Tag: Climate Change

Does Climate Change Matter Anymore? EU’s China Fear a Reverse Gear Regarding EVs

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By Moshi

In recent months a battle over the electric vehicle market has been raging between the EU and China. The former asserts that Chinese auto companies in the Electric Vehicles sector are heavily subsidized by the government which has given them an edge over their European counterparts. Moreover, the EU is weary of the cheap EVs being sold by Chinese manufactures within the EU market, effectively outcompeting domestic producers and putting a strain on the EU EV industry. The push for punitive measures against Beijing is largely being led by France and Spain.

On the other hand, Germany has been reluctant and cautioned its fellow EU members to trade carefully around the issue of imposing tariffs as high as 38% on Chinese EV makers. Berlin is well aware of the counter effects this could have on its own auto manufactures were Beijing to retaliate in kind. Germany autos such as Mercedes and BMW enjoy a significant market share in China and would not wish to upset this highly profitable arrangement. Luckily, for Berlin, Beijing has not yet committed to responding in kind and has only threatened to retaliate by imposing tariffs on EU pork and Wine exports, a move that has French Cognac producers worried according to a report by Reuters.

Calculations based on the Kiel institute’s Kite Model indicate significant changes resulting from EU total tariffs on China’s EVs which could lead to a reduction of imports of EVs from china to around 25 percent (a value of about $4billion).

With the current political climate and global political realities, it is only logical to deduce that the EV battle is tied into the overall trend of worsening ties between the collective west and Beijing. Spearheaded by Washington, the west has been on a steady trend of the so-called de-risking of their relations with China. The once outspoken champions of globalization are quietly and nervously retreating back into the familiar shell of protectionism when faced with actual competition. It is not China’s fault that their technology is well advanced and that they are able to produce highly sought after-planet saving goods cheaply.

Even more importantly, this trade war on Electric Vehicles has lasting negative impacts on climate transition. Tariffs on cheap Chinese EVs will only make the cars less affordable. EU manufactures make EVs at a high cost of production and this cost is transferred onto the consumer and this is what has made the average EU citizen to purchase cheaper EVs from china, if this choice is taken away, then it automatically leads to a situation where less people use EVs.

Germany has tried to point this issue out in vain. The country had set a goal of having 5o million EVs on the road by 2030, clearly with this trend this may not be achievable.  It comes off as hypocritical to pressure and persuade the rest of the world to transition to greener economies while the west backtracks on these commitments because domestic politics are inconvenienced by the idea of saving the entire planet. It is even more absurd due to the fact that Global south countries were largely dismissed when they tried to make similar claims about the hasty transition to green economies. They were constantly told the planet is at risk and the transition is a noble cause. Shouldn’t the EU also take one for the team and look beyond domestic politics and aim for the greater good? Is there any wonder that the so-called rules based order is increasingly being challenged?

The answers I must say, depend on who makes the rules. The rules based order determined that globalization was a good thing and now that it threatens their pockets, the rules have changed and only certain kinds of globalization are acceptable with those that are not western driven cast on the bad side of the globalization spectrum.

The politics in the west can be quite discombobulating, especially for those in the Global South. The rules keep changing and it is always in favor of the rule makers. The trade war brewing around EVs is just a symptom of a much worse growing disease.

We are living in a time where simple media narratives and rhetorical tricks no longer fool the masses and the growing number of literate young people all around the world now more than ever recognize trickery, deceit and hypocrisy when they see it. The EV question only has one answer, if they are good for the planet, then they should be affordable for all, either we live in a global village with common, fair and just rules or we live in a jungle of might makes right.

The writer is a senior research fellow with the Development Watch Center.

Lessons From China’s Climate Change Strategy

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By Nnanda Kizito Sseruwagi

For a long time, China was known for relegating the challenge of combating climate change to “developed countries.” It did not consider itself among them and thus stood alongside developing countries to demand that wealthy, developed countries address the issue. As one of the largest CO2 emitters worldwide, it did not take long to backtrack its stance and become a world leader in green technology and climate-change mitigation. The nation’s commitment now is to shrink carbon emissions to safe levels by 2030 and realise carbon neutrality before 2060.

China has come a long way on this journey involving devising various strategies and implementing several policies to mitigate long-term effects of climate change. In 2004, they started experimenting with the “Green GDP” policy. The idea behind this policy was to deduct resource and environmental costs from the GDP of the country. This is how they began greening their economic policies and promoting nature conservation in their economic development model.

The “Green GDP” initiative is an environmental index applied while assessing an area’s GDP.  China uses it to evaluate economic performance by considering indicators such as energy consumption, energy reduction and emission intensity of major pollutants per 10,000 yuan of GDP. This is an environmentally smart and responsible method of measuring economic performance of the country without blindsiding oneself only to GDP growth.

