Africa Gen Z Battle Harsh Seed Laws
Some African countries are criminalising the use of native “uncertified” seeds, which many believe are more resilient to climate change. Governments believe certified seeds boost productivity, but rights groups claim they undermine traditional food systems while protecting industrial plant breeders’ rights. Youth groups are seeking to turn the tide by pushing governments to include food sovereignty, security and agroecology issues within national policies.
Zambia ill Prepared for Climate Disasters
In the wake of an extreme dry spell exacerbated by climate change, Zambia’s President Hichilema declared the drought a national disaster earlier this year. But is the country’s disaster management framework sufficiently robust, and is funding freed up by the hard-won debt-relief programme getting to the activities it needs to?
Bridging the Divide between Global Trade Policy and Climate Action
In response to the global push to shore up green technology developments, African countries are increasingly looking to localise benefits from green minerals. But they face higher tariffs on processed green minerals and products made from them. A more open discussion on how the global trade environment facilitates African green mineral beneficiation is needed at this year’s COP.
Water Insurance Rescues Climate Troubled Communities
Loss and damage discussions have continuously pointed to the need for insurance to fill the gap. Water insurance is becoming an increasingly popular mechanism in Africa, but does it have the enabling environment and financial backing to operate at scale?
Climate Change is Fuelling Extremism in West African Youth
The loss of agricultural land, reduced water resources, and extreme weather events, among other factors, are creating fertile conditions for youth radicalisation in west Africa. Terrorist groups are exploiting these risk multipliers, often recruiting in the most vulnerable, impoverished, and marginalised areas. Following recurring military coups, ECOWAS is also unstable, lacking the authority, legitimacy and ability to support national climate responses. We spoke with Yero Sarr, a Senegalese climate activist to learn more.
Zimbabwe Seeks to Calm Carbon Market Waters
Zimbabwe is at pains to repair the investor and carbon market damage wrought by last year’s statements, through the introduction of an Article 6 Strategy and Climate Change Management Bill.
African Countries Should Stop Developing Pointless Climate Technology Plans
Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs) are the primary instruments of the technology transfer process under the Paris Agreement. But a total of 21 funded projects over 15 years is reason enough to abandon these archaic assessments. The focus should instead be on the development and dissemination of technologies we already know are in high demand. We should also be having a broader conversation about the wider trade, regulatory and economic environment that undermines technology transfer.
People’s Climate vote calls for greater action on Climate Change
With 19 African countries due to hold general or presidential elections this year, the People’s Vote on Climate Change highlights key priorities that citizens are looking for their governments to address. There is broad support for a transition away from fossil fuels in African countries, and most wanted greater action to avoid extreme weather events.
Making the African Group of Negotiators an agenda setter
The African Group of Negotiators (AGN) can better position itself among agenda setters by investing its technical resources and diplomatic capital in influencing the climate regime’s institutional features. It should be challenging the system that penalises geographic and economic vulnerability, and should play a leading role in the intersection of human rights and climate change responses. By strengthening ties with the emerging economic powers of the Global South it can advance its agency in the negotiations.
Just Energy Transition for Zimbabwe’s Extractive Sector
Just Energy Transitions are not only for high emitting countries, they are also for countries with material extractives sectors, such as Zimbabwe. We interviewed Green Governance Africa’s Executive Director Nyasha Frank Mpahlo about the organisation’s work in Zimbabwe’s energy transition and their recent book on the topic.
