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Conference

DECLARATION ON CHINA-AFRICA COOPERATION ON COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE

Source: MFA 2021-12-03 15:31

1. We, the Heads of Delegations of the People’s  Republic of China, 53 African countries and the African Union Commission, all  hold the view that climate change and its negative impacts are an urgent problem  facing humanity and one of the most serious challenges in the world today. Joint  efforts to tackle climate change bear on the future of mankind. A revolution is  needed in the human society to mitigate the impact of climate change  through, among others, speeding up affordable green and low-carbon transition,  promote sustainable development and jointly foster a community of life for man  and Nature.

2. We believe that climate change has become a major  challenge to the natural and eco-environment and social and economic development  of China and Africa. We commend the measures taken by China, the largest  developing country, and Africa, the continent with the largest number of  developing countries, in promoting cooperation on climate adaptation and  mitigation and the great contribution they have made in this regard. We  recognize the important role of forests in the Congo Basin in the fight against  global climate change. We maintain that the international community should  provide necessary support for the green development of developing  countries including Small Island Developing States (SIDS), protect their  legitimate rights to pursue independent and sustainable development, and support  Africa’s efforts in relevant areas.

3. We believe that climate change, and the migratory  movements that result from it, are a common challenge facing humanity and must  be addressed through united actions under multilateral frameworks. We underscore  that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (hereinafter  referred to as “the Convention”), the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement are  the primary channel and the most important multilateral frameworks for  international cooperation on climate change. Under the guidance of the  principles set out in the Convention, including equity, common but  differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, we will work with  all parties to ensure the implementation of the above-mentioned agreements, and  welcome outcomes of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations  Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) including completing negotiations  on the implementation guidelines of Paris Agreement, and adequate,  predictable financial support will be provided for the climate adaptation  actions of developing countries through mechanisms agreed on COPs. We call on  the international community to take proactive and decisive steps to tackle  climate change, and jointly support Egypt’s hosting of COP27 on behalf of  African countries.

4. We all hold the view that equal emphasis should  be given to mitigation and adaptation in addressing climate change. While  recalling the spirit of the Marrakech Declaration issued at the First Africa  Action Summit on 16 November 2016, we call on developed countries to increase  financing, technology and capacity building support for developing countries,  African countries in particular. Developed countries should earnestly fulfill  their funding obligations, work to fill the gap in meeting the finance  commitment of US$100 billion per year by 2020, make post-2020 arrangements for  long-term finance, and start setting a new collective quantified finance goal  post-2025 at an earlier date.

5. We decide to establish a China-Africa partnership  of strategic cooperation of the new era for the fight against climate change. We  will enhance coordination and cooperation in the multilateral process on  climate, and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of China,  Africa and other developing countries. We stand ready to deepen South-South  cooperation between China and Africa on climate change, expand areas of  cooperation, and strengthen cooperation in areas including clean energy, the use  of aerospace and aviation technology in addressing climate change, agriculture,  forest, ocean, low-carbon infrastructure development, meteorological monitoring,  forecast and early warning, environment monitoring, disaster prevention and  mitigation, and climate adaptation. We will carry out practical cooperation  projects to jointly address the challenge of climate change.

6. China and Africa will speed up the implementation  of South-South and trilateral cooperation projects on climate change with signed  contracts, push for the signing of cooperation documents on projects under  consultation, advance the production, transportation and delivery of assistance  supplies and equipment, and promote the building of low-carbon and  low-greenhouse-gas demonstration zones. The two sides will, through on-going  cooperation projects, support Africa in training professional personnel for  climate response, and facilitate the delivery of climate technologies and  services in Africa. The two sides will jointly preserve the outcomes of  South-South and trilateral cooperation projects on climate change between China  and Africa, and strengthen the piloting role of South-South cooperation projects  in enhancing Africa’s capacity to address climate change.

7. The two sides will, under the frameworks of  South-South cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, hold a high-level  forum on climate change and further deepen communication and cooperation in this  field including a proposed three-year China-Africa action plan. China will  support Africa in implementing the Great Green Wall Initiative, and will make  good use of technologies including the China High-resolution Earth Observation  System, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and FengYun Meteorological Satellite  to strengthen technological cooperation with Africa in disaster prevention and  mitigation, climate adaptation and other fields, and enhance Africa’s resilience  and capacity for addressing climate change. China supports African initiatives  related to climate change, such as the Initiative for the Adaptation of African  Agriculture and the Initiative for the Adaptation of Africa.

8. The two sides both advocate for innovative,  coordinated, green, open and shared sustainable development, and will work to  promote “green recovery” of the world economy in the post-COVID era.  Technologies including big data and artificial intelligence will facilitate a  more effective response. As a staunch supporter of sustainable development in  Africa, China has launched over 100 clean energy and green development projects  under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to support African  countries in better utilizing solar, hydropower, wind, biogas and other  renewable sources of energy. China will further increase investment in Africa on  low-emission projects including photovoltaic, wind and other renewable energies,  energy-saving technologies, high-tech industries, and green and low-carbon  industries, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad. China will  also play a positive role in improving energy structure of African countries,  upgrade industrial structure, build smart cities with advanced urban planning  and waste management, and achieve green, low-carbon, high-quality  development.

9. The two sides hold the view that cooperation on  climate investment and financing is an important part of China-Africa practical  cooperation. Efforts should be made to strengthen communication and cooperation  in building policy frameworks including climate investment and financing  standards, and encourage financial institutions of both sides to implement the  Green Investment Principles for the Belt and Road Initiative. The two sides will  strengthen cooperation with the African Development Bank and other regional  financial institutions in the field of climate investment and financing,  encourage and support financial institutions and non-financial enterprises of  the two sides to strengthen environmental risk management in project  cooperation, improve the disclosure and exchange of climate and environmental  information, conduct green, low-carbon supply chain management, and strengthen  China-Africa cooperation on climate investment and financing. The two  sides acknowledge the importance of supporting voluntary cooperation between  financial institutions such as regional development banks and climate finance  mechanisms including the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The two sides support  qualified gas-to-power and green hydrogen development projects in accessing  green investment and financing support. Africa has invested its own funds in  adapting to climate change, which exceeds the amount of public development  assistance it receives.

10. The two sides will strengthen cooperation on  green development through the China-Africa Environment Cooperation Center and  support the implementation of cooperation projects on climate change. The two  sides will advance the implementation of the China-Africa Green Envoys Program  and hold roundtables and capacity-building training, move forward the  China-Africa Green Innovation Program and advance cooperation on green, circular  and low-carbon technologies, and enhance Africa’s capacity to achieve the UN  2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals and AU Agenda  2063.



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