Over time, China has improved assessment criteria by relying on indicators which pay attention to people’s livelihood, improvement of social conditions and monitoring ecological benefits. This should be the way to go for countries that aren’t yet implementing similar models.

In a more drastic move in 2013, China unveiled an Air Pollution Prevention and Action Plan, termed the “Air Ten.” By this, it passed strong regulations on pollution and restructured industries to achieve better air quality, especially in Beijing which is usually heavily affected by air pollution. By 2021, Beijing’s air quality had improved greatly with the city’s average PM2.5 reading dropping by 52.9% within five years.

President Xi Jinping also introduced the “new normal” concept in 2014. This denoted that government had appreciated the need to improve the quality of China’s economic development since it had attained a higher stage of development and outgrown the age of primitive acceleration of growth. Xi famously remarked that; “the carrying capacity of the environment has reached, or is close to, its upper limit and it is necessary to promote a new way of green, low-carbon and circular development”.

He noted that it was no longer sustainable for China to pursue the old economic path of extensive economic development and warned that such a path would be a dead end.

Therefore, China now pursues green development as a necessary means to mitigate climate catastrophe while maintaining economic development.

Additionally, Xi conceptualized the “ecological civilization” theory. He articulated the principles that must be followed in order to promote ecological civilization including; maintaining harmonious coexistence between man and nature and working together to build a global ecological civilization among others.

He stated: “We must deeply involve ourselves in global environmental governance, enhance our voice and influence in the global environmental governance system, actively guide the direction of change in the international order and form solutions for world environmental protection and sustainable development.”

But that would not be possible if corruption had continued to eat up China’s environment and energy sectors. For instance, officials in the coal industry conspired in the destruction of grasslands by coal mines in the Qilianshan Muli area and the illegal construction of villas in the Qinling Protected Area.

To confront this challenge, President Xi founded the Central Ecological and Environmental Inspection Team (CEEIT) in 2015 to supervise provincial and central ministries. Over 6,000 senior officials at various levels of government were arrested for corruption and have been held accountable for several environmental and energy-related cases.

This is tremendous progress – from denying contribution and responsibility for climate change – to holding large numbers of public servants for complacency in environmental degradation. China’s transformation ideologically and proactively in combating climate change and assuming global leadership in green technology should challenge all countries slacking on this urgent global challenge to stand up to the task.

Nnanda is a senior research fellow at the Development Watch Centre.

nnandakizito@dwcug.org

 

Uganda-China Should Collaborate on Climate Financing

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By Nnanda Kizito Sseruwagi

I wish to first pre-empt the scepticism shared by some people about the feasibility of different modes of climate finance and the efficacy of their impact on mitigating climate change. The climate finance architecture easily seems to be capitalism’s mode of commercialising climate change without solving it. I am partly doubtful of the impact of offsetting emissions through buying carbon credits. However, I believe that to abstain from partaking in this business would only guarantee us a double loss. We lose nothing by being involved, yet we miss out on so many opportunities to raise capital to finance our other development needs if we boycott these international climate change mitigation efforts.

Uganda currently lacks a clear climate financing strategy despite the urgent need to meet its growing cost of addressing climate challenges. We stand to suffer serious economic consequences if we do not act. The recent decades have seen an increase and the frequency of arbitrary climate events in the country which have affected agriculture- the breadwinner industry for the majority of our population.

We are particularly at extreme risk of economically suffering from climate change due to the heavy dependence on farming, a very sensitive sector to our livelihood yet it’s highly vulnerable to climate change. With Agriculture affected, 40% of our GDP could be significantly reduced and 80% of our labour force could be rendered unemployed. A random destabilisation of rain seasons could put our economy on its knees since less than 2 % of farming in this country depends on irrigation.

I do not want to imagine a scenario of a hungry and jobless population and its likely effect on our security and political stability. Many Ugandans might be governable for now because of the high and reliable supply of food and water across the country. We are a country of subsistence farmers. Ugandans may not highly be impacted by the cost of clothes, sugar, spices, cooking oil or gas. These are considered luxury goods in our villages. But a serious decline in food production could detonate a time bomb of incipient political disgruntlement in our people. Therefore, just like Uganda partners with powerful countries on security, it is time we partnered with China on addressing climate change as though it were a security matter; because it is.

China has dedicated a serious stake in our infrastructure development, with a vision to contribute to our industrialization and consequently our development. This is a strategic investment, with a broad shared vision for both Uganda and China. However, the two states cannot blind themselves from factors that could potentially sabotage their grand strategy for development. We need to keep working together to tie any loose ends where our investment in development could be upset.

We would need this partnership because we lack the financial and human resources to adequately invest in the Carbon Credit Market. Just like with the oil industry where we partnered with international firms to negotiate and design our oil and gas agreements, we reasonably need some help here. The global Carbon Credit Market was valued at $103.8 billion in 2023 with a predicted growth at a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of 14.8% from 2024 to 2032. Last year, the value of this market hit a record of $949 billion. This is a market we cannot be indifferent about!

