Speaking at the consultation meeting with national actors in the sector, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment, Barbara Creecy, recalled how at COP 27, South Africa and the African Group presented the proposal to include special needs and the status of the continent on the agenda of the conference, but it did not enjoy consensus.
That proposal, he revealed, will be made again at COP 28.
Recognizing the special conditions of the African continent, he added, will be an important step in maintaining the principle of separate responsibility and recognizing the continent’s vulnerability to climate change, as well as the need for support for mitigation and adaptation.
The COP 28, emphasized by the Minister, took place in a context where we cannot simply congratulate ourselves on the apparent progress we have made while there are still important issues to be addressed.
First, he listed that while the establishment of a global loss and damage fund is a milestone, the task of determining the details of the fund—how it will be funded, where the funding will come from, and the form of that funding—is one of the key points on Dubai’s agenda.
Also, Creecy continued that, as with all COPs, funding will continue to be an important issue as the financial targets promised to developed countries are still not met.
At COP 28, there was a renewed call for an expanded and predictable target for climate finance. The deadline for agreeing to this goal is 2024, and the success of this COP and perhaps future climate talks will depend on the result, the minister said.
