Africa’s Climate Champions: Key countries to watch at COP28

The report outlines the strategic positions of African nations and multilateral structures at COP28, emphasizing the Nairobi Declaration and the AU's Climate Change and Resilient Strategy and Action Plan. It details the leadership of specific countries in areas such as green hydrogen (Morocco, Kenya), critical minerals (Namibia), and forest restoration (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Republic of Congo), while analyzing the influence of negotiating blocs like the G77 and China, BASIC, and the LDC group in securing climate finance and adaptation support.

• African climate diplomacy is coordinated through several key structures: the CAHOSCC provides political leadership and is currently chaired by Kenya's President Ruto; AMCEN provides political guidance and is chaired by Senegal; and the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), currently chaired by Zambia, handles technical negotiations and advocates for the 'special circumstances' of African nations.
• Several African nations are pioneering specific energy and environmental transitions: Morocco and Kenya are developing green hydrogen strategies, with Morocco allocating approximately 6,000 square kilometres for infrastructure; Namibia is leveraging its reserves of critical minerals like dysprosium and terbium for renewable energy technologies; and Nigeria has committed to carbon neutrality by 2060, an ambition estimated to cost $1.9 trillion.
• Nature-based solutions and forest restoration are central to several national agendas: Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative created over 767,000 green jobs between 2019 and 2022; Rwanda achieved a goal of 30% forest cover in 2019; and the Republic of Congo's Summit of the Three Basins aimed to restore 350 million hectares of ecosystems.
• African countries are utilizing innovative financial mechanisms to address climate and debt challenges: Cabo Verde entered a 'debt-for-nature' agreement with Portugal in January 2023 to redirect $12 million of debt repayments into an environmental fund, and Zambia reached a memorandum of understanding to restructure $6.3 billion of debt.
• South Africa plays a leading role in global climate negotiations as a member of the G20 and chair of BRICS in 2023, specifically advocating for a Global Goal on Adaptation with targets to increase global climate resilience by 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2050.
• African membership in diverse negotiating blocs allows the continent to push for varied priorities: the G77 and China focus on the $100 billion climate finance commitment; the LDC group and the Climate Vulnerable Forum (chaired by Ghana) prioritize loss and damage and adaptation; and OPEC members advocate for a just transition that includes compensation for moving away from fossil fuels.

APA

Chevallier, R., Sack, H., Mc Lean, J., Joseph, A., & Benkenstein, A. (2023). Africa’s Climate Champions: Key countries to watch at COP28. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/African-countries-to-watch-at-COP28.pdf

Chicago

Chevallier, Romy, Hannah Sack, Jordan Mc Lean, Adrian Joseph, and Alex Benkenstein. Africa’s Climate Champions: Key countries to watch at COP28. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2023. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/African-countries-to-watch-at-COP28.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chevallier |first1=Romy |last2=Sack |first2=Hannah |last3=Mc Lean |first3=Jordan |last4=Joseph |first4=Adrian |last5=Benkenstein |first5=Alex |title=Africa’s Climate Champions: Key countries to watch at COP28 |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=23 November 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/African-countries-to-watch-at-COP28.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chevallier2023africas, author = {Chevallier, Romy and Sack, Hannah and Mc Lean, Jordan and Joseph, Adrian and Benkenstein, Alex}, title = {{Africa’s Climate Champions: Key countries to watch at COP28}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/African-countries-to-watch-at-COP28.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }