Denis Sonwa (ELP 2010) | Senior Scientist, CIFOR-ICRAF, Cameroon

As the world approaches the UNFCCC COP 28 in Dubai, where the Global Stocktake Synthesis report will take center stage, the African Continent's priorities, as highlighted in the recent "AFRICAN LEADERS NAIROBI DECLARATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND CALL TO ACTION" revolve around the following: (a) Accelerating all efforts to reduce emissions in line with the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement; (b) Fulfilling the commitment to provide $100 billion in annual climate finance, as promised 14 years ago at the Copenhagen conference; (c) Upholding commitments to a fair and expedited process of phasing out coal and eliminating all fossil fuel subsidies; (d) Promptly operationalizing the Loss and Damage facility agreed upon at COP27. However, what is noticeable is that the African continent is gradually witnessing a shift towards certain leadership that is grounded in science to structure its contribution to the climate transition. The African narrative, which emphasizes the continent's minimal contribution to global emissions, is becoming more prominent as the continent strives to increase its role as a solution to climate change. Climate change adaptation is the continent's top priority, and it desires its contribution to global emission reduction to accurately reflect its current realities. By recalling the UNFCCC principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, and respective capabilities, African and some global leaders are expressing their willingness to consider the current African realities. One crucial aspect of this expression is the role that science plays in shaping the continent's position on the global stage. IPCC reports have already highlighted the vulnerability of the African continent. A noticeable emerging issue is the collaboration between current or former scientists who now hold development or political positions, and politicians, as they work together to shape the African climate change narrative before and during events like COP and other global or continental gatherings. Recently, this collaboration is particularly evident in the areas of Forest and Land Use, Agriculture and Food Systems, as well as Energy and Mining Resources.

In the heart of Africa, in the forest and land uses sector, a Congo Basin Science Panel (CBSP) was launched during the recent 3 Basin summit in Brazzaville. Additionally, the Congo Basin Science Initiative (CBSI) is set to be launched at COP 28. These two initiatives were prompted by a call from the Congo Basin Ministers of Forestry and Environment, including Dr Lee White, a former Minister from Gabon who had a successful scientific career before entering politics. The call was supported by scientists, both African and non-African, with the leadership of Pr Simon Lewis from Leeds University, UK. The call was published in the Nature scientific journal, with a French version also appearing in Jeune Afrique, a Pan-African magazine based in Paris, France. The objective of the call is to train 200 PhDs within a 10-year timeframe, following the successful model of the Amazonian Basin Initiative, and to address the research gap that currently exists in the Congo Basin. The CBSP (similar to the Science Panel for the Amazon) aims to consolidate existing knowledge, while the CBSI (similar to The Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere (LBA) experiment in Amazonia) seeks to initiate long-term research in the Congo Basin. Both CBSP and CBSI have the goal of providing the global science community and national decision-makers with the latest scientific information on the Congo Basin, which is one of the most important tropical forests on the continent. These new initiatives complement existing ones, such as the OFAC (The Central Africa Forest Observatory) co-supported by CIFOR and its partners, which regularly generate knowledge and information, with the leadership of Dr Richard Eba'a Ayti (a Principal Scientist at CIFOR-ICRAF) on the State of the Congo Basin. The Deputy Executive Secretary-Technical Coordinator, of COMIFAC Mr. Chouaibou NCHOUTPOUEN, recently used scientific findings of OFAC to highlight the low environmental finance flowing towards the Congo Basin during the 3 Basin summit. The lead in properly utilizing the Congo Basin in global climate change responses, taking scientists into consideration, is also driven by the Honorable Dr. Christian Ruck, a Facilitator of the CBFP (Congo Basin  Forest Partnership) German Facilitation from 2020 to 2022. Dr. Ruck has successfully helped to co-structure a "New Deal" position in which COMIFAC countries express their needs from the global world. The German Facilitation has established a "Task Force Fair Deal" with the aim of channeling more finance towards the Congo Basin.

Regarding agriculture and food security, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (formerly a scientist in the CGIAR system and now President of the African Development Bank, AfDB) and Patrick Verkooijen (former University Professor and now CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, an institution with an important component on the continent called the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program, hosted by AfDB) have joined forces with President Macky Sall of Senegal to publish an opinion in Newsweek Magazine, a highly reputable US publication. They are calling for increased investment in agricultural research, such as doubling the CGIAR budget to $2 million per year by 2030. They are advocating for the promotion of climate-smart technology to achieve food security and contribute to feeding the planet.

In order to enhance preparedness for climate transition, Dr. Fatima Denton, Director of UNU INRA, is working to strengthen the connection between science and policy in Africa, particularly in the energy and minerals sectors. The goal is to expedite the planning processes for a just transition on the continent. In the energy sector, Dr. Rebekah Shirley, an alumnus of UC Berkeley, and now Deputy Director for Africa at WRI, a global think tank led in Africa by Mme Wanjira Mathai (one of Africa's environmental leaders), views the continent as a "clean energy hub of the future". President Akinwumi Adesina, utilizing research from AfDB and IEA, is urging the world to recognize that the energy mix in Africa should not only focus on certain energy sources at the expense of others, as this could hinder the continent's industrialization. This echoes President Olusegun Obasanjo (a former President of Nigeria), for whom, the extraction of African natural resources is compatible with the fight against climate change. President Adesina's constant advocacy for considering the realities of the continent, (such as the fact that 600 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity, while 970 million lack access to clean cooking, and 418 million people still lack a basic level of drinking water service), in the energy transition (with Fossil Fuel phase down/out debate), echoes the recent climatic message (Exhortation Laudate Deum) of Pope Francis. Among his various concerns, Pope Francis reminds the world that climate change is a global social issue. He emphasizes that Africa, with more than half of the world's poor, is responsible for very little greenhouse gas emissions, and this fact should not be ignored.

The UNFCCC COP 28 and other global events cannot avoid the ongoing discussion on the Global South-Global North Debate and its central issue of inequality and the pursuit of greater justice. Finding a path toward a Just Transition is a challenging endeavor that should not be solely tackled from a techno-economic perspective. In this context, the desire by some leaders to utilize science in shaping an African narrative is increasing. The aforementioned debates on the forest, food, energy, and mining sectors serve as examples of how science is mobilized to call for more equity and justice in the framing of ecological transition. With that, the importance of conducting robust scientific research on African matters has never been greater. It is crucial to urgently develop scientific expertise on the continent and integrate technical/scientific knowledge into climate change responses. This is vital for establishing resilient emerging economies in Africa.