into their structures, aligning with Article 19 of the African Youth Charter on Sustainable Development and Protection of the Environment.

Also, they want an intergenerational green investment fund to be created to generate green jobs for youth in Africa.

"We also want you to lobby for the established United Nations Youth Office to be domiciled in Africa in line with the structuring a global multilateral climate institution,'' said Deon Shekuza from Namibia.

Currently, the UN Youth Office is headquartered at New York City in the United States Of America(USA).

African youth want adaptation jobs for young people and also be equipped with entrepreneurial skills for solutions and fostering resilient livelihoods.

They also want stakeholders to engage African youth as advocates for increased access to renewable energy, exploring Africa's agricultural potential and finally invest in youth-led research and innovation for identifying local climate solutions.

They said their vision encompasses green investments, renewable energy, adaptation initiatives and youth-led innovation and therefore called upon leaders to enable them and stand with them in this crucial mission.

"Climate justice and sustainability are within our reach, if not, one day we will be here at your place with our countries burning and drowning and you will not be there to save us. Join our hands to save our continent. Ubuntu,'' said Saad Ukaas from Morocco.

For indigenous people, who consist of an estimated 50 million people living in five regions of the continent and who said continue to suffer most despite their less contribution to carbon emission, they want among other things fair distribution of climate finance.

"On climate financing for adaptation and resilience, despite us playing a critical role in protecting the ecosystem that our life entirely depends on, a recent study by Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) has shown that they receive less than one percent of all climate financing globally,'' said Ms Samante.

Ms Samante represented a group of indigenous people from 20 countries who met in the country ahead of the summit.
This, she said is due to lack of recognition of their unique identity, coupled by lack clear policy, legal framework and complex requirements.

They therefore called for establishment of indigenous people's climate resilience fund to mitigate against impacts of climate change.

''Since we are also left out in decision making process on matters climate change despite being vulnerable people, we also call for creation of an African Union focal point at the AU headquarters to have an indigenous person focal point, who will be handling our matters,'' she said.

Ms Samante said all renewable energy initiatives are done around at the indigenous people's territory without even their consent.

"For us there is no idle land, the so-called idle land is our fathers' grazing land and cultural rites cites and so to us any investment around renewable energy must take into consideration free, prior and informed consent,'' she said.

They said investment in renewable energy should ensure ease of mobility, which will help them become more resilient and vice versa.
She said they are not only victims of climate change but also come with solution through their traditional way of life, which enables them to deal with resilience and adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

She despite their contribution, their traditional knowledge and resilience are not mainstreamed in local and regional policy and legislation frameworks.

"We therefore request this summit to recognise the contribution of indigenous people knowledge, which makes them more resilient to climate change,'' she said.

Civil societies on their part said the outcomes of the summit, should seek to not only provide a neutral ground for conversation, and restore hope and dignity for millions of people whose livelihoods have been turned upside down due to raging climate impacts but also be responsive to African peoples' realities, aspirations, desires and imperatives of climate justice.

''Top of these should be adaptation - underpinned by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. It is not just about coping with the impacts of climate change but also about enhancing our solidarity-in-prosperity, resilience, reducing our risks, and seizing our opportunities,'' said Dr Mithika Mwenda, executive director of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) who represented the civil societies.

Africa, he said needs USD 160 to 340 billion(Sh23 trillion and Sh49.6 trillion) annually by 2030 for adaptation, while the current flows are only around USD 16 billion annually, a fraction of annual budget for some blue-chip companies and foundations attending this Summit.

''We need a deep conversation on how to address this, including achieving the balanced financing between adaptation and mitigation, as delaying action now will result in exponential costs in the future,'' he added.

Speaking during her opening remarks, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Soipan Tuya said the summit presents Africans an opportunity to develop and present a new bold vision for Africa as a continent with tremendous potential and abundant opportunities that can be used to solve climate crisis.

''I therefore call upon all of us here to use the next three days to explore options as to who we can optimise Africa's abundant human and natural resources to leapfrog towards a low carbon economy while opening new opportunities for climate finance, trade, investment, innovation, resilience and green jobs,'' said CS Soipan.

She said it is no longer just about tackling an environmental or development problem, but about addressing climate change in the context of justice.

The CS said there is need to look at how African countries are faced with high debt distress and contextualise it within their ability to adapt and mitigate climate change, looking at the impact of climate change to our economies, which are heavily dependent on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, tourism, fisheries, energy (hydropower), and forestry among others.