1. 🚁 Memo to the AUC chairperson: Getting the next climate summit right

Chairperson, if we may, you have an extraordinary opportunity to give green businesses in Africa a big push. 

• The African Union, as the host of the Africa Climate Summit, along with the Kenyan government, has transformative convening power for our sustainable future. 

• But the next Africa Climate Summit, currently organised under your auspices, must outperform the last one (see the image above of you speaking then). 

To the point: Our main advice can be summed up thus – Africa's premier climate event must be different from the failing climate shindigs in the global north.

• You have a chance to build a new kind of climate summit. 

• That would also cement your legacy as a climate leader.

Good start: The first summit in 2023 was a success. It’s hard convening 30,000 people, including 20 heads of state, and getting them to take joint action.

• European leaders in attendance pledged new money.

• Private sector engagement including from China is up. 

Next time: More of the same is nice – but not enough. The first thing that successful future summits need is true unanimity. 

• Nigeria, South Africa and several other countries were somewhat reluctant participants last time. 

• Luckily, they have since changed course and embraced the green economy. Let’s build on that. 

Aim high: The second thing that’s required for a big win is doubling down on private-sector investment. 

• We know the cavalry in the form of taxpayer money isn’t coming. It’s business or bust.

• Wholesale reform of trade and investment practices should top your summit agenda.

On time, every time: Thirdly, a summit is like any other event. What people remember afterwards are often the small things. Flawless execution ensures they focus on what matters.

• Last time, the agenda tried to boil the (Indian) ocean. 

• Next time, let’s pick clear priorities and relegate the rest.

Familiar problems: Ever since the first COP in Berlin in March 1995, we’ve seen the pitfalls now widely associated with such events.

• The result has been that COP is losing prominence. Other events such as New York Climate Week are muscling in. 

• That is Africa’s chance – and yours. 

No secret: We know what the others are getting wrong and the Africa Climate Summit could do much better – for the benefit of the planet… and the continent's prosperity.

Results, results, results: Many climate summits lack tangible outcomes. Commitments remain unmet and agreements are non-binding.

• Many voluntary promises fail to translate into concrete actions.

• Deals often target a distant future and lack enforcement mechanisms.

• Financial support from rich nations can be pitiful or overly complex.

Process & participation: Progress is generally slow and public trust can be low. 

• Secrecy around negotiation details fuels skepticism about motives and effectiveness.

• The high costs of participation can alienate activists and the public.

• Indigenous communities, women and youth must be more than window dressing.

Waste management: Much summitry is performative and undermines the event’s purpose. 

• Greenwashing, tokenism, political posturing and blame games are a waste.

• The environmental impact of the event itself is often noticed by all but the organisers.

Please be advised: It doesn’t have to be this way. 

What’s key: Africa does not lack for climate-related events - nor conferences focused on aspects of the continent's green economy. We seem to meet all the time. 

• But what Africa really needs is one tent-pole event that lends momentum to all the others. That is the continent's opportunity. And yours. 

• Chairperson, please feel free to press reply on this email if we can be of further help.

2. Number of the week 

…is the revenue Africa could make from Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) by 2050, says acting Vice-Chancellor at the University of Nigeria, Professor Polycarp Emeka Chigbue. He attributes this to the “remarkable” growth the markets have shown over the past two decades.

4. What we’re reading

• Water for food: Steel tank manufacturer Rainbow Reservoirs suggests that a single hamburger can require over 2,400 litres, while 1,500 litres is used in the production, distribution, and transportation of a kilogram of bread. This ‘measuring’ of water embedded in food production is gaining traction as farmers weigh the water footprint of different crops and then make informed choices to optimize water usage. With such, farmers and consumers can also select less water-intensive crops and implement water-saving techniques. (Infrastructure News)

• Chokehold on Africa: Rising air pollution levels are fueling a surge in heart attacks and high blood pressure across the continent. While research is ongoing, the link between poor air quality and cardiovascular disease is undeniable. The lack of comprehensive air quality monitoring and limited research on the specific impacts of air pollution on African populations hinders practical mitigation efforts. Urgent action is needed to improve air quality monitoring, conduct further studies, and implement policies to combat this growing public health crisis. (DownToEarth)

• Rosewood goes missing: Gambia is facing a severe threat from illegal logging, with a significant portion of its rosewood trees illegally harvested and exported. This illicit activity is driven by high global demand for rosewood, particularly from China, where it is used for furniture and traditional medicine. Weak law enforcement, corruption and the involvement of organised crime facilitate the illegal trade, depriving the country of significant revenue and harming its environment. (ISS Africa)