Following the COP28 United Nations Conference in Dubai in December, the race is on to find tech-centered solutions to assist in achieving global sustainability goals, say experts.



Each year, world leaders and governments meet to have a series of high-level conversations about how to manage the growing impact of climate change under the auspices of the United Nations (UN). Late last year, COP28, the name given to this gathering, took place in Dubai and, like previous years, the discussion was around figuring out innovative solutions to help tackle the effects of climate change and take stock of the progress that has been made so far.



“For a long time, people were unsure or maybe not aware of the devastating action of the climate issue we have now. COP each year reminds people that there is an issue and to really understand the actual impact of climate change and how it is affecting your lives now and COP centralizes a lot of this information and allows it to be further disseminated afterwards,” says Adiam Gafoo, founder and COO of Arts Help, a global non-profit that uses art as a vehicle for social change.



With over 21 million followers, Arts Help is one of the world’s largest digital art publishers. They utilize their social platforms to convey different messages about social change, like climate action under the framework of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.


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<figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="691" height="865" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Adiam-Gafoo-COO-Arts-Help-image-supplied.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61073" style="width:491px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Adiam-Gafoo-COO-Arts-Help-image-supplied.jpg 691w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Adiam-Gafoo-COO-Arts-Help-image-supplied-240x300.jpg 240w" sizes="(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Adiam Gafoo COO Arts Help (image supplied)</figcaption></figure></div>


The next wave of climate action plans is due in 2025. Organizations like Arts Help consider themselves non-traditional climate activists who aim to create a means of understanding the jargon around this through all art forms.



“One of the missions of Arts Help is to establish a digital climate library with the United Nations, which they are building over a period of five to six years. The Web3 component of this is for me to basically find innovative ways of how Web3 can build the infrastructure that is going to support it in various ways,” says Del Titus Bawuah, Founder of Web3 Accra and board member of Arts Help.



“The current state of climate change action is at a critical juncture. It&#8217;s evident that more aggressive and collaborative efforts are needed globally. The focus should be on implementing actionable strategies that go beyond discussions and lead to tangible results. It&#8217;s imperative that we see a shift from pledges to action, with a stronger emphasis on accountability and measurable outcomes,” says Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan, a movement towards creating a digital nation aimed at enabling all Africans, both on the continent and in the diaspora, to live abundant lives.



“We are dealing with just the basic understanding and many people simply don’t understand the gravity of climate change because they do not see it in their day-to-day lives. So, it is very easy to dismiss this as something that is somewhere else. I think just the basic lack of understanding is the biggest issue facing climate change, so they leave it up to the policy-makers and government because it is seen as their job,” says Gafoo.



Bawuah has a different take on the issue.



“There is a lot of bureaucracy in my opinion with climate change and there needs to be a startup approach to climate change where people have an environment where innovation is the driving force. There is too much red tape and there is also a situation where it is seen as a ‘buzz word’ as opposed to a real-life problem. So, each day, things are not moving quickly enough to get better,” he says.



“I think one of the main challenges is the gap between commitment and implementation. Many nations and organizations pledge to reduce emissions, but actual progress is often slow. Another challenge is the equitable distribution of resources and technology, especially in developing countries that are most affected by climate change. Additionally, there&#8217;s a need for more public awareness and education to drive collective action at all levels,” says Emole.



These reasons have led many to look at innovative solutions like blockchain, for example. Its use is seen by many as revolutionary in tech and has been largely lauded as a tool to bring about change in archaic financial and supply chain management systems. The main proponent of blockchain that makes it unique is its decentralized record of transactions.



“How we approach the future in terms of digital infrastructure is key. In this case you think of the COP approach of understanding that climate change policies can no longer be held in physical documentation, especially if you are promoting things that are positive for the environment. It will be unwise not to consider technology when you are building the new infrastructure,” says Bawuah.



“Also, when you think of this kind of initiative through the lens of Web3, it is highly efficient to have things on blockchain because it is more transparent and it also holds leaders accountable. More importantly, it allows us to consolidate data about the environment in a much more efficient way than has ever been done before.”



So how can blockchain help combat climate change?



“Blockchain can play a pivotal role in combating climate change by enhancing transparency and traceability in carbon emissions tracking. It can facilitate the creation of a more reliable and efficient carbon credit market, ensuring that emission reductions are accurately recorded and traded. Blockchain&#8217;s decentralized nature also allows for more democratic and inclusive participation in climate action initiatives,” says Emole.



