Falling Short or Following Through: COP 28 Outcomes for Africa

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute analyzes the outcomes of COP 28 in Dubai, assessing how the agreements and financial commitments align with the priorities of African nations and civil society organizations. It evaluates progress on the Loss and Damage fund, adaptation finance, the transition away from fossil fuels, and food system resilience, concluding that while historic agreements were reached, the scale of financial commitments remains insufficient to meet Africa's urgent climate needs.

• COP 28 achieved several firsts, including an international agreement to transition away from fossil fuels, the establishment of a Health Day resulting in the COP 28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health endorsed by 143 countries, and a dedicated day for Africa to address the climate finance gap.
• The Loss and Damage (L&D) fund was operationalized to support climate-vulnerable countries, including Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). However, the initial funding of USD 792 million is described as a "drop in the ocean" compared to the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance's estimate that developing countries need between USD 5.8 trillion and 5.9 trillion by 2030.
• Climate finance outcomes were mixed; while the Declaration on a Global Climate Finance Framework was unveiled, major financial decisions were deferred to COP 29. The paper notes a lack of understanding regarding the scale of needs, citing the mere USD 134 million committed to the Adaptation Fund against a financing gap for developing countries estimated at USD 194-366 billion per year.
• Private sector and non-state actors provided significant side-event funding, including the UAE's ALTÉRRA fund, which committed USD 30 billion with the goal of mobilizing USD 250 billion in private-sector investment by 2030 for climate solutions in the Global South.
• The UAE Consensus included a historic call to transition "away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner" to achieve net zero by 2050. Despite this, the document notes the use of "phase-down" instead of "phase-out" and a lack of specific implementation pathways.
• COP 28 emphasized the link between climate change and food security through the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, signed by 159 countries. Additionally, the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation (ACF) was launched by Brazil, Cambodia, Norway, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone to improve food systems.

APA

Mbungu, G., Ogallo, E., & Rudic, D. (2024). Falling Short or Following Through: COP 28 Outcomes for Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/falling-short-or-following-through-cop-28-outcomes-for-africa

Chicago

Mbungu, Grace, Edith Ogallo, and Diana Rudic. Falling Short or Following Through: COP 28 Outcomes for Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/falling-short-or-following-through-cop-28-outcomes-for-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mbungu |first1=Grace |last2=Ogallo |first2=Edith |last3=Rudic |first3=Diana |title=Falling Short or Following Through: COP 28 Outcomes for Africa |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=12 February 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/falling-short-or-following-through-cop-28-outcomes-for-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mbungu2024falling, author = {Mbungu, Grace and Ogallo, Edith and Rudic, Diana}, title = {{Falling Short or Following Through: COP 28 Outcomes for Africa}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = feb, url = {https://afripoli.org/falling-short-or-following-through-cop-28-outcomes-for-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }