MARRAKECH, Morocco (PAMACC News) - African civil society groups at the 22nd Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP 22) in Marrakech have called on US president elect, Donald Trump to issue a statement denouncing his twitter comment about global warming, failure to which they will join other movements campaigning for the reversal of his election.“Mr. Trump must issue a statement reassuring the international community that his twitter remarks were just but campaign rhetoric, else, we will not tolerate any leaser who seeks to derail gains already made in the fight against climate change,” said Mithika Mwenda the Secretary General for Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) at a press conference in Marrakech.Trump came under heavy criticisms especially from his opponent Hillary Clinton during their race to the Oval Office, following his remarks on twitter that; "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive." In one of the presidential debates, Trump further said that the issue of climate change is an issue that requires further probing, and that money used to fight the phenomenon should be channeled to other uses."There is still much that needs to be investigated in the field of climate change. Perhaps the best use of our limited financial resources should be in dealing with making sure that every person in the world has clean water. Perhaps we should focus on eliminating lingering diseases around the world like malaria,” said the republican nominee. Perhaps, he continued, “We should focus on efforts to increase food production to keep pace with an ever-growing world population. Perhaps we should be focused on developing energy sources and power production that alleviates the need for dependence on fossil fuels. We must decide on how best to proceed so that we can make lives better, safer and more prosperous,” he added.And now that the American people have given him the key to the White House, civil societies and other interested parties all over the world are worried that his position and views towards climate change may carry the day, hence, lead to the withdrawal of US from the climate negotiation processes.America is one of the world’s top three emitters of greenhouse gases, which are responsible for global warming.By 2011, the top carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters were China, the United States, the European Union, India, the Russian Federation, Japan, and Canada. These data include CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion, as well as cement manufacturing and gas flaring. Together, these sources represent a large proportion of total global CO2 emissions.“Africa is the lease emitter of these gases, yet the continent is the most affected by climate change,” said Mithika.In that regard, as the Marrakech negotiations comes to a close, the African Civil Society has called on leaders to accelerate momentum on climate action with the coming into force of the Paris Agreement.

Ministers and senior officials responsible for health and environment have committed to reducing the annual 12.6 million deaths caused by environmental pollution. Gathering at the COP22 climate meeting in Marrakech, over two dozen high level officials from both sectors signed up to the Declaration for Health, Environment and Climate Change. The goal is to reduce pollution-related deaths via a new global initiative to promote better management of environmental and climate risks to health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that some 12.6 million deaths a year are associated with environmental pollution. Of these, an estimated 6.5 million deaths (11.6 per cent of all global deaths) are associated with air pollution, from household and outdoor sources. "This landmark declaration has raised consensus for better articulation of our efforts to find a solution to the major health, environmental and climate challenges. Together, we commit to ensuring that people – their livelihoods, well-being, and particularly their health – are at the centre of the response to climate change," said Ms Hakima El Haite, Minister of Environment, Morocco. The declaration encourages the health and environment sectors to exchange experiences, technical expertise and best practices to enhance health and protect the environment. Global and comprehensive links between these two sectors does not yet exist. Most environmental pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. However, outdoor air pollution remains prevalent in high-income countries as well, with 9 out of 10 people worldwide exposed to air pollution that exceeds WHO Air Quality guidelines for fine particulate matter.Ninety-four percent of outdoor air pollution deaths are due to noncommunicable diseases – notably cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Air pollution also increases the risk for acute respiratory infections. Indoor air pollution in particular causes about half of all childhood pneumonia deaths (about 530,000 childhood deaths in 2012). Major sources of air pollution include inefficient modes of transport, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants, and industrial activities.Prof Judi Wakhungu, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Environment and her Water counterpart Eugene Wamalwa expressed Government's commitment to addressing effects of climate change. "The Government has invested heavily in the health sector and environment to reduce deaths related with effects of climate change," Wakhungu said.Wamalwa said his ministry is keen on providing clean water to all Kenyans to reduce water-borne related diseases. According to WHO, hundreds of thousands more deaths each year are due to direct climate change impacts including heat waves, extreme weather emergencies, drought, and increased diarrhoeal disease and vector borne disease transmission. And these deaths are projected to rise if climate change is not addressed. "We know that most health risks from climate change are preventable. By establishing this initiative we can work together on strengthening health systems, investing in disease prevention, and common-sense measures such as improving water and sanitation systems, and infectious disease surveillance. This will save lives now and protect us from escalating climate risks," said Dr El Houssaine Louardi, Minister of Health, Morocco. The Declaration recognizes that well designed policies…