China would find financing us worthwhile because we have one of the most attractive carbon market profiles on the continent. Our carbon market portfolio boasts a total of over 33 million carbon credits issued from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) standards. A carbon credit is worth about $40 to $80, on average. However, if Uganda sits on its potential in this market, it could fluctuate greatly since just like any other market, it depends on demand and supply.

It is therefore urgent that we collaborate with a major global climate finance funder. China already contributes about $1.2 billion annually to climate finance through multilateral development banks and also contributes $1.4 billion bilaterally. This would be a strong partner to work with on this. The added advantage of working with China, as President Museveni normally quips, is that “…they don’t waste our time.” So, we would efficiently work through the modalities of a partnership in time to find the market still fertile.

The good news is that China has already initiated steps meant to address climate change in Uganda and Africa in general. For example, among other reasons, China’s support for bamboo growing is that it will help in addressing climate change.

Also, the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Dakar, Senegal (29-30th November 2021) adopted a consensus in which 53 African countries and the African Union Commission (AUC) and China agreed on “China-Africa Cooperation on Climate Change.” The two sides further committed to “support efforts to vigorously develop the green economy, advocate a green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable way of  development, and work actively to build an environment-friendly society.” With the already functioning China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center which was established to advance  policy dialogue, exchanges and cooperation on environmental protection, Uganda and indeed other African countries should leverage it to advance climate mitigation policies including collaboration on climate financing.

We need to act early to meet the twin challenges and opportunities presented by climate change. On the one hand, we need to mitigate it because it threatens us economically and politically. Secondly, we need to participate in the booming climate change industry as espoused in the Carbon Credit Market. we need a reliable partner to face both challenges. Uganda’s vision for 2040 on achieving upper middle-income status and reducing poverty to 5% could dissipate into the wind if we only focus on infrastructure and energy and forget about potential subversive factors like climate change. Harnessing climate finance should thus be primary to our development agenda.

The writer is a senior research fellow at the Development Watch Centre.

Applause to China; They Are Truly Africa’s Key Ally on Mitigating Climate

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By Steven Akabwayi

On 4th-6th September this year, the  Kenyan government with AU co-hosted the inaugural Africa climate summit in Nairobi. The three-day summit brought together leaders and investors from Africa and beyond to share experiences and solutions for a  sustainable, resilient Africa.

The event focused on Adaptation and resilience, renewable energy, sustainable development, and financing for climate action.

China’s efforts towards clean energy and sustainable development in Africa have not been sufficiently covered by most Western mainstream media who aim at cherry-picked stories and character assassination.

This is done to influence the masses into a coherent narrative of China being a bad character in regard to climate issues on the African continent yet on the actual ground Africa and China are key allies on climate.

China and Africa hold the same view that cooperation and investment in environment-friendly initiatives is a critical part of their practical relations.

Unlike most Western civil groups that dictate what Africa should do, China has collaborated with Africa on developing both adaptation and mitigation plans holding a view that African countries should have legitimate rights to Pursue independent and sustainable development in relative areas.

Despite China being the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse emissions currently producing about 12.7 billion metric tons of emissions annually dwarfing the US which is at 5.9 billion tonnes, the discrepancy in the above figures doesn’t tell the whole story.

China’s high number of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the fact that it is a highly populous country that is still developing with a hunger for heavy industrialization.

Since 1850 China has emitted 284 billion tons of carbon dioxide but the US which industrialized far earlier has raised almost twice as much with 509 billion tons of emissions making it the highest emitter of all time.

Additionally, in terms of per capita emission, China lags behind most developed nations with an average person in China emitting 10.1 tons of carbon annually compared to 17.6 tons of that in the US according to the Rhodium group report.

China has also taken stringent measures to address climate apocalypse not only at home but also overseas. The country stands as the leading global investor in greenfield energy and infrastructure systems across the developing world, the same climate-friendly developments have also been intensified under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Since 2017, there has been a shift in the forces regarding the policy framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa, The initiative which started as a massive infrastructure project, is now focused on green sustainable development.

In 2021, China and 53 African states signed a joint declaration that pointed out that climate change and its negative impacts are an urgent problem facing humanity.

The joint declaration added that that climate change should be tackled by speeding up affordable green and low carbon transition, promoting sustainable development, and jointly fostering a community of life for man and nature.

Another noteworthy point from the China-Africa joint declaration on climate was for both parties to speed up the implementation of South-South trilateral cooperation projects on climate change, and promote the building of low carbon and low greenhouse gas demonstration zones.

China also pledged to support Africa in training professional personnel for climate response and facilitate the delivery of climate technologies and services in Africa.

In terms of renewable capacity, China is the leading producer of solar energy and manufacturer of solar equipment.

