• As impacts intensify and promises fall short, continent seeks real funding, equitable rules and a voice that matches its stakes in the global climate debate

ISTANBUL

Africa is heading to the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil with a message that leaves no room for ambiguity: “Africa’s ambition is not in question, and what remains missing is delivery.”

That is according to a new report by the Kenya-based think tank Power Shift Africa (PSA) titled “African Priorities for COP30: Policy Brief.”

A decade after the Paris Agreement, the continent continues to face immediate and devastating climate impacts, from droughts and floods to rising sea levels, despite contributing less than 4% of global emissions.

This year’s conference, billed as the first “Implementation COP,” carries high stakes for Africa.

The continent is calling for concrete action, including real financing, a fair transition and special recognition, urging the world’s wealthiest nations to turn their pledges into tangible results before the window for meaningful change closes.

Rising needs, limited funds, and push for equity

In recent years, Africa has steadily built momentum on climate finance.

At COP26 in Glasgow, negotiators secured an agreement to double adaptation funding and include the just transition as a formal agenda item.

At COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, their advocacy helped deliver the landmark decision to establish a Loss and Damage Fund.

Africa’s climate adaptation needs are estimated at $70 billion a year, yet the continent received only $14.8 billion in 2023. Loss and damage costs are projected to reach between $290 billion and $440 billion between 2020 and 2030, according to the PSA report.

Adaptation finance helps communities prepare for climate risks such as storms, floods and droughts through investments that build resilience at both national and local levels.

Heading to Belem, African countries are calling for a tripling of adaptation finance and the creation of a transparent process to assess evolving needs beyond 2030.

The report also called for the establishment of a minimum floor for grant-based finance dedicated to adaptation and loss and damage, stressing that public, non-debt funding is essential for a continent already facing severe climate impacts.

Building fair transitions through innovation and inclusion

One key area of debate at COP30 will be the Just Transition Work Program, which seeks to ensure that climate action is fair and inclusive while protecting jobs and supporting communities.

Another is the Technology Implementation Program (TIP), designed to help developing countries access and apply the technologies needed for both emission reductions and climate adaptation.

For Africa, the idea of a just transition goes beyond shutting down high-emission industries.

It means expanding energy access, promoting industrial growth, creating decent jobs and strengthening resilience.

According to the report, just transitions should also include development transitions supported by fair financing, equity and institutional backing.

Technology lies at the heart of that goal. African countries are calling for affordable and accessible climate technologies that reflect local realities. They want TIP to remove patent barriers, encourage local manufacturing and support regional innovation so the continent becomes a producer, not just a consumer, of clean technologies.

Calls for fair rules, legal accountability and special recognition

Amid growing concern over the rise of unilateral climate trade measures by developed countries, such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and Deforestation Regulation, the PSA warned that such policies risk turning climate action into economic pressure, with real costs for developing nations.

It urged African countries to push for the issue to be formally discussed at COP30, making it part of the official agenda rather than a side debate.

One of Africa’s main goals for COP30 is to secure an agenda item on implementing Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, which obliges developed countries to provide financial resources to assist developing countries with climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The report said a recent International Court of Justice advisory opinion reaffirmed this obligation, strengthening Africa’s case that promises must translate into delivery.

The PSA also renewed Africa’s call for formal recognition of the continent’s “special needs and circumstances” within the UN climate framework.

Despite contributing the least to global emissions, the continent faces some of the worst impacts, from food insecurity and water stress to public health risks and economic disruption.

The report said COP30 should address this by embedding Africa’s vulnerabilities into decisions on finance, technology and capacity-building.