The Nairobi Declaration, issued following the Africa Climate Summit, highlights the political commitment of African leaders to promote climate resilience and their readiness to lead the way towards a sustainable future that involves worldwide decarbonization.
Even though for this transition to be effective, the African leaders have stressed a need to restructure the financial architecture citing about $2 trillion flowing from the global south to the global north. This mind-boggling discovery was decried by African leaders who in spite of the potential within Africa say there is a need for collaboration in order for Africa to benefit from the technology and mechanization.
Nairobi declaration has highlighted the importance of green production that will lead to economic transformations which is inclusive of meeting the climate action responses like protecting biodiversity, increasing adaptation for resilience, and protection of climate change migrants.
President William Ruto as chair of the AU Heads of State committee on climate change and host of the first African Climate Summit urged his fellow leaders African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat and AU Chair, Comoros President Azali Assoumani to join in on the call for climate justice.
African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki said that Africa’s renewable energy potential if well optimized will solve the energy poverty crisis that is faced. In support of the declaration stating that renewable energy capacity should be increased from 56 GW in 2022 to at least 300 GW by 2030.
African leaders at the summit unitedly stressed the importance of meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement goals. They emphasized the urgent need for developed countries to fulfill their commitment of $100 billion for the loss and damage fund, which is crucial for supporting resilience building in developing nations.
The declaration emphasizes the transformation of the financial system and calls for collective global action to mobilize capital for both development and climate action.
According to President William Ruto, African countries are grappling with means of responding to the crisis that is forcing them to use their budget in response. He reiterated the need for quick response considering that climate change eventualities are already causing havoc on the continent cited by long-withstanding droughts, floods, and cyclones that are all in most instances unforeseen.
“No country should ever have to choose between development aspirations and climate action,” the declaration asserts.
The heads of state assured of their readiness to develop policies that will lead to local, regional, and global investment as well as green growth that will dictate the growth of economies in the coming years.