In 2022, China’s President Xi Jinping announced that they are targeting to develop 1200 GW of solar and wind energy by 2030.

The China-Africa joint declaration on climate change further reveals that China has launched over 100 clean energy and green development projects under the framework  Forum on China-Africa cooperation, this is to support African countries in better utilizing solar hydropower, wind, and other renewable energy sources.

As one way of improving the energy structure of Africa’s countries, China has upgraded its industrial structure and built smart cities with advanced urban planning and waste management.

Inthe last 45 years in what Is often referred to as China’s economic miracle, China has been able to industrialize, transform villages into smart cities, and lift billions of people out of poverty.

On the other hand, Western countries have continued to preach water as they make wine.

Despite discouraging African governments from investing in the much-required energy that will lift millions out of poverty, Western governments are on the other hand in a rush to secure energy for their citizens.

The world has seen coal mines being opened up in Germany and the UK, new drilling and production in Norway, and funding of undersea pipelines by European governments.

China being the largest developing economy, it’s aware that for any country to develop and lift its citizens out of poverty, it needs not just energy but funding and investing in green energy.

Looking at the declaration of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, 29-30 November 2021, China committed to work with African countries to ensure the continent tackles climate Change in all ways and more importantly meet their climate change mitigation targets. Indeed, African countries applauded China noting that they “fully leverage the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center to advance  policy dialogue, exchanges and cooperation on environmental protection. We  welcome the positive role of the China-African Union Energy Partnership to  increase the share of clean energy and promote sustainable energy development of  both sides.”

In his Congress speech in 2022, China’s President Xi Jinping stated in a report that China must also develop petroleum and natural gas more cleanly and efficiently, explore untapped resources, increase production, and develop systems for new energy sources.

In his keynote address during Africa Energy Week in South Africa, Uganda’s president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni emphasized that Uganda will proceed with its oil and gas developments as the oil commercialization will lift millions of people out of poverty and provide them the luxury to invest in renewable energies.

China’s state-owned company the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) has been a key partner in designing and investing in the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline Project (EACOP) with an emphasis on ensuring a lower carbon footprint compared to other gas projects.

Steven Akabwayi is a research fellow at the Sino-Uganda Research Centre

China – US Climate Change Talks: China Still Resolute on its Commitments

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By Alan Collins Mpewo

While China’s role in the new world as is today get downplayed due to the geopolitical nature, sometimes its contribution to world stability cannot be dismissed. Climate change is a topic that concerns all, regardless of race and origin. Climate change is to be greatly faulted on human activity and China very much knows that its population (the highest globally) contribute not less than 19% of carbon emissions for example. Such numbers are not only dire but call for a joint fight because the collective data shows that everyone globally has a crucial role to play in mitigation of the probable consequences. It’s of little wonder therefore, that a US Envoy was in Beijing on 17’th July, 2023 over the same talks on climate. In deed, US Envoy John Kerry acknowledged on 20’th July, 2023 on the need of a common purpose without a look at any possible differences in a bid to contribute to the already ongoing implementation of the Glasgow Climate Change resolutions.

China hasn’t only been running internal policies to mitigate the climate change consequences, but has also showed commitment by formalizing such objectives with treaties, agreements, and memorandum of understandings with various global stakeholders. Sometime in 2021, China and a collection of other African partners under the Forum on China (FOCAC) assembled at yet another ministerial conference in Dakar, Senegal to which resolutions were later made. While global international relations centers have majorly focused on the economic implications for both parties to the FOCAC communique, they bury their attention to some other salient resolutions therein.

 

It goes therefore without saying that before the Glasgow Convention, China has always publicly showcased its unreserved commitment to making earth yet safe for all that live on it. The Dakar Action Plan is meant to span from 2022 to 2024. Point 7 goes with the title “Green Development.” The center stage of this action plan is to lower and perhaps mute the use of fossil and other carbon emitting fuels in the near future. China understands the negative effects that come with large amounts of carbon emissions. People globally have been losing their lives at young ages or their lifespans cut short, due to the chronic illnesses and other effects they have on mankind.

The fight for green development in China has mainly been based on renewable energy such as wind and the sun. Wind energy and solar energy as the epitome of this action plan. China has since encouraged the Global South to take this route, and by doing so, led the way into setting up de-carbonization campaigns in some townships like some that form part of Shanghai, in order to pave way for more establishments of windmills the coastal areas of the country where there is more wind pressure to propel gigantic windmills. This system has since worked, and although there isn’t much energy to be emitted to every household, and limited hours of potential use, it’s a positive step towards realizing global climate change mitigation.

