By Peter Nalika
With COP 29 around the corner, Africa aims to take a more assertive stance in advocating for technology-driven climate action. Building on the outcomes of COP 28, Africa’s demands at this year’s conference should centre around advancing climate technology access, fostering local innovation ecosystems, and ensuring the continent’s unique needs and challenges are integral to global climate tech conversations.
COP 28’s Green Digital Action commitments highlighted the tech industry’s role in reducing emissions and improving transparency. While the telecom and satellite industries pledged support for the Early Warnings for All initiative. Africa’s participation at COP 29 should emphasize scaling these initiatives by expanding access to affordable early warning systems and tailored to African contexts. Despite its vast potential, Africa remains the most vulnerable to climate impacts, with limited access to comprehensive early warning systems.
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At COP 29, Africa should advocate for additional funding and partnerships to accelerate the deployment of satellite-based monitoring and digital platforms that aid in climate disaster preparedness. A commitment to supporting locally sourced solutions, such as mobile-based alerts in indigenous languages and accessible rural network coverage, will ensure these early warning systems reach those who need them most. Strengthening local capacity through partnerships with global tech firms, African governments, and regional institutions like the African Union could pave the way for Africa-led digital resilience solutions.
Support for Africa-Driven Climate Tech Innovation
The launch of the Innovate for Climate Tech Coalition at COP 28 was a promising step toward developing and adopting climate technology solutions. However, for Africa to fully benefit, COP 29 must prioritize Africa-centric solutions by enhancing local innovation ecosystems. This would involve expanding financial and technical support for African startups and research institutions that are developing climate tech solutions tailored to the continent’s needs.
A major obstacle African innovators face is the lack of access to funding and global networks, often limiting their scalability and market reach. African nations should push for a dedicated funding mechanism within the Innovate for Climate Tech Coalition to support innovation at the grassroots level. Africa can lead a call for investment in Research, Development, and Demonstration [RD&D] hubs across the continent. These hubs focus on scaling technologies like clean cooking, off-grid solar, sustainable agriculture, and water management tools.
Technology Mechanism
COP 28 also highlighted the importance of the Technology Mechanism. It comprises of the Technology Executive Committee [TEC] and the Climate Technology Centre and Network [CTCN]. The role of this mechanism is to expedite technology transfer for climate solutions. However, this mechanism could more effectively address the unique challenges facing African countries if it incorporates a targeted, region-specific approach. Africa should advocate for an expansion of the Technology Mechanism that directly addresses the continent’s infrastructure constraints. In addition to its reliance on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
To achieve this, African representatives should call for greater flexibility in the Technology Mechanism’s framework. This will allow for customized support packages that consider each country’s readiness level and infrastructure needs. A significant aspect of this expansion could include collaboration with local governments and institutions to build national systems of innovation. These systems would facilitate technology adaptation and transfer tailored to Africa’s socioeconomic context. Moreover, embedding a capacity-building component within the Technology Mechanism would empower African nations to operationalize technology transfer projects independently. This approach reduces dependency on external support over time.
Nations Pledge Zero-Emission Tech at COP28
At COP 28, nations acknowledged the necessity of zero- and low-emission technologies. Including renewable energy, carbon capture, utilization, and storage [CCUS], and low-emission hydrogen—to reach global net-zero targets by mid-century. Yet, Africa faces significant financial and infrastructural barriers to deploying these technologies at scale. COP 29 offers an opportunity for African countries to push for dedicated funding and technical assistance. These are aimed at accelerating the deployment of technologies within the region.
Africa should ask for a specific financial commitment to support the deployment of renewable energy and low-emission technologies. This should focus on solutions that can be integrated into existing infrastructures. For example off-grid solar and mini-grids for rural areas. Additionally, prioritizing CCUS pilot projects and hydrogen production could help diversify Africa’s energy mix. At the end they become less reliant on fossil fuels and positioning it as a green energy leader.
Technology Transfer and Collaboration
As COP 28 highlighted, robust climate action requires measurable, time-bound, and result-oriented actions within technology transfer frameworks. At COP 29, Africa should stress the need for transparent, quantifiable outcomes for every climate technology transfer initiative. This will ensure that resources are deployed effectively and impact-fully.
Additionally, Africa can lead the call for an annual technology assessment report. The report will aid tracking the implementation of tech transfers and their contributions to African Nationally Determined Contributions [NDCs]. Transparent reporting would not only strengthen accountability. It also provides a blueprint for scaling successful technology projects across different African regions.
Africa’s asks at COP 29 must reflect a bold vision for harnessing technology to drive climate resilience, mitigate emissions, and foster sustainable economic growth. By advocating for targeted support, Africa can strengthen its position in the global climate dialogue. This ensures that technology solutions are tailored to the continent’s unique challenges and opportunities.
