Africa Top Success Ils font l'Afrique
(APP) – Africa Progress Panel congratulates itself on the commitment made by G7 to considerably decrease emissions of greenhouse gases and to eliminate fossil fuels by the end of the century.
In the Report on the progress in Africa of this year, « Power, peole, planet: Seizing Africa’s Energy and Climate Opportunities« , the Panel has issued an appeal to countries that emit carbon the most to raise their level of ambition and implement their promises during the summit on the climate in December in Paris. G7 has expressed its collective intention to exactly proceed thus in the final communiqué at the end of its summit of 2015.
The governments of the major emitting countries must now tax strictly greenhouse gas emissions instead of really continuing subsidizing them; it is for instance the case when they pay out billions of US dollars for subsidy in the exploration of fossil fuels. As such, the reaffirmation by G7 for its commitment to work at the elimination of subsidies in inefficient fossil fuels is remarkable.
Africa is well positioned to play a leading role in the world effort for transition towards low carbon emissions. It will be capable of doing it quickly if investments are now realized. A big part of this financing must come from rich countries. The international « climate financing » remains chronically under-financed for lack of coordination and must be improved.
During the Summit on the financing for development in Addis Ababa the next month, the G7 countries can fix a precise timetable for the paying out, as previously agreed, of 100 billion dollars of annual financing for the climate. During the G7 summit, the leaders have reaffirmed their firm commitment to mobilize this financing. Such a financing should be invests in clean power production. As world leader of the clean energy, assuming the current chair of G7, Germany can lead this process. In this context, the Panel also congratulates itself on the commitment by G7 to help in the acceleration of the access to renewable energies in Africa.
Kofi Annan, chairman of the Africa Progress Panel, declared this after the publication of the communiqué from G7: « I appreciate the leadership of the Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in the conduct of G7 on a firm agreement aiming at « decarbonizing » the global economy during this century. The commitment renewed, in this communiqué, on the elimination of subsidies in fossil fuels is encouraging and establishes the first essential stage to guarantee that the agreement will be honored.
G7 has also understood the call of Africa and Africans to massively develop investments in renewable energies through our continent. The commitment by G7 to mobilize resources in order to accelerate the creation of a system with low carbon intensity in the region could « change the situation » and help Africa to develop and directly move to a sustainable and sober carbon future. This is good for Africa and the world fight against the climate change« .
The last communiqué from G7 is a clear declaration for the ambition and the leadership of the world richest countries that the Africa Progress Panel fully supports. The future generations, however, will not only judge this generation of leaders for one of the principles they express in the communiqués, but especially according to their actions. The Africa Progress Panel is delighted to see these commitments respected in due course.
The 10 members of the Africa Progress Panel (APP) plead at the highest levels in favor of a fair and sustainable development in Africa. Every year, the APP launches its key publication called « Report on the progress in Africa« .
