KAMPALA, Uganda (PAMACC News) - African Parliamentarians challenged to push for a climate change legislative agenda African parliament through the Pan African Parliamentarian Network has been urged to initiate and influence a continental legislative agenda that will push climate change policies in their different countries.

African civil society organizations, Ugandan government representatives and other development stakeholders meeting at a regional consultative forum on Post Marrakech and the implementation of the Paris.

 Agreement April 19-21 in Kampala, Uganda were unanimous that the role of African parliamentarians in driving an African agenda for climate change was capital.

Hon Chebet Malkut, UNFCCC focal point and head of climate change department in the ministry of Environment and water in Uganda pointed out that putting in place the appropriate policies and institutional framework to drive Africa’s climate change agenda was cardinal.

This challenge he said falls squarely on the shoulders of African legislators who need to partner with civil society organizations led by PACJA for assured results.

“I believe a cross fertilization of ideas between African parliamentarians and civil society organizations will ease this task and this forum set the stage for such a project,” Chebet said.

The coordinator of PACJA-Uganda, Florence Kasule for her part lauded the interest and participation of a significant number of parliamentarians from Uganda in the forum, an indication of their interest in the climate fight.

“This a clear indication of the increasing engagement of legislators to drive through policies that will improve the fight against climate change,” she said.

Civil society experts hammered on the need to build alliances that will improve the momentum behind the climate change drive in Africa.

“Building a strong and united front in the fight against climate change is the way forward,” says PACJA secretary general Mithika Mwenda at the official opening of the regional COP22 consultative workshop.

He highlighted the growing threats to the climate change Paris Paris agreement with continuous shifting global politics and political ecological economy.

“ The implementation of the Paris Agreement faces the biggest threat from the United States after the stunning election of Danald Trump whose campaign platform hinges on the repeal of the Clean Air Act,” Mithika said.

He also criticized his appointment of an anti-climate administrator to the Environment Protection Agency, an indication of future roadblocks to climate change drive, he said.

Other speakers at the forum call on the need for a strong African voice that will influence climate actions on the ground, moving policies to realizable development projects especially in the areas of climate smart agriculture, renewable energy and other adaptable infrastructure.

“ Besides other priorities, climate change infrastructure projects should be at the top and this is the role of our legislators and civil society organizations to drive this agenda,” says Dr Mauwa Shadad.

The participants underscored the remarkable effort of PACJA in the coordination of CSO climate change policy processes and interventions across Africa With focused reflection and coordinated review of the COP 22  Marrakech outcome and Paris Agreement regime.

In some of the recommendations reached at the Kampala forum, the participants noted the continent’s conviction of moving from Commitment to Action with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) demonstrated by ratifying the Paris Agreement and its consequent entry into force, enhancing the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

They also showed deep concern about the continuous neglecting of adaptation needs of developing countries and inadequate levels of public climate finance, limited access to adaptation finance such demonstrated by the imbalance between financing of mitigation  and adaptation  within the Green Climate Fund.

Emphasis was also laid on the renewable energy drive considered to be the locomotive to drive Africa’s development pathways.

According to Njamnshi Augustine of PACJA Cameroon, Africa needs to break from the past and build stronger resilience for the fight against climate change to succeed.