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Africa Carbon Forum
3-5 September 2008 |
Dakar, Senegal |
| The Africa Carbon Forum opened on Wednesday, 3 September 2008, at Le Meridien Preisdent Hotel in Dakar, Senegal. The meeting began with an introduction to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), followed by the Opening Ceremony. In the morning and afternoon, participants convened in plenary sessions on: state and trends of the global carbon market for Africa; the Nairobi Framework; and options for promoting carbon markets in Africa. In the afternoon, parallel sessions were also held on renewable energy and enhancing sustainable and social impacts through mitigation projects in Africa. In the evening, the programme included opportunities for matchmaking. Participants also visited the trade fair throughout the day. Photo: Madiko Niang, Interim Minister of State and Environment, Senegal, and Bakary Kante, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) |
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Henry Derwent, International Emissions Trading Association (IETA); Konrad von Ritter, World Bank; Yannick Glemarec; UN Development Programme (UNDP); Madiko Niang, Interim Minister of State and Environment, Senegal; and Bakary Kante, UNEP
Konrad von Ritter, World Bank (right photo),
said the Africa Carbon Forum illustrated the Nairobi Framework partners' commitment to increasing Africa's share of the carbon markets. He noted a new World Bank report identifying significant potential for renewable energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa, and emphasized the role of policies and institutions in attracting carbon finance.
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UNFCCC Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (left),
lamented that Africa has benefited the least from the current climate change regime and that only 27 registered CDM projects are from Africa.
Bakary Kante, UNEP (center), emphasized that although sourcing carbon financing in Africa is a key challenge, it is also an opportunity, and urged African negotiators to work towards ensuring that the Copenhagen agreement promotes equity in the CDM. He also noted the increasing importance of afforestation and reforestation CDM projects in Africa. Yannick Glemarec, UNDP-Global Environment Facility (GEF) (right), said temperature increase should be limited to 2°Celsius. He explained this requires reducing global emissions by 50% by 2050 and investing hundreds of billions in low-carbon technologies. Glemarec emphasized that the challenge for developing countries is to meet energy needs, attract resources and direct them towards low-carbon investments.
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| Madike Niang, Interim Minister of State and Environment, Senegal (left photo), highlighted the crucial role of the private sector under the CDM, and urged strengthening partnerships with the private sector. He outlined some of the capacity building activities carried out by the Senegalese government, including training experts in developing CDM projects in energy, forests and waste management, and developing a portfolio of 25 projects. Henry Derwent, IETA (right photo), highlighted matchmaking opportunities at the Africa Carbon Forum, and commended the high level of participation. He highlighted several efforts to promote carbon financing in Africa, including capacity building and activities in the forestry sector through the voluntary carbon market. |
| World Bank Press Conference |
| The World Bank held a press conference to release its new report on
identifying significant potential for renewable energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa. |
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