Belgium welcomes the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi

From 4 to 6 September Nairobi hosts the first Africa Climate Summit (ACS). Belgium welcomes this as a signal of African leadership in tackling the existential climate crisis in a spirit of collective action and privileging a solution-oriented approach.

Belgium, through its international cooperation programme, has a long-standing engagement with Africa as the priority partner of its international climate action and financing, as illustrated by following recent initiatives.

In 2021 Belgium launched a specific regional programme (2022-2026) of 50 million EUR on climate in the Sahel as a contribution to the 2030 objectives of the Great Green Wall (GGW). The programme aims to sustainably improve the living conditions of vulnerable populations in the Sahel through integrated management and restoration of natural ecosystems. In April 2023 Belgium decided to allocate an additional 52,5 million EUR to the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) largely benefiting African countries. In June 2023 Belgium and Mozambique signed a 25 million EUR cooperation agreement that is fully committed to the fight against climate change.

At this Africa Climate Summit Belgium is pledging 24 million EUR to a number of new projects that will be launched in 2023 and 2024 in Burundi, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Tanzania and that will contribute to climate adaptation with regard to agriculture, sustainable cities and biodiversity.

In addition to its sizeable contributions to the Green Climate Fund (20 million EUR/year) and the Global Environment Facility (92,5 million EUR for 2022-2025) Belgium also supports various initiatives such as the UNDP Climate Promise, the Systemic Observations Financing Facility (early warning systems) and the Central African Forest Initiative, of which African countries are direct beneficiaries.

“The majority of Belgium's international climate finance goes to climate adaptation in Africa in the form of grants”, says Ambassador Luc Jacobs, Special Envoy for Climate and Environment who represents Belgium at the Summit, adding that “Belgium particularly invests in climate projects that strengthen the co-benefits with biodiversity and sustainable forest management, that support resilient and climate smart agriculture or that promote sustainable urban development”.

Enabel advises Mozambique for African Climate Summit

As part of the 2023 African Climate Summit, the Mozambican government, together with Enabel, the Belgian development agency, and the Tony Blair Institution for Global Change, is organising a roundtable on energy transition in Mozambique.

The round table discussion is chaired by the Mozambican Minister of Land and Environment Maibaze. Enabel facilitates the participation in the climate summit of a number of Mozambican experts from the Ministry of Energy and the energy fund FUNAE. Within the framework of Belgian governmental cooperation with Mozambique, Enabel's climate experts advise the Mozambican government on energy transition and carbon markets, and guide bilateral discussions between the Mozambican government and other participants, such as multilateral organisations and bilateral donors.

Mozambique aims to position itself as a destination of excellence in Africa for investments in renewable energy infrastructure and green industrialization. The round table wants to inform partners about investment opportunities.

Developing the hydro potential in order to accelerate a green energy transition, should help curb the impact of accelerating climate change that are felt most by low-income countries, as well as focus on preservation and promotion of dignified standards of living to all.