Africa Climate Summit Ends With Anger at Western Dominance, Near No-Show from China

Panelists lead by Kenya's President William Ruth (C) conduct a session during the Africa Climate Summit 2023 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on September 5, 2023. Luis Tato / AFP

The African Climate Summit wrapped up on Wednesday with the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration. It calls for: 

  • Reforms of the international financing system to lower the cost of climate financing for poor countries via more concessional lending and targeted allocation of IMF Special Drawing Rights.
  • Taxes on international oil trade, shipping, and aviation to help fund climate mitigation and adaptation.
  • The adoption of a Global Climate Finance Charter by 2025

While the summit was historic as the first Africa-focused climate summit, it was marked by complaints that Western corporate and government actors crowded out African priorities. Activists said the emphasis on carbon trading (highly under-priced in the African market), carbon sequestration and “green growth” deflected African demands that rich nations actually cut their emissions and sidelined the urgent need for funding to help the continent deal with the accelerating climate collapse.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Cobus van Staden

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
China, U.S. Ink Rare Earth Deal; More Trade Pacts Coming
4
Six Million Donkeys Slaughtered for Chinese Medicine: Charity
5
Rubio to Welcome Asian ‘Quad’ Back to Washington
6
Chinese-Moroccan Joint Venture Inaugurates EV Battery Parts Plant

You Might Like

African Climate Summit Starts in Nairobi Amid Anger at Event’s “Western Agenda”

The first day of the inaugural African Climate Summit in Nairobi started with long queues as thousands of journalists and tens of thousands of delegates tried to get into the Kenyatta International Convention Center. ...

China Tries To Rebut Reports That It Killed G20 Renewable Energy Commitment

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs pushed back this week against reports that China helped to block a G20 measure to triple renewable energy capacity. The Ministry called the reports “completely inconsistent with the facts.” ...

Climate, Geopolitics Greatest Threats to African Development: Study

For Africa to achieve its development potential, it needs uninterrupted cooperation with the United States, Europe, and China. This is a key finding of a recent set of future projections by the Institute for Security ...

Chinese Presence at Climate Summit So Far Limited to e-Vehicle Photo-Op

The highlight of the Africa Climate Summit (ACS) for Chinese e-vehicle manufacturers was President William Ruto’s self-drive from the State House to the Kenyatta International Convention Center in a small, bright yellow e-car. ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP