Midrand, South Africa
21 October 2017
We, members of the Pan-African Parliament, Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance having met in Midrand, South Africa, for a pre-COP 23 preparatory workshop on 21 October 2017 during the symposium on “Climate, Energy Transition and Agricultural Adaptation Finance in Africa”,
Aware that climate change represents a real threat to economic development and longterm prosperity, manifesting its adverse and catastrophic impacts on all people but especially the poorest and most vulnerable people on the continent;
Recognizing the impacts that climate change has on national poverty eradication and sustainable development strategies in African countries;
Recalling the objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and in particular Article 2 which provides that “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner;”
Further Recalling the progress made in 2015 with the adoption of the Paris Agreement stipulating the global goals on mitigation, adaptation and finance, and in particular Article 2.1a which provides for Parties to “hold the global temperature well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C and Article 7.1 on the Global Goal on adaptation, which aims “to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resiliency and reduce vulnerability to climate change”
Recalling the sustainable development goals adopted in New York on 25th September 2015 and particularly goal 13 on combating climate change and its impacts and which affirms the UNFCCC as the primary UN institution to coordinate climate change actions;
Mindful of African Union Assembly of Heads of State and government decision 16(xxv) 2017 on Africa’s engagements in the global climate negotiations;
Acknowledging the strong leadership provided by the Committee of African Heads of State and Governments on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) in ensuring the continent continues to speak with one voice in climate change negotiations;
Further taking note of the AMCEN 2017 Decision 16/4 on Climate Change in particular “urging Parties to the Paris Agreement to recognise the special circumstances and needs of African countries in line with the relevant COP decisions and call on in the incoming President of the COP to continue consultations with Parties with a view to reaching a decision in that regard at the 24th session of the COP”;
Determined to protect Africa and her environment against adverse effects resulting from
climate change among other environmental challenges;
Affirming the paramount importance of Parliament and Members of Parliament not only to take interest in the climate change negotiations, but also to actively contribute to the formulation and enactment of enabling national climate change policies and legislation in a robust governance system and noting the African institutions involved in climate change negotiations and seeking ways of ensuring Parliamentarians inputs are captured and coordinated;
NOW RECOMMEND AS FOLLOWS:
On negotiations in general: Noting the early adoption of the Paris Agreement, calls on Parties to speed up negotiations on the Paris Rule Book to catalyse climate action and clarifying the collective efforts of Parties during the Facilitative dialogue in 2018, commitment to increasing emission reduction targets in 2020, developing methodologies to assess collective efforts in 2023 leading to 2050 net zero emissions and climate resilience.
Further the negotiations should address the following:
a. MITIGATION
Calls on the global community to continue highlighting their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in particular from developed country Parties, in line with the global temperature goal to limit temperature increase to well below 2°C, with a target towards 1.5 °C.
b. ADAPTATION
Reflect the global responsibility for adaptation in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Convention, taking into account national adaptation planning, adaptation needs and associated costs including support for developing countries- particularly Africa as stipulated in the Paris Agreement.
c. LOSS AND DAMAGE
Note the proposals for addressing loss and damage through insurance mechanisms and call on the global community to provide resources for loss and damage and any related actions to address such losses.
d. FINANCE
Note with concern the slow approval of adaptation projects, and the lack of parity in the provision of finance between adaptation and mitigation, and reaffirm the obligation of developed country Parties to contribute in a transparent, measurable and verifiable manner towards global climate finance.
e. THE ROLE OF markets
Recognize the critical role of non-market mechanisms for African countries and call on negotiators to focus on developing frameworks for the recognition of African communities efforts leading to emission reduction
f. The Threat to pull out of the Paris Agreement
Note with concern the threat of the Government of the United States of America to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and in particular the implications for global climate leadership and provisions of finance to developing countries. We are, however, encouraged by the level of commitment of the USA citizens, non-state actors and some states and cities who have remained committed to work with the rest of the global community in addressing climate change.
Adopted this 21st day of October 2017 in Midrand, South Africa
Signed: By Hon. Jacqueline Amongin, Chair, Committee on Rural Economy
Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, PAP
The Chairperson of the 201 African Parliamentarians’ Summit held in Midrand, South
Africa, 21 October 2017.
