Africa Climate Summit: Four ways the continent can influence the global climate agenda.

The Africa Climate Summit (ACS) took place from September 4-6 in Nairobi, Kenya, amid climate challenges and opportunities. The confluence of climate shocks, nature loss, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine has eroded much of Africa's development gains. Yet, these challenges also present an opportunity for African governments to collaborate on solutions.

Progress and momentum

The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework last year paved the way for countries to develop new national biodiversity strategies and action plans. In the Nineteenth ordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference (ACS) on the Environment, held in Addis Ababa, African countries committed to continue working on solutions that address environmental challenges facing the continent.

The ACS aims to emphasize Africa's untapped potential to drive green growth both within the continent and globally. It is strategically positioned to synchronize, cultivate and harness the growing momentum surrounding the themes of fossil fuels, nature, finance and food, as it precedes several key events such as the Africa Climate Week (ACW), the International Climate and Energy Summit in Madrid, the World Bank Annual Meeting in Marrakech and the Green Climate Fund replenishment conference in Bonn in October.

The summit's outcomes will serve as input into the COP28 negotiations scheduled for December.

Here are four ways the ACS can influence the global climate agenda:

Phase out fossil fuels and leapfrog into renewables in a just and inclusive way

Africa could leverage its vast renewable energy potential and pivot from coal, oil, and gas could engineer to 100 per cent renewables, addressing both climate and sustainable development goals.

Solar is set to overtake oil production investment. IEA's World Energy Investment Report shows that for every dollar invested in fossil fuels, about 1.7 dollars will not go into clean energy. Africa urgently needs to win a share of this global investment to achieve universal access to electricity. It should aim to increase the share of global investments in its renewable energy sources from 1 per cent annually to 10 per cent by 2028, with another increase by 2035.

Strengthen alignment between biodiversity and climate

With 25 per cent of the world's biodiversity, 10 per cent of its internal renewable fresh water, the largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds, platinum and uranium, and the second largest carbon sink...