BY MCLAY KANYANGARARA CLIMATE CHANGE ADVISOR

COMESA-SADC-EAC Tripartite Climate Change Programme  The Programme is supporting Member states to contribute to the global climate change agenda through the African Group of Negotiators.  The current (Sudan) and the previous 3 chairs of the AGN (Tanzania, Swaziland DRC) are from the ESA region.

 The Programme provides technical expertise in producing policy briefs and position papers on African position on climate change.  The Programme assists member states to develop National Climate Change Response Strategies (NCCRS) and Climate Smart Agriculture Investment frameworks.  The Programme supports piloting and up scaling practical climate smart interventions

KEY ASPECTS FOR ACP STATES AT COP21 ADAPTATION Adaptation remains a top priority for Africa Current adaptation funding is insufficient to meet needs Adaptation funding is a cornerstone in any agreement and must have the same legal parity as mitigation. Thus the Agreement must factor the special circumstances of ACP member states.

LOSS AND DAMAGE * Should be included including how developing countries will be compensated for the impacts of climate change – impacts that they have not contributed to. * Is part of the ‘debt’ of developed countries: emissions debt adaptation debt loss and damage debt * Must take into account permanent loss: where climate impacts have been so severe that no amount of adaptation will help. e.g. permanent loss of land.

TEMPERATURE GOAL * ACP states need to agree on the temperature goal TECHNOLOGY AND FINANCE * Agreement must commit developed countries to provide finance and technology to poorer countries to reduce emissions and adopt low-emission pathways out of poverty. CAPACITY BUILDING * COP21 should provide strategic means for capacity building for ACP states in adaptation and mitigation.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN RIGHTS * Extreme weather events and natural disasters threaten the enjoyment of a range of human rights such as the right to life, sustenance, self-determination, culture and development. * The negative impacts of climate change are disproportionately borne by persons and communities already in disadvantageous situations owing to geography, poverty, gender, among others, that have historically contributed the least to GHG emissions. * Persons, communities and even entire States that occupy and rely upon low-lying coastal lands, arid lands, and other delicate ecosystems are especially at risk as they face the greatest threats from climate change.

SOME PROVOCATIVE QUESTIONS * Have we played our roles fully in these negotiations? Could we have done better? * What are our minimum requirements? * Is there anything we are willing to collapse the agreement on? For our region it is ; NO AGRICULTURE: NO DEAL * It’s not just us taking: What is the minimum we are prepared to put in ourselves? * Is it realistic to expect ‘them’ to pay without limit? * At what point will the ‘them and us’ divide fall away?

FINALLY The planet belongs to all the plants, animals and other life forms that call it home and mankind has a duty to preserve and protect it all THANK YOU