Under 7.1.1, the African partners and China agreed that this point would be to propel global environmental governance. There had been exchanges in terms of expertise, logistics, and technology in as far as climate change mitigation can be achieved. Of the end goals, was ecological protection, and this has been seen for example in Uganda with the various environment impact assessments that have been done with the Albertine region in Uganda. The wildlife of Buliisa Game Conservation Area, the relocation of persons in the affected sites to new areas with newer areas of residence, and available safe methods of mitigating any potential consequences.

Be that as it may, there is the China-Africa Cooperation Center that has been operating with a goal of realizing that which has been agreed on by the partner states on the environmental conservation front. While it faces challenges which were realized at the time of issuing the Dakar Action Plan, there’s soon to be established a China-Africa Marine Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Center. Revitalizing China’s role in environmental conservation while responding to climate crisis by cooperation with partners of FOCAC under the China Africa Environmental Cooperation Center will be pivotal in maintaining the perfect balance of climate diplomacy. 10 green development projects are set to be a implemented on the Africa continent by China appreciating the continent’s role on global climate stabilization.

It can’t be Intentional to overlook the role of the youth in the climate change fight. While FOCAC partner states know the importance of all ages, they understand that the youths are the solid grounds of tomorrow. The trajectory of societal habits and various determinants inform society that the future isn’t going to be any better with the growth in technology, mechanics, and antagonisms that often come with wars. For Africa, vegetation cover has been fairly maintained and this has since been rewarding in climate change mitigation. Thus, FOCAC sought it wise to propagate the Green Envoys and Green Innovation Programs. These and their sister programs have much focus on the youth to enable them spark their abilities and desire to take part in the conversation efforts, but with more impact for the future.

Alan Collins Mpewo, is a Lawyer and Senior Research Fellow, Development Watch Centre.

 

 

Climate Change: Opportunity in Crisis

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By Moshi Israel

For many of us, there is an involuntary aversion to the very idea of having the words ‘crisis’ and ‘opportunity’ in the same sentence. It is hard to fathom how someone can see opportunities within crises.  It is no wonder that the phrase ‘never let a good crisis go to waste,’ has many negative connotations to many people. The same goes for the term ‘Reset’ in relation to several sensitive topics. The idea of an ‘economic reset’, a ‘political reset’, or even a ‘social structure reset’ will have many people up in arms and weaving conspiracy webs so entangled that the truth is often lost in the maze. This is partly because the world is increasingly divided along class lines of haves and have-nots, elites and regulars, rich and poor. This division has created a crowded corridor of ideas moving in different often opposite directions, all looking for the exit. The result is a costly stalemate where nothing is accomplished and no one goes anywhere.

This brings me to my key argument in this opinion. Climate change is a crisis that also presents us with opportunity. The climate change crisis presents us with the opportunity to reset our interaction with the environment by seriously reviewing our current systems and frameworks by altering them and bringing them up to date to eventually create a truly green and healthy planet for ourselves and future generations.

Planet Earth has a long history that scientists have divided into epochs, eons, eras, and ages. My focus here is the epoch timelines. Epochs can last millions of years and are defined by significant changes in rock layers such as mineral composition and the appearance of distinctive fossils. Each variation indicates a major climate change. This planet is about 4.5 billion years old and modern human beings are said to have existed on it for a mere 200, 000 years.

However, many climate scientists indicate that our relatively short existence has had a significant impact on global warming. Earth is believed to have been in the Holocene epoch for the last 11, 500 years which began when the glaciers that covered the earth disappeared at the end of the last ice age. In this epoch, our planet witnessed rapid population growth of humans, and modern civilizations sprung up. We built cities and introduced new technologies to a planet that had a relatively warm and stable climate.

Currently, science seems to show that we have entered the Anthropocene epoch. This is a time when scientists believe that human activity rather than any natural process, is primarily responsible for accelerated global warming. Activities such as Agriculture, deforestation, pollution, and urbanization have caused drastic changes on our planet. The proof for the Anthropocene epoch is still up for debate as scientists search for a ‘golden spike’, a kind of marker in the fossil record which could distinguish the Holocene from the Anthropocene. The marker has to be so remarkable as to be discernible in rock layers thousands or millions of years into the future. Be as it may, others have argued that the Anthropocene phase could have been ushered in by Britain’s industrial revolution and its fossil fuel dependency, others attribute it to the 1950s due to the casting of radioactive elements by nuclear weapons across the globe and others still go further back in time and point the finger at farming.

Even though the debates and historical reflections are important, it is necessary to realize that the climate crisis requires immediate attention, and many people around the globe have no luxury for debates while they face the threat of extinction while standing in line behind many other species that are facing rapid and mass extinction at a rate never seen before.

The first major problem is that climate change is a global hazard that is not limited to national borders. Therefore, malicious practices in one country have major consequences on the lives of people thousands of miles away from that country’s borders. Air pollution in Asia can have profound effects on the air in the Middle East and even further. Dumping plastic waste in the oceans affects not just humans but aquatic life as well. The danger cuts across borders and species. The opportunity here is that the international community gets to work together and is united against a common enemy. The global Sustainable Development Agenda is a good example of this cooperation. This cooperation ranges from technical to financial arrangements where the knowledge of experts and government and private resources are pooled in order to fight the threat of climate change.