“Blockchain is the kind of infrastructure that can consolidate information transparently and distribute it efficiently. I think some institutions have made good strides but how do you access the data? How is data shared between one another and is that transparent? I think that blockchain as an infrastructure, supporting the data and the way we form [an] agreement between one another, is going to be central to changing the future in how we tackle climate change. Digital infrastructure is the way forward and that is going to reduce most carbon emissions,” says Bawuah.



There is still a long way to go in the fight against climate change and while blockchain has potential, it&#8217;s not without challenges. The energy consumption of certain blockchain networks is a concern.



“However, these challenges can be managed by adopting more energy-efficient consensus mechanisms like Proof-of-stake. Additionally, integrating blockchain with renewable energy sources can further reduce the carbon footprint associated with its operations,” says Emole.

The pollution hand and effective management with netzero symbols – renewable energy, reduced CO2 emissions, green production, and waste recycling in business, net zero carbon.

‘Need A Startup Approach’: Views From West Africa On Using The Blockchain And Even Digital Art To Combat Climate Change

When Kate Kallot turned on her microphone and boldly asserted that artificial intelligence (AI) for climate action should not be confined to the Global North, the room began to shift. Hers was a demonstration of a new form of activism and actionism deeply rooted in the ownership of homegrown solutions, as exemplified by her organization, Amini Corp. With a description of Amini’s mandate to fill data gaps in Africa and incorporate indigenous practices into that data — projecting to enhance cocoa sustainability in Ghana and crop yields in South Africa — Kallot’s speech received a standing ovation. An unapologetic advocate for the emergence of Africa’s women and youth, I chose to interpret this roar of applause as a signal of the broader acceptance that indeed Africa&#8217;s time has come to adjust its seating position from the back of the room to the center of the global decision-making table. Kallot, an exemplar of Africa leveraging innovation to take ownership of its challenges, represented the constituency of African women and youth whose mission to redefine the continent’s narrative on self-help, self-empowerment, and self-elevation was both seen and felt at the COP28 conference in Dubai.



To establish why it was crucial to see and hear Africa&#8217;s women and youth in action at COP28, it’s imperative to establish the stark reality driving their presence. Africa grapples with a perilous triple threat: the relentless impact of climate change, heightened vulnerability, and a distressing lack of preparedness — an uncomfortable truth we must confront. In 2023 alone, devastating floods wreaked havoc in the Libyan port city of Derna, an earthquake struck Morocco, wildfires swept across Algeria, and Cyclone Freddy triggered landslides in Malawi – the epicenter of the disaster – killing thousands. Simultaneously, severe floods caused chaos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.



The escalating drought conditions in the Horn of Africa pushed parts of Somalia to the brink of famine, leaving more than 23 million people across the region facing severe hunger, according to the United Nations World Food Programme. As if that wasn&#8217;t devastating enough, when the long-awaited rains arrived in Somalia, they were so intense that livestock, homes, and farmlands were washed away, while schools and health facilities were forced to close their doors. Why is this so distressing? Because countries like Somalia, contributing only 0.03% of total global emissions, are disproportionately affected by climate change. The most vulnerable, especially women and children, bear the brunt of these disasters.



While moderating the High-Level Event on Artificial Intelligence for Climate Action, hosted by the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism in collaboration with the COP28 UAE Presidency, I observed Africa&#8217;s proactive efforts in developing customized approaches to climate action. Instances such as Senegal&#8217;s 2020-2025 strategy, which strives for &#8220;digital for all&#8221; to bridge digital divides, especially for populations most vulnerable to climate change, and GIZ&#8217;s project in Kenya using AI for forest protection and crop yield predictions, showcased the continent&#8217;s commitment to innovation.



As these advancements unfolded on one side of the expansive COP28 landscape, other Africa-focused initiatives, including the African Women Clean Cooking Support Programme (AWCCSP) initiated by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Kenya&#8217;s African Women Studies Centre (AWSC) dedicated to integrating women into climate action as part of Kenya&#8217;s journey to Gender-responsive climate justice, highlighted the importance of women leading interventions that directly impact their livelihoods.



Perhaps even more exciting was the presence of youth leaders like Ugandan climate change advocate, Vanessa Nakate and Ghanaian Climate Reality Leader, Maxwell Beganim, whose audacious emphasis on the urgent need for sustainable action and their impassioned calls for climate justice reverberated throughout COP28, ensuring that the voices of Africa&#8217;s youth were not only heard but profoundly felt in shaping the collective discourse on climate change and its impact on the continent&#8217;s future.



