Africa's first climate summit begins in Nairobi

Africa's first climate summit began on 4 September 2023 in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The three-day African Climate Summit is being held in Nairobi from 4-6 September.

Delegates attending the climate summit aim to build a common position ahead of upcoming global summits and negotiate how to finance the continent's environmental priorities.

• Summit organisers expect hundreds of millions of dollars in deals to be announced at the three-day summit, which aims to showcase Africa as a destination for climate investment rather than a victim of floods, drought and famine.
• COP28 President-elect Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, President William Samoyi Ruto of Kenya and Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahatam have reaffirmed their commitment to work towards realising ambitious climate action.
• The main topics of discussion between environment ministers, business executives and climate campaigners on the first day of the conference on 4 September 2023 will be climate finance, investing in adaptation to rising temperatures, how to scale up carbon markets and how to deal with changes in food systems. 
• More than 20 presidents and heads of government are expected to participate in the summit from September 5. They plan to issue a declaration outlining Africa's position ahead of the UN climate conference in New York and the COP28 UN summit in the United Arab Emirates at the end of November.
• African leaders are pushing for market-based financing instruments such as carbon credits to raise funds that they say have been slow to flow from the world's wealthiest donors.
• Carbon credits allow polluters to offset emissions through financing activities including tree planting and renewable energy.

Robank & global energy trader Vitol will invest $20 million in Congo: 

• Robank, one of the Democratic Republic of Congo's top lenders, and global energy trader Vitol announced on 4 September 2023 a $20 million investment in renewable energy, clean cooking and forest conservation in Congo.
• African countries account for only 3% of global carbon emissions, according to UN data, but they are increasingly being hit by the effects of extreme weather linked to climate change, including the Horn of Africa's worst drought in decades. Is included.

Africa a continent full of possibilities:

• Africa is a continent full of possibilities. It has abundant renewable energy potential which is yet to be exploited.
• Africa's 1.4 billion people represent 17 percent of the world's population, 60 percent of which are under the age of 25, making it the world's youngest population.
• It is also home to 5 of the world's 10 fastest growing economies.
• But despite currently accounting for less than 3% of the world's energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and having the lowest per capita emissions of any region, Africa has become a group of many of the most climate vulnerable countries.