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Market approaches adjudged key to combatting climate change

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Market approaches adjudged key to combatting climate change

Experience gained using markets in the Asia-Pacific region to combat climate change can help ensure success of the global climate change agreement adopted in Paris last December.

The International Convention Centre on Jeju Island in South Korea hosted the 2016 Asia-Pacific Carbon Forum, where participants explored market approaches to combat climate change. Photo credit: twitter.com
The International Convention Centre on Jeju Island in South Korea hosted the 2016 Asia-Pacific Carbon Forum, where participants explored market approaches to combat climate change. Photo credit: twitter.com

This was the consensus of the 300 participants, from 60 countries, at this year’s Asia-Pacific Carbon Forum that held recently in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.

After three days of panel discussions, meetings and presentations, participants observed that:

  • China has more than 10 years of experience with carbon markets, starting with emission reduction and development projects under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), establishment of voluntary emissions trading, seven emissions trading system (ETS) pilots and plans for a national ETS in 2017.
  • The Republic of Korea has had an ETS since 2015, becoming the second country in Asia to introduce a nationwide cap-and-trade system, which now covers about 530 businesses.
  • Japan is pursuing a number market approaches to combat climate change, including a Joint Crediting Mechanism similar to the CDM, a system that awards offset credits to domestic entities that reduce emissions, a voluntary ETS and an ETS in the city of Tokyo.
  • New Zealand has had an emissions trading system since 2008, designed to assist the country in meeting its international climate change obligations and reduce domestic emissions below business as usual. The system is currently being reviewed.
  • Australia, after a few years of uncertainty and policy reversals, has stabilised its climate policy suite around its Emission Reduction Fund and the Safeguard Mechanism.

The Paris Climate Change Agreement, the gathering stressed, provides: for transferring mitigation outcomes, essentially emissions trading; a new Sustainable Development Mechanism; and a framework for non-market approaches. All three of these economic instruments, it was gathered, are described in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

“It was extremely encouraging to see the commitment of APCF participants to harness the carbon markets in achieving development outcomes, and as a climate and development practitioner I join in the effort,” said Rakshya Thapa, Regional Technical Specialist, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). “I believe the carbon market is one of the most important instruments that can further the objectives of the Paris Agreement while simultaneously and coherently achieving Sustainable Development Goals.”

“The Forum drew together a wealth of experience in using market incentives to cut carbon emissions, whether in innovative climate finance or carbon trading,” said Dirk Forrister, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Emissions Trading Association (IETA). “It is encouraging to learn how the new markets in Korea, China and the global aviation industry are shaping a future vision of international cooperation in protecting the climate.”

“Delighted to see growing enthusiasm for the resurgence of carbon markets after the adoption of the Paris Agreement,” said V.K. Duggal, Senior Climate Change Specialist, Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“The forum brought together the emission trading community – governments, financial institutions, investors, donors and businesses – discussing a range of topics, including carbon markets, national mitigation actions, aviation, domestic carbon pricing systems, such as those in operation in the Republic of Korea and in China, and in development in Thailand and other jurisdictions,” said Niclas Svenningsen, Manager, Stakeholder and Relationship Management Unit, Sustainable Development Mechanisms programme, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat. “The event was useful to shape up collaboration in the region in linking markets and to achieve our long-term climate and sustainability goals through market instruments, including UNFCCC instruments such as the clean development mechanism.”

APCF 2016 was organised by the ADB, IETA, UNFCCC secretariat and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, in collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

Support for Indigenous peoples’ rights gets a lift

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Support for Indigenous peoples’ rights gets a lift

Support for Indigenous peoples’ rights has received a boost, thanks to key decisions adopted last week by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Hawaiʻi, USA.

Peruvian amazonian indigenous peoples
Peruvian amazonian indigenous peoples

In a landmark pronouncement, the IUCN Members’ Assembly voted to create a new category of membership for Indigenous peoples’ organisations. According to the organisation, this will open the opportunity to strengthen the presence and role of Indigenous organisations in IUCN – a unique membership union gathering 217 state and government agencies, 1,066 NGOs, and networks of over 16,000 experts worldwide.