My celebration of Africa’s women and youth at COP28 does not exist in isolation. It represents the growing hope for an intersectionality between Africa&#8217;s stark reality on climate change, the continent&#8217;s burgeoning surge of solution-providing innovations for climate action, and the collective efforts aimed at addressing and mitigating the profound challenges that the continent faces.

COP28 UNFCCC Climate Conference: Day Eleven

Africa-Focused Initiatives At COP28 Amplifying The Voices Of Women And Youth

As business leaders, climate scientists and global leaders gathered at Expo City Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the 28th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP) from November 30, the dialogues reflected the dire and drastic changes needed to combat the excesses of climate change – and Africa was at the forefront.



With out-of-control climate conditions, the global community – public and private sector alike – promised to strive together for a more sustainable future. COP28 President Dr Sultan Al Jaber made it clear at the event’s opening plenary speech that “a key success factor across the climate agenda is finance”.



“For too long, finance has not been available, accessible, or affordable. This Presidency is committed to unlocking finance to ensure that the Global South does not have to choose between development and climate actions. Let this be the year that climate finance meets the magnitude of the moment,” he said.



COP28 mobilized over $83 billion in the first five days of the summit, setting the pace for a new era in climate action. On day one of COP28, the Presidency facilitated a historic agreement to operationalize and capitalize funding for Loss and Damage, supporting those on the front lines of the climate crisis with $726 million already pledged to date. The World Bank announced an increase of $9 billion annually for 2024 and 2025 to finance climate-related projects. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) announced a cumulative increase of over $22.6 billion toward climate action.



South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, also in attendance, echoed the sentiments but with the caution that “Africa is most vulnerable to the effects of a rapidly changing climate and have to adapt to build resilience within the context of historically low levels of development and severely limited capacity”. He applauded ‘the loss and damage fund’ meant to support and assist developing countries vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. A commitment of $100 million was made by the UAE towards the fund, paving the way for other nations to also pledge to the critically important initiative.



Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, encouraged by the announcement of this commitment, said to CNBC Africa at the forum: “We are seeing a lot more action than we thought. But we need more. We are far away from where we need to be and developing countries need all the support to make the transition.”



Samaila Zubairu, CEO of Africa Finance Corporation, said in an interview with CNBC Africa that African countries should take ownership of their own carbon market value chains, adding that focusing on communities and preserving the forests is the right way as this will help the continent with its carbon credit.



Climate finance does not necessarily mean funding to transition from fossil fuel to clean energy. For some, it means more. For Kenya, it means housing. Home to 1.2 billion people, in Africa, as urbanization gathers momentum, so does the need to build houses in a more sustainable manner.



Nasra Nanda, CEO of the Kenya Green Building Society, made it clear in an interview with CNBC Africa that they are pushing to unlock financing. She said getting governments involved in green infrastructure will lead to creating more jobs especially for the youth. Statistics currently show that nearly 72 million youth in Africa are not in education, employment or training.



“Young people do not even possess the basic technical skills and unless we fix that, we will not be able to upskill them…or give them [what is] needed to participate in the green economy,” said Abigail



Khuluse, Programme Manager for Economic Inclusion at the National Business Initiative in South Africa. “It’s imperative to give focus to the right skills that enable the youth to pivot or upskill to get opportunities within the green economy.” This requires both political and business will to work together to address the skills gap.



Apart from what Africa needs to do to be an active participant in the fight towards carbon neutrality, there is overwhelming pressure that developed countries place on developing nations. Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels are expected to hit a record high in 2023 – as reported by the Global Carbon Budget report, published during the COP28 climate summit. Countries are expected to emit a total of 36.8 billion metric tons of CO2, a 1.1% increase from last year.



South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs, Barbara Creecy did not mince words when she spoke to the press at the summit. “While all countries have the responsibility to transition, responsibility that relates to national circumstances and national capabilities, South Africa fully supports the fact that the European Union (EU) wants to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 – and so they should – because it’s their use of fossil fuels over the last two-hundred years that has created the climate crisis.”



Whichever way one looks at Africa’s approach to climate change, the challenging global environment means fighting for the future of the world’s youngest population will require the continent to take control of its narrative in the climate dialogue.

Tag: COP28

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‘Need A Startup Approach’: Views From West Africa On Using The Blockchain And Even Digital Art To Combat Climate Change

Africa-Focused Initiatives At COP28 Amplifying The Voices Of Women And Youth

‘A Lot More Action But We Need More’: Africa Takes Charge Of Its Narrative At COP28 Climate Summit In Dubai