WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The HBCU Green Fund's Africa Network, comprised of youth representing ten African countries, concluded COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a press conference addressing their contributions to negotiations and urgent calls for equitable climate financing, adaptation, gender equity. They urged global leaders to dismantle systemic inequalities, move beyond empty promises and ensure financing reaches communities most impacted by climate change."

Moderator Lucky Abeng. founder of the EcoSteward Humanitarian Foundation in Nigeria, opened the briefing emphasizing the HBCU Green Fund's extensive groundwork laid over years of collaboration on COP initiatives and the reach of their efforts noting, "more than 700 young people on the African continent registered their interests as part of the HBCU Green Fund PreCOP 29 conferences empowering youth voices for justice and financial equity."

COP29 was considered the "Finance COP" due to its central focus on climate finance challenges. Kassim Hussein of Ghana's Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) cited progress in ACE negotiations, "Members of the HBCU Green Fund's Africa Network attempted to get finance text included in previous UN conferences. COP27 left finance out of implementation, and at COP28 Rule 16 further delayed progress. This time, during ACE negotiations, we were able to get a paragraph on climate finance included. At least this creates a platform for us to discuss climate finance."

The finalized framework for the Loss and Damage Fund was hailed as a breakthrough, with commitments from wealthy nations and a pledge to make disbursements by 2025. Key priorities included financial support for communities suffering irreversible climate impacts.

Denise Ayebare, founder of Better Life International in Uganda, warns, "These structures were created under a colonial system that doesn't work for individuals at the grassroots. They exploited our natural resources and created long-lasting ecological and economic damage. We advocate for grants, not loans, because loans are based on a structure of programs that puts Africa at the bottom." Ayebare adds, "Developing countries must also focus on how we can invest more into adaptation because the more we look at mitigation, the more we reduce our resilience."

"Africans on the continent, contribute less than four percent of global emissions, yet we are the most impacted. We need our voices at the decision-making table," proclaims Abubukar Kromah, executive director of Climate Activists Association of Liberia. "When those of us who represent the marginalized communities and the youth are at the table, we will make progress."

Advancements were made in adding gender into climate policies. "We fought to ensure that climate finance was integrated into the gender text and we pushed for climate finance to be allocated to projects that empower women and girls and promote gender equality," said Tafadzwa Kurotwi, founder of Emerald Climate Hub in Zimbabwe.

There were also discussions around the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) seeking to establish a more ambitious funding target to replace the $100 billion annual goal.

"Many countries are not agreeing on NCQG text," says Ayebare. "When you're talking about more than a billion per annum, many of these vulnerable communities cannot take that in. Also, the 'Loss and Damage' meeting, initially set for Nairobi due to cost-effectiveness, was moved to Geneva, abandoning the original metrics. This shift has added to the frustration of many developing countries."

Looking to future plans for COP30 in Brazil, Kassim Hussein stressed the challenges in accessing funding and the importance of following up on potential partnerships that help get beyond bureaucratic barriers to funding. Abubukar Kromah called for more organizations to support HBCU Green Fund's efforts to "educate and build capacity in vulnerable communities."

Hussein adds, "During the HBCU Green Fund's most recent annual pre-COP conference, we established a platform that significantly enhanced our impact at COP29. In 2025, we are focused on raising additional funds and forming new partnerships to support local projects and strengthen our presence in Brazil."

"We cannot achieve climate justice without social justice and gender justice, and we cannot achieve it when we have not eradicated the system that has brought us to this climate crisis," declared Kurotwi. "COP29 must be a turning point. No more fake commitments and empty promises. We need concrete, ambitious and equitable climate action now."

Founded by internationally recognized climate leader, Felicia Davis, and led by managing director, Illai Kenney, HBCU Green Fund is headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with offices in Washington, DC, and Dakar, Senegal. The nonprofit organization works with historically black colleges and universities and in their surrounding communities to advance environmental justice. Their efforts include providing grassroots grants in the US and Africa, annual student ECO-Spring Break trips to Africa, and pre-COP conferences to equip activists with advocacy tools for global climate summits. Learn more at hbcugreenfund.org.

Contact: Edrea Davis
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Cell/Text: 818.613.9521

SOURCE HBCU Green Fund