“Today’s decision to create a specific place for Indigenous peoples in the decision-making process of IUCN marks a major step towards achieving the equitable and sustainable use of natural resources,” says IUCN Director General, Inger Andersen. “Indigenous peoples are key stewards of the world’s biodiversity. By giving them this crucial opportunity to be heard on the international stage, we have made our Union stronger, more inclusive and more democratic.”

“This decision is historical in that it is the first time in IUCN’s history that a new membership category has been established,” says Aroha Te Pareake Mead, Chair of IUCN’s Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP). “It also marks a turning point for the inclusion and full participation of Indigenous peoples in all aspects of IUCN’s work.

“For Indigenous peoples this provides an unprecedented opportunity to contribute to global policy on biocultural conservation, indigenous issues, traditional knowledge and the future direction of conservation as distinct peoples. I am proud of IUCN and its members for doing the right thing and enabling Indigenous peoples to speak for themselves as full members of the Union.”

IUCN Members also called for all protected areas to be considered as no-go areas for environmentally damaging industrial activities and infrastructure developments. IUCN Members emphasised the need for respect of Indigenous peoples’ rights as a high priority, to ensure their free, prior and informed consent in relation to activities in sacred natural sites and territories conserved by Indigenous peoples and local communities. To date, only World Heritage sites have been recognised as off limit.

The need for consideration of the rights of Indigenous peoples has also been emphasised as part of the decision to increase the coverage of marine protected areas in order to achieve effective conservation of the oceans.

IUCN Members voted on a motion related to primary forests, which highlights the role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in conserving intact forest landscapes. Ecosystems such as primary forests are vital for the protection of Indigenous cultures and livelihoods of the poorest and most marginalised communities.

Other motions important for Indigenous peoples have also been adopted on a wide range of topics.

The Members’ Assembly is the highest decision-making body of IUCN. It brings together IUCN Members to debate and establish environmental policy, to approve the IUCN Programme and to elect the IUCN Council and President.

Motions are proposed by IUCN Members every four years to set priorities for the work of IUCN. IUCN’s membership currently stands at over 1,300 and includes some of the most influential government and civil society organisations from more than 160 countries, giving the decisions taken at the IUCN Congress a powerful mandate.

Resolutions and Recommendations on important conservation issues are adopted by this unique global environmental parliament of governments and NGOs, guiding IUCN’s policy and work programme and as well as influencing many other organisations around the world.

Akwa Ibom receives climate resilience development blueprint

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Akwa Ibom receives climate resilience development blueprint

In line with the objective of the recently held Climate Change and Clean Energy Summit aimed at developing a strategic framework for management and investment in climate change mitigation and adaptation in the state, a draft Roadmap for Sustainable and Climate-resilient Economic Development in Akwa Ibom State has been presented to the Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Dr. Iniobong Essien, for further input into the document.

Lead consultant, Prof Hillary Inyang, presenting the Roadmap on Sustainable and Resilient Economic Development in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, last week
Lead consultant, Prof Hillary Inyang, presenting the Roadmap on Sustainable and Resilient Economic Development in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, last week

At a stakeholder engagement workshop held last week in Uyo, the state capital, the Dr Essien commended the technical team for putting together the draft roadmap for sustainable environment and creation of green job in state. He commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for supporting the process leading to the development of the roadmap as well his commitment to the development of the state.

Presenting the roadmap, the lead consultant, Prof Hillary Inyang, highlighted the eight-chapter document to include: Climate Change Circumstances of Akwa Ibom State; Utility of Clean Development; Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, including recent  activities in the state; Fusion of Climate Change Management Actions with Akwa Ibom State’s Socio-Economic Development Initiatives; Integration of the State’s Climate Change into the Intended National Determined Contributions (INDCs); and the Specific Objectives of the roadmap with implementation timeline and schedule of responsibility.

Also present at the event were the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Mr. Eshiet Ikpe; the Director of International Programmes, University of Uyo, Prof. Ekanem Ekanem; as well as directors of the Ministry of Environment, Academia, representatives of NGOs, CBOs, and women groups.

Governor Emmanuel, during the First Akwa Ibom State Climate Change Summit, directed the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, and the implementing partners of the summit to document the summit proceedings into a strategic policy document for implementation in the state.

Ban Ki-moon accelerates fresh Paris Agreement drive

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Ban Ki-moon accelerates fresh Paris Agreement drive

Countries are accelerating efforts to join the Paris Agreement on climate change at a special high-level event to be hosted by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday, 21 September.

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon at COP21. Photo credit: ibtimes.co.uk
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon at COP21. Photo credit: ibtimes.co.uk

“We must put the aspirations of Paris into action,” the Secretary-General said. “We have no time to waste, and much to gain, from the historic Paris Agreement on climate change entering into force this year. To build further momentum, I have asked leaders to come to New York with their instruments of ratification or to publicly commit to joining the agreement before the end of 2016.”

It is expected that President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria will sign the Paris Agreement at the event.

The 21 September high-level event will advance efforts to secure early entry into force of the Paris Agreement by providing an opportunity for countries to deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to the agreement with the Secretary-General, as stipulated in the agreement.

The event will also recognise those countries that have joined the agreement since the 22 April signing ceremony.   The event will further recognise countries that have committed to join the agreement in 2016, but because of the need to finalise domestic processes, cannot deposit their instruments on 21 September.

To date, 27 countries accounting for 39.08 per cent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions have officially joined the Paris Agreement. Efforts to join the agreement have accelerated since China and the United States officially joined the Agreement on 3 September by presenting their documents to the Secretary-General at a ceremony prior to the G-20 Summit in Hangzhou, China.

The Paris Agreement will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification or acceptance with the Secretary-General.

In April, 175 countries signed the agreement – a record for one day – at a signing ceremony in New York. The final step in the process is for countries to join the agreement at the national level and deposit their legal instruments with the Secretary-General.

“With the Paris Agreement,” the Secretary-General said, “the world has an equitable, durable yet flexible global framework for reducing emissions, strengthening climate resilience and providing support to developing countries to build low-carbon economies and adapt to inevitable climate impacts.”

The 21 September event will take place in the General Assembly Hall from 8-9 a.m.  The event will be open to the press (deadline for media accreditation is 9 September) and a limited number of seats will be available for civil society.

Information on civil society attendance can be found at https://www.unngls.org/ — the deadline for applications is 12 September.

The Paris Climate Agreement, adopted by 195 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) last December in Paris, calls on countries to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future.

The Paris Agreement marked a watershed moment in taking action on climate change. After years of negotiation, countries agreed to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, while pursuing efforts to keep temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.

Even as the agreement was adopted, countries recognised that present pledges to reduce emissions were still insufficient to reach these goals. The Paris Agreement mandates regular meetings every five years, starting in 2018, to review progress and to consider whether it is necessary to increase ambition.

Five more nations ratify Nagoya Protocol

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Five more nations ratify Nagoya Protocol

France, Mali, the Netherlands, the Republic of Moldova and Sweden are the latest countries to ratify the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation, bringing the total number of ratifications to 85.

Bamako, Mali. Mali is one of the five nations that recently ratified the Nagoya Protocol
Bamako, Mali. Mali is one of the five nations that recently ratified the Nagoya Protocol

The Nagoya Protocol is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and a key element in the global framework for sustainable development.

The Protocol builds on the access and benefit-sharing provisions of the CBD by establishing predictable conditions for access to genetic resources and by helping to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of these resources. It entered into force on 12 October 2014.

“I congratulate the governments of France, Mali, the Netherlands, the Republic of Moldova and Sweden for becoming Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing and count on the support of Parties to the CBD to reach 100 ratifications before the important meetings of the CBD and its Protocols in December 2016,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD Executive Secretary. “By reaching this goal the international community will demonstrate its support to the Nagoya Protocol and to making it a reality on the ground. Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol will also contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including Target 2.5 on food security.”

France, Mali, the Netherlands, the Republic of Moldova and Sweden each deposited their instruments of ratification between 19 August and 8 September 2016. As Parties to the Protocol, they will be able to contribute to key decision-making during the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (COP-MOP 2), being held 4-17 December 2016 concurrently with the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP 13) and the 8th meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 8).

Since the first meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol, held in 2014, membership has increased from 56 to 85 countries.

Nigeria is yet to ratify the global treaty.

Opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and entering into force in December 1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. With 196 Parties so far, the Convention has near universal participation among countries.

Global citizens can now make climate pledge

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Global citizens can now make climate pledge

The United Nations Climate Change Secretariat on Friday in New York launched the global Citizens Climate Pledge, urging citizens around the globe to cut their personal climate footprint by half within 10 years. The launch coincides with the first anniversary of Climate Neutral Now, an initiative that represents a global community of organisations and individuals committing to becoming climate neutral by the second half of the 21st century.

President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, was one of the first to sign the climate pledge
President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, was one of the first to sign the climate pledge

Prior to Friday’s global announcement, the pledge was launched by Myrskyvaroitus ry (Storm Warning Association) in Finland last year. It has been signed by thousands of Finnish citizens, including prominent artists, business leaders and politicians.

President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, was one of the first to sign the pledge and has since converted his private home to geothermal energy, cutting the household’s electricity consumption by half, and converted lighting to low-energy LED lamps. In addition to president Niinisto, two former presidents, president Tarja Halonen and president Martti Ahtisaari, have signed the pledge.

By visiting the Citizen’s Climate Pledge website, https://climatepledge.global/, citizens can calculate their personal CO2 footprint and then pledge to reduce it by half within 10 years by making low carbon choices around energy use, travel, eating and consumption habits, electronic devices and household appliances, and by offsetting emissions they cannot reduce.

Climate Neutral Now calls on organisations and individuals to measure, reduce and report greenhouse gas emissions and compensate those which cannot be avoided with UN-certified emission reductions. The initiative was launched in September, 2015 by a founding group of organisations that included Microsoft, Sony, the adidas Group and Marks & Spencer.

Storm Warning Board Member and Executive Director of Climate Leadership Council, Jouni Keronen. said: “Citizens’ role in the mitigation of climate change is bigger than most of us expect. We have studied that with just a handful of energy and transportation related choices and solutions, citizens can have significant potential to reduce CO2 emissions in Finland.”

UNFCCC’s Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, said: “The climate talks in Paris this past December highlighted the urgent role that individuals are playing in addressing climate change. When we take hands-on action to reduce our personal climate footprint, we join a global movement of action on climate change.”

Nigeria may adopt Green Bonds to finance NDCs

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Nigeria may adopt Green Bonds to finance NDCs

Nigeria appears to have identified a fresh financial mechanism towards realising its climate action plans: Green Bonds.

Environment Minister, Mrs Amina Mohammed, making a presentation during the meeting on Green Bonds
Environment Minister, Mrs Amina Mohammed, making a presentation during the meeting on Green Bonds

At a Stakeholder Consultation held on Friday in Abuja at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Environment, participants debated the issuance of Green Bonds as an innovative source of funding climate and sustainable development programmes.

Green (or Climate) Bonds are fixed-income financial instruments issued in order to raise finance for climate change solutions. Like normal bonds, they are issued by governments, multi-national banks or corporations. The issuing entity guarantees to repay the bond over a certain period of time, plus either a fixed or variable rate of return.

Green Bonds have been the subject of increasing government, investor and media interest and expectations, driven by the prospect of matching large low‑carbon investment requirements with the trillions of dollars in global bond markets held by institutional investors.

Justine Leigh-Bell, Director of Marketing at Climate Bonds, speaking at the event
Justine Leigh-Bell, Director of Marketing at Climate Bonds, speaking at the event

“Today’s stakeholder forum is part of a continuing collaboration between the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Finance to explore and develop a product that can leverage and channel resources towards viable Green projects but can also contribute to the achievement of the nation’s development objectives,” said Environment Minister, Mrs Amina Mohammed.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Oscar Onyema, CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), said that there is significant market potential for Green Bonds in Nigeria as a developing market with a population in excess of 180 million people. He added that, with projected annual emissions of 900 million tonnes, it requires significant capital to develop mitigation and adaptation interventions that will reduce such discharges.

Onyema stated that Green Bonds could mobilise funds from investors who have strong environmental focus, require transparency and have lower risk appetite.

Nigeria, like most countries around the world, faces vast investment needs for the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon and climate resilient economy. The government has made it clear that private sources of finance are needed. Tapping into the international capital markets, as well as domestic capital is crucial, says the Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Green Bonds have the potential to deliver the low-carbon, climate resilient infrastructure needed in Nigeria (such as renewable energy, low-carbon transport, water infrastructure and sustainable agriculture) with access to private capital.