In Global South, countries should take advantage of available support from development partners to address climate change. For example, through Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), African countries should use this opportunity and intensify programs meant to address climate change.  This can be achieved by ensuring that resolutions of FOCAC Dakar Action Plan 2022-2024 in which China pledged to support African countries’ efforts in addressing climate change are all implemented.

The climate change crisis has shown that the status quo is weak and does not work. We cannot simply ignore the problem away. Our institutions and systems require radical change. This presents a unique opportunity to ‘reset’ our world into a more liveable place. If anything, the climate crisis has shown us that our current trajectory will lead us to extinction, therefore, we require to make radical reforms in our economic, social, and political systems to address current realities and ensure the continuation of our species.

Using the example of Uganda, which is commonly known as the pearl of Africa for its stunning scenery, extensive flora, and fauna, and diversity of cultures, a keen observer will notice the many negative consequences of climate change. The first thing to notice is the increasingly unstable and unpredictable seasons, reduction in forest cover, and the frequent onset of flooding and famine. All these phenomena and much more are closely related to climate change. Our old methods of farming, fishing, and exploitation of resources are failing us. Therefore, new more modernized farming methods have to be adopted, new technologies need to be learned, and government has to implement effective climate change mitigation measures. This means new education systems that will produce new experts. It also means we can have a new kind of green-oriented economy that will create new competitive sectors and jobs.

It is true that the third world is unfairly affected by both climate change and climate change solutions. This is a challenge that international bodies need to take seriously and find means to address. The stage has been set in recent United Nations Climate Change Conferences to address the challenges in the global south even though progress is still rather slow. Perhaps this entails a detailed discussion for another day.

The Writer is a Research Fellow for Development Watch Center.

Belgium: A major ally to Africa and Uganda’s Climate Change Objectives

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By Moshi Israel

 

The European Union has been a key supporter of Africa’s fight against climate change. This support has ranged from climate resilience initiatives, sustainable development goals, and the transition to renewable energy on the entire African Continent. Many individual countries within the European Union have contributed immensely to this cause and Belgium has done an exceptional job of putting its hand where its mouth is when it comes to helping Africa tackle the issue of climate change. Alongside Europe’s economic heavyweights such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom (UK), Belgium has committed vast resources to aid sustainable development and green growth in African countries. Belgium has committed to increasing its climate finance contributions to 0.7% of its Gross National Income (GNI) by 2030. A vast portion of this funding will go to Africa.

The overall assistance Belgium provides to Africa to fight against climate change aims at addressing three key issues; 1) Help Africa adapt to the effects of climate change. 2) Help African countries significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and, 3) help Africa build resilience to future climate change challenges. Belgian support has come in the form of, financial support, Capacity building, technical support, Research, and Knowledge sharing.

Financially, Belgium has committed to increasing its climate funding. It is estimated that the country’s climate funding will increase to at least 135 million euros annually from an average of 70-100 million euros in 2021. This funding is undertaken by the Belgian Development Co-operation. Belgian climate money is also mainly engineered towards climate change adaptation as desired by least developed and African countries. The funding will particularly benefit sustainable urban development initiatives with a focus on resilient and climate-smart agriculture. The latter is easily adaptable to climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.  Belgian climate funds are utilized through international initiatives such as the Green Climate Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund. In the Congo basin, Belgium has provided funds to the Central African Forest Initiative by addressing the causes of deforestation. The Congo basin will be protected by Conserving Biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and fighting poverty.

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) runs an initiative called LoCAL to which Belgium pledged $ 13 million.  The initiative is to help set up climate actions for rural communities in Mozambique and Uganda. An estimated 1.2 million people are set to benefit from the initiative.

Belgium has also significantly contributed to the Climate Promise initiative (CPI). This is the UNDPs flagship initiative and the world’s largest offer of support to developing nations to help them implement and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). NDCs are at the core of the Paris Agreement and the realization of its long-term goals. It entails efforts by each country to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Belgium government availed 1.25 million euros to UNDP in support of countries transitioning to an Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) which the UNDP will implement through the CPI. This new round of support from Belgium aims to build on the efforts of the first round of support which enabled the UNDP to provide technical assistance on transparency requirements specifically to Lusophone and Francophone developing nations.

Consequently, UNDP was able to extend training to 35 countries and dedicated technical assistance to Mozambique, Niger, Cabo Verde, and Sao Tome and Principe. According to Jadwiga Massinga, the Climate Change Director of Mozambique; the country received tailored and technical assistance from the Climate Promise that resulted in the alignment of the country’s transparency and reporting instruments. The assistance played a vital role in the preparation of Mozambique’s delegation to COP27 and “…will serve to catalyze additional climate finance.”

Uganda’s cooperation with Belgium goes as far back as 1995 and Uganda is the 6th biggest beneficiary of Belgian development assistance in the world. Uganda’s sustainable development goals have been supported indirectly by Belgium through the UNDP and other EU programs. On the other hand, BIO (Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries), one of the 6 pillars through which Belgium implements its programs has greatly contributed to Uganda’s fight against climate change. In Uganda BIO supports, among others, areas of renewable energy, food, and Agriculture.

Enable, the development agency of the Belgium federal government that implements Belgium’s international development policy has worked hand in hand with Ugandan stakeholders to drive toward realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For example, with funding from the EU, Enable supports refugee-hosting districts like Yumbe to develop environmental policies, guidelines, and tools aimed at protecting the environment. This is because Uganda supports the largest number of refugees in Africa from the DRC, South Sudan, and Burundi. To survive, refugees and host communities increasingly cut trees for firewood to cook and charcoal for sale. Any community that hosts a huge number of people is likely to put a strain on the environment.

Belgium has also played a major role in mainstreaming climate change education in Uganda. This is perhaps the most important step because it equips Ugandan citizens with the knowledge to tackle climate change issues on their own. With support from the government of Belgium, Uganda has trained six Climate Change National Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) consultants.

Belgium has assisted Uganda in many more climate change initiatives through the European Union and United Nations Programs. However, this information is not available to many Ugandans and there needs to be a push toward creating awareness of these climate change initiatives. The future of Africa and the rest of the world depends on addressing this existential crisis. Uganda needs a public climate change campaign that reaches everyone down to the smallest village. We Can only hope that Belgium and the rest of the European Union keep up this support to the African continent. Uganda, on its part, needs to embrace these initiatives and seek to be Africa’s greenest country and set an example for the rest of the world.

Moshi Israel is  a Research Fellow with DWC.

 

 

China sparking Green Revolution in Uganda with Bamboo.

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By Shemei Ndawula.

Bamboo is largely known as an ancient Chinese crop, an aggressive grass identified by its long canes and synonymous with the Chinese pandas (which largely live on bamboo diets). However, in the wake of global warming and the shift to green energy, the plant has seen a rapid increase in value, grossing a global approximate trade of US$25 billion per year.

In the past two decades, Bamboo has spread to several countries across the world as a solution to environmental mismanagement. In Africa, it is used to address the rapidly declining forest cover and desire for a faster growing eco-friendly alternative to wood fuel. In 2012, a US based company developing commercial bamboo plantations – EcoPlanet Bamboo used Bamboo trees in a project restoring 480 hectares of land previously ruined by years of pineapple farming in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

In East Africa, Uganda has in recent years made tremendous strides in commercial farming with the aid of developing partners like China. In a country where bamboo has always been synonymous to the mountainous Elgon regions with the Bamasaaba (Bagisu) integrating bamboo shoots into their local delicacy malewa, it comes as no surprise that the crop has been embraced by the wider farming community. I recently had a chat with Mr. Andrew Kalema, a former newsroom journalist and editor of the agricultural magazine Harvest Money who is now fondly referred to as the Father of Bamboo in Uganda and in his view, this is one crop that if well managed can be the solution to most of the country’s energy needs. He explains that when he made his first trip to China in 2011, he was enthralled by what he refers to as Green Gold. “When in China you realize that bamboo is one of the most commercially viable and environmentally sustainable projects for the world to adopt in the wake of global warming because of its fast-growing properties and heightened ability to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen besides its anti-inflammatory abilities,” he says.

This year (2021) marks a whole decade since the trip and there’s been such rapid transformation in the bamboo industry of Uganda with generous contributions from the Peoples Republic of China going towards setting up and maintaining bamboo research units, plantations, technological transfer as well as various trainings done in China and on the continent. Currently, Uganda has an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 hectares of bamboo.

One such research units is the Bamboo project at Uganda Industrial Research institute in Nakawa which I have been fortunate enough to visit. This unit adds value to bamboo biproducts through small scale processing; making crafts, toothpicks, tablemats and furniture. Interestingly they also treat bamboo poles which are used in construction as an alternative to wood. These are elegant, sturdy, pest resistant (which comes in handy for rural projects) and relatively cheaper than most wood species. A casual walk around Kampala would reveal how comfortably this bamboo has been adopted by high-end popular night clubs which makes them look beautiful.

International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR)is the Dutch-Sino-East Africa Bamboo development programme once coordinated by Andrew Kalema as a multilateral effort in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia, facilitated by Chinese and Dutch expertise in the areas of bamboo Value chain development, product design, marketing and standardization. This would help East African countries to unlock the vast potential of their indigenous bamboo resources in addition to contributing to green economic growth, investment and international trade between Europe, China and East Africa.

More farmers, environmentalists and research agencies within Uganda are investing considerably in bamboo agribusiness, research and value addition to bamboo products. With guidance and assistance from China National Bamboo Research Center (CBRC). Organisations like Uganda Forestry Authority, INBAR, Uganda Bamboo Association, Nature Uganda and even Uganda Prison Services (with an expansive bamboo nursery in Luzira) etc. are teaching farmers how to grow and multiply bamboo.

However, taking an objective look at the history of farming in Uganda, such ‘high potential’ crops have always let the farmers down with the outstanding examples being vanilla and cocoa. The long-awaited vanilla boom that was promised in the 2000s still haunts farmers who cleared large tracts of land to plant vanilla prophesized and championed by many prominent agriculturists; there was a gold rush into the business with hopes of earning lots of profits only for the price of vanilla to suffer a severe drop on the world market leaving them stranded. Could the renowned father of bamboo Mr. Andrew Kalema and his ilk be yet another outcrop of false prophets?

To contrast, bamboo is a fast-growing plant which multiplies fast and has potential to be turned into several byproducts that have large local and international markets. By adding value to the plants, using small scale manufacturing techniques, farmers can produce toothpicks, mats, fertilizers, bamboo vinegar and also treat their own construction poles (bamboo has been shown to have a higher compressive strength than wood, brick, or concrete). In fact, besides the processing ventures bamboo is also used for land demarcation and ornamental landscaping, so, the market for seedlings is currently booming.

However, the huge potential bamboo possesses could also pose a threat when natural forests are cleared to pave way for bamboo plantations. In a country losing an estimated 80,000 hectares of forest cover every year, this could prove disastrous. The solution to this can also be borrowed from the Peoples Republic of China which is the global leader in producing sustainable green energy where farmers practice selective harvesting of trees to maximize output of smaller tracts of land. Eastern Africa is currently on a healthy trajectory by building its capacity and transferring technology to local bamboo producers -including trainings funded by China’s Ministry of Commerce on craft creation, industrial use, furniture and also producing energy by making bamboo briquettes.

Currently, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia have got the largest reserves of natural bamboo forests accounting for some 3 to 4 per cent of the global known coverage and with the help of development partners like the Peoples Republic of China and Denmark, this could turn around the livelihoods of thousands of farmers in Africa while most importantly, flattening the curve of climate change.

The author is a research Fellow at Development Watch Centre, a Ugandan based Foreign Policy Think Tank

 

Africa and China Share Common Approach to Climate Change.

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By David Monyae

Weather patterns across the globe are signalling that climate change will bring about catastrophic calamities to all of us.

Increasingly, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, rising sea levels, warming oceans, thawing permafrost, changing rain and snow patterns are adversely heart-rending.

Africa and China joined the rest of the world at the UN’s 75th anniversary last month to highlight the urgent need for global responses to climate change.

Prior to his address to the UN, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned the world must “swiftly reduce carbon emission and adapt to the effects of climate change, we will be facing one state of disaster after another for many years to come”.

President Xi Jinping of China avoided playing games demonstrated by his counterpart President Donald Trump on climate change.

Instead, he pledged that China will achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, a move that has been commended and welcomed all over the world.

Although there are many notable differences in appearance, style, and approach among Africans themselves, on one hand, and China, on the other, they share a common position on climate change. The reason Africa and China shared a common position at the UN on climate change is because it receives high priority within the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation.

At the Beijing Summit in 2018, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the increased co-operation between Africa and China.

He furthermore noted how Africa and China are pursuing what he considered as the “two mutually compatible road maps”, thus, AU’s Agenda 2063 and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in pursuance of the Belt and Road Initiative.

It is in this context therefore that Africa and China committed themselves to being environmentally friendly in the construction of mega-projects across the continent.

There are also many lessons Africa can learn from China’s rapid rise. China is the only country in the world that has uplifted more than 700 million out of poverty in four decades.

While Africa aspires to follow some aspects of China’s development model, it ought to be mindful of the environmental impact of its development.

China achieved its development at a very high cost to the environment, but President Xi Jinping’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and setting clear targets of carbon neutrality by 2060 has made China a leading global champion on climate change along with the African continent.

It must be recognised that Africa is the smallest producer of CO2 emission yet it is one of the most affected by climate change. In recent years, Africa has had endless calamities caused by climate change.

East Africa experienced swarms of voracious desert locusts amid Covid-19, threatening food security.

The city of Cape Town was on the verge of reaching “Day Zero” in 2018 due to a lack of rainfall.

Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi are still recovering from Cyclone Idai.

Farther afield, Ethiopia and Egypt are facing simmering tensions over the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam on the Nile River.

Indeed, Africa should work with China and the rest of the world to prevent President Ramaphosa’s prophecy from becoming a reality.

 

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