COP25: poor results for African countries, youth looking for support

In the aftermath of the closing of the UN climate conference, COP25 left a bitter taste in the developing countries, foremost among which are many African countries.

For this new COP, which has just ended a year marked by climatic disasters, unprecedented demonstrations for the climate and increasingly worrying scientific reports, developing countries hoped for progress on the subjects which concern them. In particular the issue of loss and damage, ie assistance to developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change

But after two weeks of negotiations, none of the major emitting countries has taken a significant decision or revised their ambitions upwards.

"Africa is suffering severely from the effects of climate change," Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba tweeted after being given the chairmanship of African climate negotiators. "We will redouble our efforts to ensure that the Paris Agreement is respected. I will make sure of it."

This Friday, at the close of # COP25, #Gabon was given the chairmanship of the African Climate Negotiators Group. Africa is suffering severely from the effects of climate change. We will redouble our efforts to ensure that the Paris Agreement is respected. I'll make sure pic.twitter.com/Q5oiqcBSdQ

"It really is an emergency"

Executive Director of the Organization of Young People Committed to Sustainable Development (OJEDD) in Togo, and Africa coordinator of the CliMates think-tank, Kévin Ossah says he is disappointed, although he admits he did not expect more. "All the countries were awaiting urgent and concrete decisions for the climate action of the rich countries, but the problem is that there was no common position on the question relating to loss and damage; nor compared to the 100 billion dollars announced since Copenhagen [the green climate fund, editor's note]; no concrete measures compared to article 6 on carbon offset ", he lists.

The dossier of increasing the carbon tax, currently set at 2% and levied on the biggest polluters to finance an "adaptation fund" allowing the most vulnerable countries to fight against climate change, has in fact been postponed to the next COP. The objective of the green fund for the least armed countries to cope with the consequences of the climate crisis (droughts, floods), meanwhile, is struggling to be achieved.

"The reality of climate change is quite different in Africa, and it is really an emergency," said Kevin Ossah. An emergency to which he wished to respond, in 2017, by creating the OJEDD in order to "resolve problems at the African level, by an approach adapted to African realities". The association now has representatives in a dozen countries, notably in Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon.

Engaged youth seeking support

Africa, which has 17% of the world's population, accounts for only 4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the choices of African countries in terms of energy will determine, tomorrow, how the climate crisis can be limited. But does not the path taken by Africa in the development of its energies depend on the aid that it will receive from other regions?

On the continent, two thirds of the population live without electricity. In a tweet published during COP25, Kevin Ossah noted the "inconceivable" nature of seeing several Togolese regions still lack electricity in a country benefiting from the "highest rate of sunshine".

It is sometimes inconceivable that:
1- we have the highest rate of # sunshine
2- a #young majority and active segment of the population

But we still lack #electricity in the 21st century in certain regions in #Togo in #Africa! # FEEJ2019

It is sometimes inconceivable that:
1- we have the highest rate of # sunshine
2- a #young majority and active segment of the population

But we still lack #electricity in the 21st century in certain regions in #Togo in #Africa! # FEEJ2019

"In this message, everything is said," explains the one who also works in the solar energy sector. "The problem, the means at our disposal, and the solution. We just need a policy oriented towards concrete action".

In the absence of partners, the OJEDD did not have the "luck" to send representatives to Madrid. But proof of the growing commitment of young people to the climate, many representatives of African civil society shared, directly from the Spanish capital, the authorities and the sequence of activities, welcomes Kevin Ossah, adding that a platform for discussions had even created to share messages, photos and videos of the event.

More than the voice of the States, the director of the association says he wants to "carry the voice of young Africans". Young people who, through walks and awareness-raising actions, intend to influence decision-making. Young people who are mobilizing in the field for an environmental education and sustainable development program. Young people who, in the long term, intend to develop innovative solutions adapted to African realities, and which can be duplicated in other developing countries.

"Young people are all the more committed to thinking about finding solutions and working on concrete projects that are adapted to our realities," says Kevin Ossah. "States and international development aid must therefore be part of this dynamic vision of accompanying and supporting young people who are carrying out change initiatives".

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