As Cop29 unfolds, African negotiators denounce 'slow progress' and aim for last minute breakthrough
Negotiators are striving to resolve a deadlock at the UN climate talks in Azerbaijan. African negotiators want to remind wealthy nations that Africa, despite being the least polluting continent, bears the brunt of the climate crisis. Some of them share with me their cautious optimism for a last-minute breakthrough...
While Cop29 has entered its second week of negotiations, most participants expect little progress until the very last day, Friday 22 November.
Greenpeace Africa activists are ramping up their efforts, declaring on social media that they "won’t stop" until they "hold all polluters accountable for their acts of climate injustice!"
The NGO delivered a petition to the Chair of the Africa Group of negotiators (AGN), Ali Mohammed. The petition underscores the importance of the collective power of supporters, volunteers, and partners, they said in a statement on social media.
Yesterday, I spoke to Juma Ignatius is from Kenya, who works as the senior advisor to the office of the AGN at the UN, and is in Baku to focus on climate adaptation.
"Adaptation remains a key priority for the African continent for many people in Africa," he told me from Azerbaijan.
He says the priority is to make sure that the finance, the technology and the capacity building to ensure that adaptation efforts in Africa are upscaled to levels that help people to live their lives well are in place.
"This is primarily why we're here."
While he believes the negotiations are progressing, he thinks they are moving very slowly.
"There are some tactics employed on purpose here, especially wait and see tactics, to see what happens in what room and then how can other rooms [will] respond to this..." Ignatius said. "We believe this is what is really slowing down the process of the negotiation."
Regarding the G20 commitments made so far, specifically on the funds for adaptation, he estimates these are positive signs.
"We've seen reports from the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), saying that we need money, that is a lot. But... the fractions we are receiving here are very, very small," he also told me.
"The adaptation needs are increasing every day. The gap is increasing between what is really required and what's being pledged. So, we need to see more action."
Double burden
I also spoke to Dean Bhebhe Bhekhumuzi, who is the intelligence and campaigns advisor at Power Shift Africa, and the lead coordinator for the Don't Gas Africa movement. Originally from Zimbabwe, he's working with the Kenya-based organisation remotely from Johannesburg, in South Africa.
He believes that no breakthrough will be achieved until the very end of this round of negotiations, probably the last day.
But he also thinks that what's important is to understand the relationship between developing and developed countries.
"When we look at the type of finance that Africa needs to tap into, it becomes important to mention the debt crisis," he says. "Nigeria, Senegal, for example, need to pay off their huge debt."
These two countries use up to 67 percent against their GDP to pay off debt, leaving only 33 percent to tackle energy, healthcare, infrastructure, education, all the essential building blocks for development.
"Developing countries are asking developed countries to essentially manage and pay for emission reductions, and to implement a strategy," Bhekhumuzi explains.
He underlines that Africa bears the brunt of the climate crisis, yet they are the least responsible for it, and the mechanisms to change this situation are not there.
"Surely we cannot be expected to also contribute financially, despite the debt burden."
No room for pessimism
These negotiators promise to remain alert and focused.
Both activists want to remain optimistic as they say they cannot give up on the multilateral processes.
"We must reckon that some of the benefits have been achieved," the senior advisor to the office of the AGN, Juma Ignatius, also told me. "For example, the Paris Agreement."
Africa and the G77 at the UN, representing 77 developing economies, called for a total of $1.3 trillion last week.
For Ignatius, this is achievable this week at Cop29, despite a huge presence of fossil fuel lobbies. So he insists that African negotiators should not be defeated or focus on what's not working.
"We can encourage ourselves that something greater is coming," he says.
Bhekhumuzi agrees. "I think what is important is actually uploading Global South countries," he told me and get their voices heard.
"The Africa group of negotiators is pushing for an act that is people centred, one that will empower Africa. Because we're having those critical discussions, this is already a small win," Bhekhumuzi concludes.