Full communique is available:
21 October 2017
We, members of the Pan-African Parliament, Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance having met in Midrand, South Africa, for a pre-COP 23 preparatory workshop on 21 October 2017 during the symposium on “Climate, Energy Transition and Agricultural Adaptation Finance in Africa”,
Aware that climate change represents a real threat to economic development and longterm prosperity, manifesting its adverse and catastrophic impacts on all people but especially the poorest and most vulnerable people on the continent;
Recognizing the impacts that climate change has on national poverty eradication and sustainable development strategies in African countries;
Recalling the objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and in particular Article 2 which provides that “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner;”
Further Recalling the progress made in 2015 with the adoption of the Paris Agreement stipulating the global goals on mitigation, adaptation and finance, and in particular Article 2.1a which provides for Parties to “hold the global temperature well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C and Article 7.1 on the Global Goal on adaptation, which aims “to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resiliency and reduce vulnerability to climate change”
Recalling the sustainable development goals adopted in New York on 25th September 2015 and particularly goal 13 on combating climate change and its impacts and which affirms the UNFCCC as the primary UN institution to coordinate climate change actions;
Mindful of African Union Assembly of Heads of State and government decision 16(xxv) 2017 on Africa’s engagements in the global climate negotiations;
Acknowledging the strong leadership provided by the Committee of African Heads of State and Governments on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) in ensuring the continent continues to speak with one voice in climate change negotiations;
Further taking note of the AMCEN 2017 Decision 16/4 on Climate Change in particular “urging Parties to the Paris Agreement to recognise the special circumstances and needs of African countries in line with the relevant COP decisions and call on in the incoming President of the COP to continue consultations with Parties with a view to reaching a decision in that regard at the 24th session of the COP”;
Determined to protect Africa and her environment against adverse effects resulting from
climate change among other environmental challenges;
Affirming the paramount importance of Parliament and Members of Parliament not only to take interest in the climate change negotiations, but also to actively contribute to the formulation and enactment of enabling national climate change policies and legislation in a robust governance system and noting the African institutions involved in climate change negotiations and seeking ways of ensuring Parliamentarians inputs are captured and coordinated;
NOW RECOMMEND AS FOLLOWS:
On negotiations in general: Noting the early adoption of the Paris Agreement, calls on Parties to speed up negotiations on the Paris Rule Book to catalyse climate action and clarifying the collective efforts of Parties during the Facilitative dialogue in 2018, commitment to increasing emission reduction targets in 2020, developing methodologies to assess collective efforts in 2023 leading to 2050 net zero emissions and climate resilience.
Further the negotiations should address the following:
a. MITIGATION
Calls on the global community to continue highlighting their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in particular from developed country Parties, in line with the global temperature goal to limit temperature increase to well below 2°C, with a target towards 1.5 °C.
b. ADAPTATION
Reflect the global responsibility for adaptation in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Convention, taking into account national adaptation planning, adaptation needs and associated costs including support for developing countries- particularly Africa as stipulated in the Paris Agreement.
c. LOSS AND DAMAGE
Note the proposals for addressing loss and damage through insurance mechanisms and call on the global community to provide resources for loss and damage and any related actions to address such losses.
d. FINANCE
Note with concern the slow approval of adaptation projects, and the lack of parity in the provision of finance between adaptation and mitigation, and reaffirm the obligation of developed country Parties to contribute in a transparent, measurable and verifiable manner towards global climate finance.
e. THE ROLE OF markets
Recognize the critical role of non-market mechanisms for African countries and call on negotiators to focus on developing frameworks for the recognition of African communities efforts leading to emission reduction
f. The Threat to pull out of the Paris Agreement
Note with concern the threat of the Government of the United States of America to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and in particular the implications for global climate leadership and provisions of finance to developing countries. We are, however, encouraged by the level of commitment of the USA citizens, non-state actors and some states and cities who have remained committed to work with the rest of the global community in addressing climate change.
Adopted this 21st day of October 2017 in Midrand, South Africa
Signed: By Hon. Jacqueline Amongin, Chair, Committee on Rural Economy
Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, PAP
The Chairperson of the 201 African Parliamentarians’ Summit held in Midrand, South
Africa, 21 October 2017.
Full communique is available:
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