Yaoundé – October 21, 2022, the ball was set rolling at the Freidich Ebert Foundation in Yaounde. Civil society organisations and media practitioners from across the country gathered in a national workshop.
Their focus was to prepare for the 27th UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP27) that will hold in Egypt from 7 to 18 November 2022.
“We need to prepare especially the youth for the different types of negotiations,” says Blondel Silenou, Executive Director of Young Volunteers for the environment (YVE) Cameroon.
The focus for the youth is very important because “all stakeholders need to master what transpires during the summit”, Blondel Silenou saud, adding that;
“If the youth are not relevant today, in 10, 15 years, they will definitely take over, so they need to be equipped.”
During the national workshop for civil society actors and media practitioners on climate ahead of COP27, experts presented on varied topic, pointing out exactly where the youth can fit, and how they can make their way through the negotiation processes, doings Egypt summit.
The idea was to come up with a national adaptation plan from a to z, and also introduce the participants to climate justice, circular economy, energy transition, gender and indigenous communities viz a viz climate change, among many others.
Speaking at the national workshop, most of the civil society actors and climate change activists were of the opinion that Cameroon and Africa at large need to come up with a common position.
“What we call for is commitment, mobilization and most of all collaboration amongst young climate actors,” says Stéphan Njiomo, in charge of programmes at Freidich Ebert Foundation
The national workshop lasted for two days, at the end of which a final communiqué carrying the aspirations of the different actors was issued.
Understand COP27 and African Participation
After every COP, Africa prepare and update the African Group Position following the decisions of committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC). It should be noted that some agenda items that the continent had worked on through the years may require reiterating of African views.
Africa will need to continue calling for global goal for adaptation to be operationalized and guide the adaptation efforts of countries. The continent will also reiterate the importance of delivering the $100 billion a year by 2020 goal that was not met by developed countries.
Amid unmet climate commitments, lingering disruptions due to COVID-19, and the finance, energy and food challenges created by the war in Ukraine, the current Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) on climate change, Mr. Ephraim Mwepya Shitima of Zambia, presented Africa’s priorities and what a successful COP27 would look like for the continent.
He said for the African Group, COP27 should be about advancing the implementation of the National Determined Contributions (NDCs), including adaptation and mitigation efforts and delivery of finance to enhance implementation.
“…COP26 concluded the remaining guidance on implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change, therefore, Africans need to advance the implementation of their climate actions,” he added.
