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Kampala, Uganda | Julius Businge | The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Secretariat in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the United Nations Development Programme’s Regional Service Centre for Africa are holding a training workshop for member states on green/climate financing. on August 1-2 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
A media release dated July 31 form COMESA Secretariat says that the training which started today will end on August 2. It is being co- hosted by the government of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
The training aims to strengthen African Union Member States’ capacities to access and manage, deliver national and international climate finance more effectively.
It is looking at awareness on the benefits of private sector engagement in climate actions all in support of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) implementation.
The release adds that the mobilisation of resources will benefit low carbon development including resilient infrastructure. Experts responsible for resource mobilisation to finance climate change/sustainable related projects are also be in attendance.
Participants are drawn from Ministries responsible for Finance and National Development Planning, National Designated Authorities for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) focal persons from the AU Member States.
Representatives from the private sector, as well as experts responsible for climate change from Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are also attending.
Other participants include representatives of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), the Commonwealth Secretariat (COMSEC) and the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe.
Experts say that climate change is an existential threat that is evidently affecting the African continent on a daily basis. Most African countries are witnessing an increase in extreme weather events that are linked to disasters resulting in serious humanitarian challenges.
Apart from the loss of lives and property, experts say climate related disasters are reversing development gains and undermining the continent’s efforts to attain the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