Nigeria’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) document puts forth the stated targets for the nation’s contribution towards climate improvement and following a low-carbon path to progress. The resource needed to finance the NDCs is put at $142 million between now and 2030.

Friday’s event had participants drawn from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Debt Management Office (DMO), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), National Assembly, Africa Finance Corporation, World Bank, UNEP, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), McKingsey & Company, Chapel Hill Denham, Stanbic IBTC, DFID/NIAF and other private sector representatives.

It was graced by Mrs. Mohammed; Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril; Director-General, Debt Management Office, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo (who also represented the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun); Chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology & Climate Change, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim; Chairman, House Committee on Climate Change, Samuel Onuigbo; and Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Obinna Chidoka.

On Tuesday 17th May 2016, Mrs. Mohammed was presented with a proposal by the NSE in Lagos on the issuance of Green Bonds in Nigeria, after which several consultations with Federal Government entities, NSE, SEC and UNEP were held to critically look into the potential of financing Nigeria’s INDC implementation through Green Bonds and other muti-lateral funding mechanisms.

As a follow-up, a sensitisation workshop will be held in Lagos for capital market operators.

Nigeria shifts gear in ODS phase-out scheme

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Nigeria shifts gear in ODS phase-out scheme

Aiming to completely phase-out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), an ozone-depleting substance (ODS) by 2040, Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos took a major step towards realising the goal when stakeholders gathered to review and validate the findings of a survey, preparatory to the next stage of the initiative.

Participants on the high table during ODS meeting in Lagos
Participants on the high table during ODS meeting in Lagos

HCFCs are a group of man-made compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, chlorine and fluorine atoms considered to be destructive to the ozone layer, a region of the earth’s atmosphere that absorbs most of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. HCFCs are being phased out globally under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to reduce their abundance and protect the fragile ozone layer.

The Federal Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) – the cooperating agency – has been implementing the Montreal Protocol’s Hydrichlorofluorocarbons Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) project. As part of activities for preparation of Stage 2 of the HPMP, a nationwide survey of companies in the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Manufacturing (RACM) sector was conducted to update information with regards to HCFC-22 consumption data and technology choices.

While seeking to validate the survey results and ushering in the next phase of the HPMP, participants at the daylong forum also attempted to unravel how financial institutions can be encouraged to provide the necessary support to stakeholders in the implementation of the Montreal Protocol’s ozone-depleting substance (ODS) phase-out programme in the country. They also sought to develop strategy for promoting and marketing of ozone and low global-warming alternative substances.

Dr Chuma Ezedinma, Officer-in-Charge, UNIDO Regional Office in Nigeria, disclosed that, under the first phase of the HPMP, 75 low pressure foaming machines with a maximum output of 39kg/min and spare parts were distributed in 13 states, several training held, and technological promotions of low ozone-depleting product (ODP) chemicals carried out. According to him, the initial 30 machines distributed in Abuja and Ibadan was to contribute to the phase-out of 96.35MT (metric tonnes) or 10.6ODP tonnes of HCFC 141B.

He said: “As a pre-requisite and procedural approach to a successful programme development, the national survey for the RACM sector enterprises was carried out and updated. This will help to determine present dynamics on the market and the drivers of the trends in each of the subsector’s consumption. We have visited the enterprises and obtained information which will also help us ascertain the progress the country is making in the phase-out process.”

Dr Ezedinma reaffirmed UNIDO’s commitment towards supporting the Nigerian government and promoting sustainable industrialisation without compromising the environment, adding that the organisation, in partnership with government, has developed and implemented various projects to alleviate environmental problems and promote an enabling environment for industries to thrive.

UNIDO, he added, developed the HPMP project with the Federal Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The Montreal Protocol was ratified by all countries since 1987 but finally came into force on January 1, 1989 with 46 signatories and 197 member countries. Nigeria joined 31 October, 1988.

EU, US demand regulation, labelling of genetically-derived products

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EU, US demand regulation, labelling of genetically-derived products

The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD), a network of 77 EU and US consumer organisations, on Thursday published a new resolution on consumer concerns about new genetic engineering techniques. Consumers have right to know when new genetic engineering techniques are used, including in their food, but companies are lobbying to exempt such products from regulation. A number of new genetic engineering techniques have been developed which were not in use when current laws on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were drafted.

Steve Suppan, co-chair of the TACD Food Policy Committee
Steve Suppan, co-chair of the TACD Food Policy Committee

The new resolution states that risks to human health, animal welfare and the environment must be assessed before products derived from new genetic engineering techniques are placed on the market or released into the environment. Products must also be labelled in accordance with consumers’ rights to know and choose what they are buying, including what they eat.

The techniques covered by the resolution include gene editing techniques, such as CRISPR (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats), and other new genetic engineering techniques, called New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBT) by industry. The resolution considers application of these processes to plants and animals, including crops, trees, farm animals, fish and insects.

The resolution makes a set of recommendations to the EU and U.S. authorities for a framework that guarantees the adequate protection of EU and U.S. consumers alike.

TACD urges the EU and US governments to:

  • Regulate products of new genetic engineering techniques as genetically modified organisms (GMOs);
  • Strengthen regulatory systems to include mandatory pre-market human health evaluation that will screen all foods produced using new genetic engineering techniques for potential hazards;
  • Develop strong systems of pre-market environmental safety evaluation and post-market monitoring;
  • Fully consider the welfare of animals altered using new genetic engineering techniques prior to approval;
  • Adopt mandatory labelling rules for all food produced using new genetic engineering techniques;
  • Adopt and enforce strict rules for corporate liability and mandatory insurance for companies that want to release organisms altered using new genetic engineering techniques into the environment;
  • Establish and maintain systems to ensure that identity-preserved supplies of non-genetically-engineered ingredients remain available.

Steve Suppan, co-chair of the TACD Food Policy Committee said: “Our resolution and technical appendix provide recommendations and a framework towards regulating the products of the new genetic engineering techniques on the basis of 21st century science. U.S. pressure on the European Commission to emulate US procedures to deregulate such products in order to promote trade is strongly opposed by TACD members.

In fact, the US should learn the lessons from the present debacle on GM crops and listen to consumers from the start and regulate and label the new GM techniques. The EU should apply existing GM laws to all products derived from so called ‘NPBT’ and gene-editing.”

Leaders, businesses, donors commit $30b to boost African agriculture

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Leaders, businesses, donors commit $30b to boost African agriculture

It was an epic moment for African agriculture on Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya as African leaders, businesses, and major development partners pledged more than $30 billion dollars in investments to increase production, income and employment for smallholder farmers and local African agriculture businesses over the next 10 years. The collective pledges at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) are believed to represent the largest package of financial commitments to the African agricultural sector to date, backed by the broadest coalitions ever assembled in support of food production on the continent.

Leaders at the AGRF in Nairobi, Kenya
Leaders at the AGRF in Nairobi, Kenya

The commitments were made at the official opening of the sixth African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) that has attracted more than 1,500 influential figures from 40 countries for three days of brokering new agricultural initiatives. The historic investments represent just the first wave of support for the new “Seize the Moment” campaign, one backed by the African Union Commission, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), key NGOs, companies and donor countries.

While African agriculture has seen significant progress in the last 10 years, the “Seize the Moment” campaign is a frank acknowledgment that much more is needed for African countries to achieve inclusive economic development – and ultimately realise the international community’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The campaign is a decisive push for the political, policy, and financial commitments essential to transforming Africa’s agricultural sector. The goal: a new era of business opportunities for the 70 percent of the African population that depend on farming for food and income, yet too often face poverty and poor nutrition.

Joined by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, officially opened AGRF 2016 by laying out a bold vision for how agriculture transformation should play out in Kenya and across Africa. Committing himself to deliver on both the political and policy agenda, President Kenyatta announced his government will invest $200 million so at least 150,000 young farmers and young agriculture entrepreneurs can gain access to markets, finance, and insurance. He then called on his fellow heads of state across Africa to step-up and invest aggressively over the next five years in agriculture-related endeavors.

Gayle Smith, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), set the tone for the day with a call for investors and donors to be bold and do their part to achieve “A Food-Secure 2030”. The US government already has invested more than $6.6 billion in global food security and nutrition efforts through its Feed the Future initiative.

