saiia_pi_149_africaswishescop28-92c32d3ca1f677fe.pdf

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs outlines Africa's priorities and demands for COP28, emphasizing the need for a fundamental overhaul of the global financial architecture to ensure equitable climate finance, accelerated adaptation funding, and the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund.

• Africa seeks a shift in its global narrative, moving from being viewed as a "climate victim" to being recognized as a "climate champion" and a strategic partner. This includes leveraging its renewable energy resources and critical minerals to lead a low-carbon transition, with a specific goal of increasing renewable generation five-fold by 2030.
• There is a critical gap in climate finance for Africa, which receives only one-tenth of global climate finance. The continent requires $2.8 trillion by 2030 to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which is ten times the current level of investment.
• African nations are calling for a comprehensive reform of the global financial architecture, including the World Bank and IMF. Specific demands include redirecting IMF special drawing rights (SDRs) to Africa, setting a $500 billion target for concessional finance from multilateral development banks (MDBs), and implementing a universal carbon tax on fossil fuel trade, aviation, and maritime transport.
• Adaptation finance is severely insufficient, with Africa needing a nearly 10-fold increase to $100 billion per year to protect infrastructure and agriculture. Without this scaling, the continent could lose up to $6 trillion in economic benefits by 2035. Currently, private sector contribution to adaptation finance in Africa is only 3%.
• The operationalization and funding of the Loss and Damage Fund are urgent priorities. Estimates suggest that costs to cope with immediate impacts and reconstruction could reach between $150 billion and $300 billion by 2030.
• Africa's energy transition is characterized by diverse national strategies and a focus on energy equity. While the African Union advocates for using all available resources—including natural gas and nuclear—in the short-to-medium term, the continent aims to decarbonize as its emissions are projected to double by 2050 due to population growth and urbanization.
• Africa possesses significant strategic assets for the global energy transition, including 40% of the world's renewable energy resources and vast reserves of critical minerals, such as 91% of the world's platinum (in South Africa) and 50% of the world's cobalt (in the DRC).
• The Global Stocktake at COP28 is viewed as a vital accountability tool for Africa to press for climate justice and hold the highest global greenhouse gas emitters—including the US, China, and major fossil-fuel companies—accountable for their mitigation commitments.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). saiia_pi_149_africaswishescop28-92c32d3ca1f677fe.pdf. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAIIa_PI_149_AfricasWishesCOP28.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. saiia_pi_149_africaswishescop28-92c32d3ca1f677fe.pdf. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAIIa_PI_149_AfricasWishesCOP28.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=saiia_pi_149_africaswishescop28-92c32d3ca1f677fe.pdf |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAIIa_PI_149_AfricasWishesCOP28.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndsaiiapi149africaswishescop2892c32d3ca1f677fepdf, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{saiia\_pi\_149\_africaswishescop28-92c32d3ca1f677fe.pdf}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAIIa_PI_149_AfricasWishesCOP28.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }