1.🚁 Heli view: Great declaration, now some more signatories please

The Nairobi Declaration, an apparently united African position on climate action, was published by heads of state today.

• The text was agreed by 19 heads of state (see picture above).

• Nigeria, South Africa and Angola, three of the four largest African economies, have so far declined to come onboard.

• Nigeria and Angola are the two biggest Sub-Saharan oil producers, while South Africa is heavily industrialised.

The big picture: The Declaration aims to cement a transformative African position ahead of global climate talks at COP 28 in December.

• Unlike previous climate declarations, this one includes a call for the end of all fossil fuel subsidies.

• The agreement also includes a call for new global taxation on fossil fuel traders and heavy users, including shipping and aviation.

Broad agreement: African leaders comfortably agreed calls for carbon taxation and innovative debt instruments as tools for climate and development action, such as:

• New debt relief including a 10-year grace period

• Global cooperation for Africa to share $27 billion in corporate tax annually

• Partial foreign exchange guarantees for emerging and frontier economies

• Additional measures to de-risk private capital, such as blended finance instruments, purchase commitments, industrial policy collaboration, and guarantee mechanisms.

Nature matters: Negotiations over details continued throughout the plenary session welcoming the declaration in the early afternoon.

• Passages focused on nature-based solutions were weakened or missing from drafts early in the day

• Some were re-inserted by noon and others five minutes before the closing of the negotiations

• The strongest support for them came from East African nations

Zoom in: Compared to earlier drafts the final version has more substance, especially notable are the nature-based solutions. It includes agreement to finalise and implement the “African Union Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan”. Other much debated references include:

• “Expansion of just energy transitions”

• “Renewable energy generation for industrial activity”

• “Climate-aware and restorative agricultural practices”

• “Essential protection and enhancement of nature and biodiversity”

• “Support nature-based ocean solutions”

Lack of detail: Among the declaration’s weaknesses is a limited focus on job creation in the green economy.

• Strategies for new skills, education and youth employment are missing

Bottom line: The declaration offers an investment-oriented view of Africa’s future that is summed up by the phrase “climate-positive growth” in the text.

• It envisions the continent leapfrogging traditional high-carbon development models from Europe, America and Asia.

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2. Cookstoves pivot away from coal burners

Clean cookstove makers are shifting from cookers that use green fuels to selling outright electric stoves.

The news: Burn Manufacturing, a Kenya-based firm, has unveiled a new electric cooker that’s specifically marketed as a cleaner alternative to existing flame-based models.