Bridging Africa and Europe on Climate Adaptation: Taking Stock of the UNFCCC inter-session and on the road to COP29

A grueling two weeks of intense climate negotiations took place at the 60th sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies (SBs) of the UNFCCC, referred to as the ‘Bonn Climate Change Conference’, in June 2024. This meeting marked a crucial step for the global climate negotiations towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement and a litmus test of what’s to come in preparation for COP29.

As the world grapples with the pressing issue of climate change, a strong basis for adaptation collaboration remains key between Africa and Europe, since the strengths of each continent can help bolster the weaknesses in the other’s assets and expertise. The debate on how to prepare Africa and Europe for tackling increased climate risks should focus on finding common ground and solutions. The vulnerability of the two continents to climate damage demonstrates that both should combine immediate prevention measures and long-term solutions, including investment in ‘transformational adaptation’, a topic being picked up by the Italian G7 Presidency and receiving greater attention given the intensity of climate impacts.

High on the Bonn Climate Change agenda was the question of climate finance. Disappointment was palpable over the minimal progress made on the ‘New Collective Quantified Goal’ (NCQG) for climate finance, replacing the just met $100 billion per year pledge. Developed countries refused to commit to specific figures for the new post-2025 finance goals for climate action in developing nations. In addition, limited progress was achieved on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). Finance for the GGA was a key point of tension with developing countries wanting to track finance for each target, while developed countries opposed quantification and a standalone adaptation finance target.

Therefore, addressing the shortfall in climate adaptation finance is key to strengthening the AU-EU Partnership which will involve both growing the climate finance ‘pie’ and increasing the adaptation ‘slice’. In practice, it means addressing the issue of accessibility and quality, predictability, honouring financial commitments, the channeling of adaptation finance to dedicated adaptation funds, and improving the tracking of finance towards locally-led adaptation.

International climate finance remains critically insufficient and there is a need to go well beyond the doubling of adaptation finance in the NQCG on Climate Finance. Africa currently receives an estimated 12% of the $250 billion needed per year in climate finance, from bilateral and multilateral sources, of which two-thirds go towards investments in mitigation and are weighted towards large economies.

The EU may be a global leader in climate finance, but there are several areas for accelerating its action on finance. These relate to (i) a clearer definition of ‘climate finance’ to generate greater trust in measuring how much finance is provided, including the volume of international climate finance for Africa, ii) placing adaptation on an equal footing with mitigation, iii) supporting African countries, companies and individuals in meeting climate neutrality and climate-resilient objectives, iv) targeting the most vulnerable countries within Africa, and v) designing adaptation systems to make sure finance reaches the most vulnerable and marginalised people within each country.

There is an opportunity to design adaptation finance for the years to come and to have a breakthrough on adaptation finance in the context of the negotiations. In this regard, NCQG should be considered a key moment to deliver and write the next chapter of climate finance, advancing a new vision.

On our way to COP29 and COP30, we need to more than double adaptation action and finance, and for adaptation champions from Europe to bring forward clear commitments: achieving the doubling of adaptation finance by 2025 compared to 2019; meeting targets for global adaptation funds; pledging contributions to signature initiatives, such as the UN Secretary-General Early Warning for All Initiative (EW4ALL).

Other notable strands of adaptation negotiations focused on preparing the ground for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), enlightened by the results of the Global Stocktake, a bedrock for the collective global effort to tackle climate change, but an unfinished task in Bonn. By early 2025, countries will have to unveil new NDCs for the period from 2025-2035 given the decade of the two rounds of five-year contributions is ending. As such, supporting with climate diplomacy the writing, financing and putting into practice of new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) represents a timely opportunity to revitalize the climate partnership, while coinciding with new policy cycles in Africa and Europe.

Strengthening NDCs and NAPs diplomacy will support developing countries in improving their resilience in the face of climate shocks. Furthermore, NAPs are a great tool for African countries to articulate how adaptation can be achieved and measure its degree of progress and can serve as a guide and reference point to strengthen the Africa-Europe Adaptation Partnership through knowledge-sharing, providing technical assistance and incentivize funding opportunities in implementing effective adaptation plans.

The Bonn Climate Change talks left us with a lot of work to be done to deliver what is needed, with parties needing to shifting gears to meet their responsibilities for action and support. It is high time for the two continents to deepen and revisit cooperation, and ensure more attention is given to adaptation action and finance.

There is a need to fix higher targets for adaptation and to elevate adaptation in the Africa-Europe partnership, notably in light of new policy cycles at the EU and new programming with Africa. The two continents should look together at the future, recognizing their different starting points, from which to identify their shared interests and co-design long-term objectives.