Ensuring that COP27 is Truly an ‘African COP’

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the priorities and challenges for African nations leading up to COP27 in Egypt. It highlights the continent's push for climate justice, increased financial support for adaptation and loss and damage, and a 'just transition' that allows for the temporary use of natural gas to ensure energy security.

• Africa is disproportionately affected by climate change despite contributing only 4% of global emissions, leading the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) to demand that the continent's 'special circumstances' be recognized across all COP workstreams.
• There is a significant gap in the submission and ambition of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) following COP26; as of September 23, 2022, only 23 countries had submitted updated plans, and most did not strengthen their targets.
• The African Group of Negotiators (AGN) has proposed a new collective mobilization goal requesting that developed countries provide at least $1.3 trillion annually by 2030, with 50% of these funds dedicated to adaptation on a grant basis.
• The African Union (AU) and several African nations, including those that signed the Kigali Communiqué, advocate for a 'Just Energy Transition' that includes the use of natural gas as a short- to medium-term transition fuel to ensure universal energy access.
• African nations are prioritizing the operationalization of the Santiago Network and the creation of a dedicated funding arrangement for 'loss and damage'—the destructive climate impacts that cannot be avoided through mitigation or adaptation.
• The AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022–2032), adopted in February 2022, serves as the primary framework for Africa's collective climate diplomacy and priorities at COP27.
• Global geopolitical tensions, including the Russia-Ukraine war and US-China friction, complicate COP27. Specifically, the G7's decision to allow continued public financing for liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a temporary solution to reduce reliance on Russian energy has been criticized as weakening COP26 commitments.

APA

Chevallier, R., & Marais, D. (2022). Ensuring that COP27 is Truly an ‘African COP’. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SAIIA_PI_139_EnsuringCOP27.pdf

Chicago

Chevallier, Romy, and Danielle Marais. Ensuring that COP27 is Truly an ‘African COP’. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2022. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SAIIA_PI_139_EnsuringCOP27.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chevallier |first1=Romy |last2=Marais |first2=Danielle |title=Ensuring that COP27 is Truly an ‘African COP’ |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=October 2022 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SAIIA_PI_139_EnsuringCOP27.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chevallier2022ensuring, author = {Chevallier, Romy and Marais, Danielle}, title = {{Ensuring that COP27 is Truly an ‘African COP’}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SAIIA_PI_139_EnsuringCOP27.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }