On the final day of COP28, the anticipated conclusion of the climate talks appears unlikely, overshadowed by disagreements and controversies. Several countries resist signing what they view as their ‘death certificate,’ objecting to weakened language on fossil fuel phase-out. Oil and gas producers reportedly seek further dilution of commitments. Critical details on finance, implementation methods, timelines, and clear actions remain elusive, causing concern among negotiators and civil society representatives from Africa and the Global South. Fears grow that COP28 will jeopardize the 1.5°C warming target.
As activists advocate for holding the line on fossil fuels and fatigued delegates engage in last-minute deliberations, African representatives share their perspectives:
- Collins Nzovu, Zambia’s environment minister and spokesperson for the African Group of Negotiations, stresses Africa’s support for limiting warming to 1.5°C. He emphasizes the need for differentiated pathways, urging developed countries to cease issuing exploration licenses while African nations address supply gaps.
- Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, acknowledges the draft text’s first-ever mention of fossil fuel production but highlights concerns about loose framing, ambiguous timelines, and insufficient commitments in finance and technology transfer.
- Fadhel Kaboub, an economics professor, and president of the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity, criticizes the inadequate finance at COP28’s end, insisting on a minimum of $2.4 trillion for transformative climate adaptation and mitigation. He argues that climate finance is a debt owed by the Global North to the Global South.
- Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan climate activist, condemns the unjust actions at COP28 and criticizes selfish actors sabotaging progress for profit. She stresses the need to address the root cause of the climate crisis, increase adaptation funding, and combat the influence of OPEC in hindering fossil fuel phase-out.
- Hindou Oumarou, a Chadian activist and COP28 advisor, demands strong language on phasing out fossil fuels, emphasizing the urgent need for action to protect land, forests, and wildlife. She co-writes a statement calling for greater awareness of diverse capacities to face climate change impacts and addressing fundamental drivers of social, environmental, and economic injustices.
About National Carbon Monitoring Centre (NCMC)
The National Carbon Monitoring Centre is a vehicle for reporting on carbon stocks and their changes as well as coordinating the national MRV processes for the Government of Tanzania. The goal of the Centre is to enable Tanzania to actively participate and benefit from possible future international carbon trading mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The core services of the Centre are:
- To manage, develop, and sustain operations of the national GHG inventory and REDD+ MRV systems and facilitate validation of results for the UNFCCC and International community in collaboration with VPO;
- To maximize the usefulness of the data generated and develop different programmes and projects with technical GHGs and REDD+ MRV components and define steps in MRV training, research, consultancies and dissemination
- To coordinate national GHG inventory and national forest inventories
- To harness available national capacity and support from regional and international expertise to operationalize the GHGs and REDD+ Inventory System; and
- To advise policies related to GHG emissions and mitigation actions.
For more information visit NCMC
