Gabon is hosting the 2022 edition of the African Climate Week from today, Monday 29 August. It is a consultation between governments, African civil societies, private sector actors and indigenous communities to finalise the position of African states in the context of COP27, which will be held in Egypt next November.
COP 27, the climate change conference, is scheduled for November in Egypt. In the run-up to this major event, African states are meeting in Libreville to discuss regional climate action solutions and forge regional partnerships. Between waves of floods in Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan, South Africa…, drought in the Horn of Africa, forest fires in Algeria… extreme climatic events are playing out with unprecedented fervour in Africa. Never before has the continent faced so many environmental challenges.
According to a press release from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the African Climate Week being held in Libreville looks at “Resilience to climate risks, the transition to a low-emission economy and partnerships to address urgent challenges”.
The event is organised by UN Climate in collaboration with global partners such as the United Nations Development Program, the United Nations Environment Program and the World Bank Group. Partners in the region include the African Union, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
The conference is being held in Gabon, the country of Ali Bongo Ondimba, because of its position in the heart of the Central African rainforest, known as “the second lung of earth” after the Amazon. The country is often cited as a model when it comes to preserving its vast green treasure. Note that the African Climate Week ends on Thursday 1 September.
