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Background
Climate finance is undoubtedly one of Africa’s most significant challenges. The region faces a huge financing gap, particularly adaptation financing. This year's COP Presidency aims to focus on implementing existing programmes. Accordingly, climate financing will occupy the central stage, as there has been a wide gap between pledges and implementation for years. Of the US$ 100 billion pledged annually by the industrialised nations to support low-emitting countries, only US$ 83 billion flowed in 2020. It is estimated that Africa needs US$250 billion annually in conditional and unconditional financing between 2020 and 2030 to implement its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Climate Agreement. Regrettably, COP26 ended with no major breakthrough on this issue.
Going into COP27, Africa’s needs vis-à-vis the current climate finance mechanism and architecture – as well as their alignment with realities in African countries – need to be made clear. To this end, APRI undertook a study to explore the systems that underpin public climate finance delivery and implementation in South Africa, Ghana, and Zambia. The project analysed the practical experiences and challenges state and non-state actors encounter in accessing and administering climate finance. The report from this flagship project, titled “Climate Finance in Africa: Needs, Challenges and Opportunities”, provides empirical evidence to support Africa's negotiating positions around climate finance.
The Event
Against this backdrop, APRI seeks to convene a panel of technical experts to discuss and reflect on the report's findings and how to effectively finance Africa’s climate Agenda. This event is aligned with the COP27 presidency’s priorities. It will focus on a road map and innovative solutions on how existing global and national climate finance architecture can better respond to African countries’ climate agenda. To set the stage, APRI will launch and present results from the report. This will be followed by a panel discussion and a Q&A session.
Programme
| Time | Activity |
| 30 minutes before start time |
|
| 15 minutes before start | Mic speakers |
| 5 minutes before start | Music begins |
| 2 minutes before start | Walk on music |
| 14:30 -14:40 |
Set up and introductions Moderator: Prof Yacob Mulugetta, Professor of Energy and Development Policy at the University College London |
| 14:40- 14:50 |
Paper presentation: Dr Olumide Abimbola, Executive, Africa Policy Research Institute |
| 14:50 - 14:55 |
Reflection on highlights from the presentation Presented by Prof. Yacob Mulugetta |
| 14:55 - 15:15 |
Panel Discussion Moderated by Prof. Yacob Mulugetta Panel
|
| 15:15 |
Participant activity: Q&A Closing and call to action Moderator |
| For 3 minutes after closing |
Walk off music |
Bios
Prof Yacob Mulugetta is a Professor of Energy and Development Policy at the University College London. He is a founding member of the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) based in Ethiopia, where he worked as a Senior Climate & Energy Specialist (2010-2013). He has 25 years of research, teaching and advisory experience in the links between energy infrastructure provision and human welfare. He is a Lead Author in the IPCC 6th Assessment Report (Demand, Services & Social Aspects of Mitigation). He recently led the chapter on Energy Transitions in UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report (2019). Yacob is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS).
Olumide Abimbola
Dr Olumide Abimbola is the founder and director of APRI. His focus areas include economic informality, trade policy, regional integration and natural resources management. He has either conducted research or worked in Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo and Nigeria. He has also worked with high-level government officials in several other African countries. He previously worked on trade and regional integration at the African Development Bank.
Lily Odarno
Dr Lily Odarno is the Director of CATF’s Energy and Climate Innovation Program Africa. She leads CATF’s effort to address the dual need of expanding affordable energy in developing economies and building a global decarbonised energy system. Her work focuses on development-centric energy transition pathways, utility markets, and technology innovation for low-carbon energy development in Africa. She previously led the World Resources Institute Energy Access Initiative in East Africa. She has written extensively on topics at the intersection of energy and development in Africa. She serves on the Editorial Board of the Climate Policy Journal.
Dr Linda Ogallo
Dr Linda Ogallo is a climate change adaptation expert who has supported the region in climate proofing extension services and increasing the access of climate information to the last mile user. Linda Coordinates IGAD’s Climate Change Technical Working Group which whose aim is to strategically promote regional exchange of information and dialogue climate change in the region. Linda Ogallo holds a PhD in climate change and Adaptation from the University of Nairobi.
Olufunso Somorin
Dr Olufunso Somorin is a Regional Principal Officer at the African Development Bank. He leads the Bank’s work on climate change and green growth in the 13 countries of the Bank’s East African region. This includes supporting countries’ access to climate finance for implementing their climate actions and mainstreaming climate change in all Bank policies and programs. He holds a PhD in International Environmental Policy from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. He gives guest lectures at King’s College London, African Leadership University (Rwanda) and Strathmore University (Kenya). Somorin is an Eisenhower Fellow.