AEF Highlights at COP27: Implementing the Africa-Europe Climate Partnership

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC commonly referred to as COP, drew its 27th edition to a close in the early hours of Sunday, 20th November after marathon negotiations.

Considered to be ‘the’ African COP, it was the first time the conference was held on the continent since 2016, where it took place in Morocco, and only marks the 5th COP to be held in Africa since the process began in 1995.

The Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) was present onsite with a rich programme of activities over the course of both weeks to underscore the importance of a shared approach to climate action between both continents and the need to scale up adaptation finance, accelerate access and the transition to sustainable energy, as well strengthening cooperation for oceans governance.

Framed as the COP of implementation and taking place one year before the first Global Stocktake in UAE, Dubai (COP28), stakes and expectations were high to fast-track the implementation of the Paris rulebook, accelerating climate action, closing the finance gap, restoring trust, and delivering on the announcements made at COP26 in Glasgow. COP27 was seen by developing countries, particularly in Africa, as a timely moment to focus on climate justice with common but differentiated responsibilities.

The AEF is committed to ensuring that three takeaways are addressed across the Africa-Europe partnership:

1. Scaling up adaptation finance and investing in knowledge sharing
Climate change should be seen as a strategy for survival for both continents, in doing so it is imperative to ensure an increase and doubling in financing towards adaptation and mitigation. Reducing bottlenecks for access to funding is crucial, encouraging the reform of the current global and regional financial architecture to channel and accelerate the filling of financing gaps. Supporting investment in joint knowledge sharing and actions for capacity building between Africa and Europe is key to this too, scientific data is needed to assess and map risk as well as attract investment.

2. Accelerating inter-continental cooperation for a sustainable and just energy transition
The AEF in partnership with Sustainable Energy for All held a closed-door Ministerial on Energy Day, in which both continents came together strategize on how to accelerate Africa’s race towards a just and equitable energy transition. Urgency and finance are two major bottlenecks for decisive and transformative action, there was recognition by African and European Ministers of the importance of involving the private sector for the race towards energy access and to make progress towards an energy transition at the speed that is needed, in keeping with Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 7. Several priorities and opportunities were outlined by ministers including addressing universal access to electricity and clean cooking, economic development and industrialization, establishing local value chains for renewables, and the use of critical minerals for low-carbon technologies.

3. Strengthening oceans governance
COP27 set a milestone through the establishment of Ocean and Climate Change dialogues and the recognition of ocean-based climate solutions. Africa and Europe are in a critical period for revisiting their respective strategies and cooperation on ocean. The ocean is our biggest ally in mitigating and adapting to climate change, but it’s also bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. It is time for ocean to take centre stage in the global and Africa-Europe agenda.
The AEF also welcomes the breakthrough establishment of a fund for loss and damage, responding to the devastating impact of climate change on most vulnerable countries, all while giving particular attention to Africa.

COP27 represents a significant milestone towards building a close climate partnership between Africa and Europe. As such, there is a strong need to address the mismatch between the promises made at COP and the AU-EU Summit, and providing evidence of delivery of such commitments.