Minister Reaffirms Gabon’s Resolve On Carbon Neutral Policy

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Gabon’s Minister of Water, Forest, the Sea and Environment, Prof. Lee White said his country is a net positive country that is fully committed to remain carbon neutral to 2050.

The minister disclosed this in his opening remarks at side event of the just-ended Africa Climate Week, which was focused on Nationally Determined

Contributions (NDCs). Representatives from across the continent gathered to share their experiences of implementing NDCs in their respective countries.

The session titled, “Enabling faster and efficient NDC support through advocacy and partnerships”, was hosted by partners of NDCs Hub which include the African Development Bank (AfDB), which also hosts the Africa NDC Hub, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Union Commission, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Green Growth Institute.

The session, moderated by AUDA-NEPAD, showcased the work of the Africa NDC Hub, a collaborative platform for partner institutions to leverage one another’s strengths to support African countries deliver their NDCs faster and efficiently.

Prof. White noted that the West African nation had submitted a second NDC in 2022 in collaboration with several development partners, some of them members of the NDC Hub.

Speaking of one of the country’s key sectors, he stressed that Gabon’s timber should not be embargoed as it is certified, and produced legally and sustainably.

He also buttressed a point made by the Gabonese President, Ali Bongo Ondimba earlier during Africa Climate Week to, “let Africa lead” on climate issues. The continent, according to him, has a lot to offer.

Participants at the session noted that partnerships and effectiveness in measuring, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas emissions would be key to African countries hitting their various targets.

UNECA’s Director for Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management, Mr. Jean-Paul Adams said to be effective, NDCs needed to be integrated in national budgeting systems to receive funding from the national treasury.

Looking ahead to COP27 Adams said that Africa’s priorities should include a just and equitable transition, finance and resource mobilization through such instruments as debt for climate swaps.

In his remarks, the Deputy Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Africa Office, Dr. Richard Munang said there was no one size fits all model.

He therefore suggested that African countries should rather consider their own individual contexts and prioritize sectors in which they enjoy a comparative advantage. He also stressed the importance of tapping Africa’s youth dividend.

AfDB’s Principal Programme Coordinator in the Climate Change Department, Davinah Milenge said the bank established the Africa NDC Hub to leverage the power of partnerships in delivering the NDCs with efficiency, urgency and at scale.

She added that the bank has targeted its NDC support to prioritize a holistic approach that stimulates economic growth, and delivers inclusivity and regional integration. As an example, she cited the Desert to Power initiative, which will add 10 GW of solar generation capacity and provide electricity to around 250 million people in 11 Sahelian countries by 2030.

Representatives from Kenya, Nigeria and Gabon provided country experiences on NDC implementation, current needs and priorities. During the last session of the side event, Africa NDC Hub partners institutions outlined their country-support programs for NDC implementation.

Africa NDC Hub partners will launch a flagship publication at COP27 outlining progress in NDC implementation across nine thematic areas. The report is expected to spotlight key priorities ahead of the UN Global Stocktake (GST) on the Paris Agreement, scheduled for 2023.