MARRAKECH, Morocco (PAMACC News) - new report released alongside the climate summit in Marrakech Morocco shows that Africa’s ‘Growth miracle’ in the 21st century has reversed a long standing narrative of pessimism about the region, giving experts hopes that the continent can easily industrialise without necessarily using fossil fuels and other forms of dirty energy.“There are pessimisms, given the complex trade regimes, poor infrastructure, skills mix that is not adjacent to the market needs and poor access to finance, but at the same time, there are opportunities in the great potential of renewable energy sources in Africa, large labour force, appropriate skills mix among others,” said Carlos Lopez, Commissioner, Global Commission on the Economy and Climate.However, for the green economy to work, said Lopez, there must be industry policies that cut across all the sectors, there must be enough ambition, and there must be sophistication to give countries the potential to do it sustainably.H. E Rhoda Peace Tumisiime referred to Noor 1, Morocco’s solar power plant at the town of Ouarzazate, which now provides 160 megawatts (MW) of the ultimate 580MW capacity, helping the country to save hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions per year.“This beautiful solar project is evidence of the determination of African leaders’ commitment to development using green energy,” said Tumisiime, the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission (AUC).Many other countries have similar potentials not only in solar, but also in the geothermal and hydroelectric sectors. Kenya’s Rift Valley region for example, has a potential of producing 10,000 megawatts of geothermal energy, with the country tapping only 10 percent of it.“There are many opportunities for Africa,” said Lopez at the launch of the report spearheaded by Pan African Institutions which include the African Union, the African Development Bank, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.The report, titled ‘Africa’s New Climate Economy,’ and launched on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 22nd Conference of Parties (COP 22) is the first to bring economic transformation together with development and climate change in one comprehensive assessment.“The choices that African leaders make in the next few years will have major implications for economic growth, human well-being and climate resilience in the decades ahead,” said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former finance minister of Nigeria and a member of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. “It’s encouraging to see these three priorities brought together.”The report points out that some 620 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity. But according to experts, countries have an opportunity to “leapfrog” to modern, energy efficient technologies, since the region has a rich portfolio of clean energy assets, including about 1,100 gigawatts of solar capacity, more than enough to meet total energy demand in the region.“Across multiple sectors, economic, social and environmental transformations can reinforce each other and create numerous virtuous circles,” said Milan Brahmbhatt, lead author of the report. “Many of the policy and institutional reforms needed to boost growth…

MARRAKECH, Morocco (PAMACC News) - The African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has congratulated COP 21 President, Ségolène Royal for the success of last year’s climate conference which has culminated into momentum for action as Africa hosts COP 22. Speaking during a round table meeting when the French Minister visited and met Ambassadors and other senior delegates at the Africa Pavilion at COP 22, ACPC Officer in Charge, James Murombedzi said UNECA was hopeful that the implementation of the Paris Agreement would be inclusive. “As ACPC-UNECA, we are hopeful that the implementation of the Paris Agreement will be inclusive,” said Murombedzi, adding that Africa would like to see the issue of means of implementation resolved at COP 22. On its part, “ACPC is ready to support African countries in the revision of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) most of which have been found to be defective,” he added. Murombedzi further highlighted the need for Africa to integrate climate in its mainstream development planning for a holistic approach. “We believe there is no room for isolated planning and it is for this reason that at ACPC, we have prioritised climate research to support African countries in integrated planning,” Murombedzi disclosed. With the eyes of the world on Marrakech, the African Group is hopeful that the unprecedented mobilisation of the international community and political will, which has culminated into the rapid entry into force of the Paris Agreement, would likewise be extended to implementation. The Agreement entered into force in time for COP 22, where the first Meeting ofthe Parties to the Agreement will open on 15 November, and parties are expected to agree on the rules of implementation of the Paris Agreement and establish a viable plan to provide financial support to developing countries to support climate action. On her part, Ms. Royal stressed the importance of climate justice, particularly for Africa. “Africa is the great challenge of this Conference,” she said. “COP 22 is an African COP, and that is where the priority and hopeare,” adding that in Africa, climate change is cruel and unfair as the continent suffers the most through no fault of its own. It is for this reason that an African development pathway that could propel climate-resilient economic growth is possible if an enabling environment that promotes innovation and collaborative actions for climate change solutions is put into place. And a number of African initiatives on collaborative research and capacity development were highlighted at a side event at the Africa Pavilion on Innovations and African collaborative approaches for transformative climate policy and solutions. Organized by the UNECA’s Africa Climate Policy Center (ACPC), the events included the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) Programme for Climate Change Capacity Development (PCCCD) and WASCAL (the West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use) The SARUA Programme for Climate Change Capacity Development (PCCCD), has led to a consortium of seven universities from five SADC countries developing a regional…