The world is facing a climate crisis, and Africa is among the regions that are most vulnerable to its devastating impacts. Recognizing the urgent need for action, the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) have come together to bring together a cross-section of stakeholders for profound reflections with African parliamentarians as part of the Global Stock Take (GST). The aim is to contribute to galvanizing a critical mass of stakeholders capable of catalyzing broad support for pro-poor, just, equitable, locally-led, and science-based decisions in NDCs implementation and overall climate action.
The upcoming third summit of the Pan-African Parliamentarians on climate policy and equity will take stock of COP27 and overall Africa’s progress in the NDCs implementation since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015. It will also interrogate the contentious question of just transition and come up with recommendations to guide member countries on the direction that aligns with African realities. Parliamentarians will engage robustly with experts, practitioners, and leaders drawn from diverse backgrounds to internalize key persuasions in international dialogue processes. Participants will define areas of collaboration, including activities, targets, events, and milestones to be achieved in the GST review process and beyond.
The third summit is set to build on these efforts and bring together a cross-section of stakeholders for deeper reflections with African parliamentarians as part of the Global Stock Take (GST). In addition to taking stock of COP27 and overall Africa’s progress in NDCs implementation since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, stakeholders will also interrogate the contentious question of just transition and come up with recommendations to guide member countries on a direction that aligns with African realities.
The summit aims to contribute to galvanizing a critical mass of stakeholders capable of catalyzing broad support for pro-poor, just, equitable, locally-led, and science-based decisions in NDCs implementation and overall climate action. Its objectives include identifying a common African agenda in the Global Stock Take (GST) process and in the countdown to COP28, reflecting on enhancing interaction, promoting partnerships in policy and legislative work, and defining an action agenda (a communique) with other stakeholders in the GST process and COP28.
In addition, the summit will develop a detailed framing of core Africa’s demand for COP28, including advancing just transition for Africa, and a framework for strengthening oversight on climate change actions and policies. A summit declaration will outline key standpoints for African parliamentarians regarding critical issues such as just transition, adaptation, climate finance, and special needs and circumstances of the continent.
The upcoming summit builds on the success of the second Pan-African Parliamentarians on climate policy and equity summit, which brought together parliamentarians, civil society organizations, the private sector, and other stakeholders to deepen collaboration and partnership in the fight against climate change. The communique of the second summit emphasized the need for African countries to prioritize climate action and pursue a just transition that does not leave Africa behind. It also called for increased funding and support for adaptation and locally-led climate action, as well as greater parliamentary oversight of climate change actions and policies.
the third summit of the Pan African Parliamentarians on Climate Policy and Equity comes at a critical time when the world is grappling with the devastating effects of climate change. As African countries seek to make progress in implementing their NDCs and transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future, the summit provides an opportunity for parliamentarians to come together, exchange ideas, and develop concrete action plans. With the summit’s objectives of promoting pro-poor, just, and equitable climate policies, strengthening parliamentary oversight, and advancing the African agenda in international climate dialogue, the summit has the potential to catalyze transformative change across the continent