The lead negotiators from African countries, who include representatives from Zimbabwe, continue to meet ahead of the 27th Conference of Parties (COP 27), focusing on the need to accelerate action for solutions to climate adaptation and mitigation.
The first meeting, which was held from Friday to Saturday last week in the resort town of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, was aimed at mapping out a strategy to approach the negotiations at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly referred to as COP27, which will run from November 6 to 18.
Director for Climate Change Management Department in the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mr Washington Zhakata, who is also the UN Framework for Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) focus person for Zimbabwe, was part of the African negotiators at the meeting.
Critical issues that were discussed relate to the "just transition from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy" in view of the geopolitical situation, especially in Eastern Europe, which has resulted in some European countries starting to move back to coal use, which was in principle partially banned at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, said Ms Norah Takaindisa, the communications and advocacy officer in the Ministry of Environment yesterday.
"Discussions at COP27 were supposed to zero-in on how the phase-down of coal use would be implemented. The developing countries were being squeezed to the corner to phase down coal use.
"But now, with the phasing up by the developed world, how are the negotiators going to approach this?
"Of course as a country that uses and intends to use it for some time, we are advocating diplomatic silence and only shout when the issue of the greenhouse gas reductions in the energy sector relates to phase-down of coal."
The other issue coming up clearly, she added, was the failure by developed countries to meet their US$100 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund for access by developing countries for resilience projects and implementation of mitigation actions, including nationally determined contributions.
Most of the contributions to be made by for African countries the global switch from carbon to green are conditional upon provision of international finance, but there is no agenda for creating and resourcing a financial mechanism for implementation of the NDCs.
Zimbabwe's revised target is a 40 percent per capita reduction in emissions across all sectors of the economy, below the projected business as usual scenario by 2030.
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African countries are exploring ways of pushing the issue into the agenda and how to fight for its serious consideration, including issues that have remained unresolved such as modalities for financing, and the losses and damages as a result of extreme weather events associated with climate change.
COP26 agreed on doubling of adaptation funds, but there has not been any movement to initiate the momentum towards mobilisation of the resources.
Ms Takaindisa said this was also discussed by the African lead negotiators, together with the agriculture agenda item, which has not seen much progress in the last few years despite the importance of food security and nutrition security.
These strategic discussions are key for the Africa Group of Negotiators who are scheduled to meet from tomorrow up to Wednesday.
