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In a noteworthy outturn from the COP29 held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Greenpeace Africa has publicly expressed its dissatisfaction with the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, asserting that the measures are significantly underwhelming considering the urgent climate finance needs of the African continent.
Fred Njehu, Greenpeace Africa’s Pan-African Political Strategist, pointed out the NCQG's lack of enforceable frameworks that would mandate major polluters, particularly fossil fuel corporations, to contribute financially to climate action. Despite explicit references, the document fails to apply the 'polluter pays' principle in a substantial, action-oriented manner.
Furthermore, a petition supported by over 10,000 Africans has spotlighted the public's demand for tangible changes rather than mere rhetorical acknowledgments and ineffective provisions within the NCQG. "Bracketed texts and unagreed options without actual figures do not constitute real action," stressed Njehu.
Dr. Lamfu Yengong, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, also highlighted the document's acknowledgment of necessary grant-based financing, particularly for highly vulnerable groups such as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDs). However, he criticized the ambiguity surrounding commitment levels, which could potentially leave these communities at risk amidst escalating climate threats.
The inadequacy of the NCQG comes at a critical time when African communities are increasingly bearing the brunt of climate impacts. The pressing requirement for non-debt-inducing finance and the adaptation gap are areas needing immediate redress, asserted by Dr. Yengong, underscoring, “Without clear targets and mechanisms to mobilize trillions annually, the ongoing negligence is untenable.”
Despite these criticisms, Greenpeace Africa did welcome some progressive facets of the NCQG, including the call for a shift away from investments in fossil fuel infrastructure and toward renewable energy, which is pivotal in achieving the 1.5°C pathway and combating energy poverty. Moreover, there was a call to address systemic inequities in accessing climate finance.
In conclusion, Greenpeace Africa urges an immediate revision of the NCQG text to incorporate robust commitments to phasing out fossil fuels and establishing concrete pollution-pay frameworks. Such revisions are essential to ensure that climate financing concretely reaches the vulnerable communities that need it the most.