Founder’s Welcome
T
he African Continent hosted the first-ever Africa Climate Summit (ACS) in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 4-6, 2023. Present at the event were 20 African Heads of State and 30,000 participants from various sectors around the world. This was Africa taking the lead and affirming its key and participative role in climate and nature-based solutions. The underlying message is that the world is collectively making effort in collaborating and working together to make the earth a habitable place. An outcome of the Summit agreed to the “Nairobi Declaration”, which serves as a call to action for African leaders and the world to urgently address climate change. African nations also committed to reduce emissions, enhance resilience, and initiate partnerships and initiatives for climate action. To cement the agreement, several commitments were made. Developed countries pledged significant financial commitments totalling billions of dollars over five years to support climate action in Africa, thereby addressing climate-related challenges and promote sustainable development. Additional financial commitments included the Green Climate Fund with a pledge of $100 million for Kenya’s carbon market development and the African Development Bank pledging $200 million for Nigeria’s carbon market development. The World Bank committed $500 million to the African Carbon Market Initiative. One key aspect was the youth inclusive approach of the summit where the Africa Youth Assembly (AYA) gathered over 500 young people from across Africa alongside the Africa Climate Summit. This resulted in a “Nairobi Youth Climate Declaration”, advocating for youth engagement in climate frameworks, ambitious climate action, climate education, and support for youth-led initiatives. It is commendable that the youth, which is the future generation is being involved, equipped and capacitated in such critical national and global matters. This shows a clear intention towards achieving sustainability for the greater good of the world we live in. Sincerely,
Mpho Moletlo Kgosietsile 6|
THE RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN | BUSINESS • COMMUNITY • IMPACT
