Negotiators at the UN climate talks in Azerbaijan are working to overcome a deadlock in negotiations. African representatives are emphasizing that, despite being the least polluting continent, Africa disproportionately suffers from the climate crisis. Some have expressed cautious optimism to RFI about the possibility of a last-minute resolution.
While Cop29 has entered its second week of negotiations, most participants expect little progress until the very last day, Friday 22 November.
Greenpeace Africa activists are intensifying their campaign, vowing on social media to "keep fighting" until "all polluters are held accountable for their climate injustices!"
The NGO delivered a petition to the Chair of the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN), Ali Mohammed. The petition underscores the importance of the collective power of supporters, volunteers, and partners, they said in a statement on social media.
Juma Ignatius from Kenya is a senior advisor to the office of the AGN at the UN, and is in Baku to focus on climate adaptation.
"Adaptation remains a key priority for the African continent for many people in Africa," he told RFI from Azerbaijan.
He says the main focus now is ensuring that financing, technology, and capacity-building are in place to scale up adaptation efforts in Africa, enabling people to lead better lives.
"This is primarily why we're here," he said.
While he believes the negotiations are progressing, he thinks they are moving very slowly.
"There are some tactics employed on purpose here, especially wait-and-see tactics, to see what happens in what room and then how can other rooms [will] respond to this..." Ignatius said. "We believe this is what is really slowing down the process of the negotiation."
He views the G20 commitments made so far, particularly on adaptation funding, as encouraging signs.
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"We've seen reports from the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), saying that we need money, that is a lot. But... the fractions we are receiving here are very, very small," he also told RFI.
"The adaptation needs are increasing every day. The gap is increasing between what is really required and what's being pledged. So, we need to see more action."
Double burden
Dean Bhebhe Bhekhumuzi is the intelligence and campaigns advisor at Power Shift Africa, and the lead coordinator for the Don't Gas Africa movement. Originally from Zimbabwe, he's working with the Kenya-based organisation remotely from Johannesburg, in South Africa.
He expects that any breakthrough will likely occur only at the very end of this round of negotiations, most likely on the final day.
But he also thinks that what's important is to understand the relationship between developing and developed countries.
"When we look at the type of finance that Africa needs to tap into, it becomes important to mention the debt crisis," he said. "Nigeria, Senegal, for example, need to pay off their huge debt."
These two countries use up to 67 percent of their GDP to pay off debt, leaving only 33 percent to tackle energy, healthcare, infrastructure, education, and all the other essential building blocks for development.
"Developing countries are asking developed countries to essentially manage and pay for emission reductions, and to implement a strategy," Bhekhumuzi explains.
He points out that Africa bears the brunt of the climate crisis, yet they are the least responsible for it, and the mechanisms to change this situation are not there.
"Surely we cannot be expected to also contribute financially, despite the debt burden," he said.
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No room for pessimism
Both activists say they need to remain optimistic as they say they cannot give up on the multilateral processes.
"We must reckon that some of the benefits have been achieved," Juma Ignatius, the senior advisor to the office of the AGN, told RFI. "For example, the Paris Agreement."
Africa and the G77 at the UN, representing 77 developing economies, have called for a total of $1.3 trillion last week.
For Ignatius, this is achievable this week at Cop29, despite a huge presence of fossil fuel lobbies. So he insists that African negotiators should not be defeated or focus on what's not working.
"We can encourage ourselves [with the] that something greater is coming," he said.
Bhekhumuzi agrees. "I think what is important is actually uploading Global South countries," he told RFI, and get their voices heard.
"The Africa group of negotiators is pushing for an act that is people-centred, one that will empower Africa. Because we're having those critical discussions, this is already a small win," Bhekhumuzi said.