This commitment is now locked in for the long-term following approval in July of the bipartisan Global Food Security Act legislation. Smith noted that the initiative “signals the US government’s enduring commitment to global food security and nutrition and is the largest development authorisation the US Congress has made in a decade.”

Other agriculture investors and development partners announcing new financial and policy commitments included: The African Development Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Group, OCP Africa, World Food Programme, Yara International ASA, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Additional new investments are expected at the three-day forum. Strive Masiyiwa, AGRF Partners Chairman and Founder and CEO of Econet, recorded the specific commitments in detail and called for other investors and partners to join the “Seize the Moment” campaign during the year ahead.

President Kenyatta, as Chair of the African Peer Review Mechanism, concluded the ceremony by calling for a continental scorecard that will measure and track the commitments to agriculture transformation and ensure they translate into action.

Specific commitments came from each of the following champions of African agriculture:

  • USAID launched a global report entitled “A Food-Secure 2030”. The US government has invested more than $6.6 billion in global food security and nutrition efforts through its Feed the Future initiative, and “the Global Food Security Act signals the US government’s enduring commitment to global food security and nutrition and is the largest development authorisation the US Congress has made in a decade.”
  • $24 billion from the African Development Bank (AfDB) over the next 10 years, a 400 percent increase over previous commitments, to help drive agricultural transformation in Africa. Remarks from AfDB President Akin Adesina noted that a “key pillar” of the AfDB work will be support for the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation or TAAT programme, which is scaling up various agriculture technologies for millions of farmers. Adesina said AfDB support will also accelerate access to commercial financing, buttressed by proven approaches to reducing risks of commercial lending to smallholder farmers and other agriculture businesses. “Now is the time to come to the aid of our long-suffering farmers and give them the modern agriculture technologies they need to ensure a good return for their labour and hard work,” Adesina said.
  • Support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to contribute at least $5 billion to African development over the next five years. It is expected that will include at least $1 billion for agriculture, based on expenditures in recent years. The agriculture investments will continue the Gates Foundation’s work to expand crop and livestock research, strengthen data for decision-making, and improve systems to deliver better tools, information and innovations to farmers. In addition, both the Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation today promised to renew their support for AGRA as it embarks on an ambitious series of partnerships to support agriculture-led economic transformation across entire countries. The Gates Foundation also promised to match “dollar for dollar” other development partner support for AGRA programmes. Speaking to the conference via a pre-recorded video, Bill Gates praised AGRA, which sponsors and organises the AGRF, for work over the last ten years that has reached some 15 million farmers. Reflecting on AGRA’s 10-year anniversary, Gates said, “We’re excited about what AGRA has achieved. We are committed to them and feel like it is a huge part of this whole vision.”
  • $180 million in additional commitments from The Rockefeller Foundation. The contribution includes $50 million beyond the $105 million already invested in AGRA and its partners over the last 10 years. In addition, the Foundation is providing $130 million for its Yieldwise initiative, work directed by AGRA and other partners that is deploying better storage, handling and processing capabilities to reduce the significant post-harvest losses on African farms due spoilage or pests.“Food loss and waste across the value chain threatens farmers’ livelihoods and costs the global economy more than the combined 2015 profits of the Fortune 500,” said Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation. “In sub-Saharan Africa, 40 to 50 percent of certain staple crops are lost post-harvest.”
  • $350 million from Kenya Commercial Bank Group (KCB) to finance agriculture business opportunities that could reach some two million smallholder farmers, which is 5 percent of the bank’s overall lending portfolio. $200 million will go toward improving market infrastructure and mobilising farmers and $150 million through the KCB Foundation to support livestock farmers. KCB will also work with the MasterCard Foundation, contributing US $30 million each year to helping smallholder farmers access credit and market information via mobile devices. Moreover, Mr. Joshua Oigara, CEO of KCB – East Africa’s largest commercial bank – challenged his colleagues at other leading financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa to match KCB’s commitment. That could infuse several billion dollars into Africa’s agriculture sector, where a dearth of financing has been a major impediment to boosting production and income for smallholder farmers, local seed companies and other agriculture businesses.
  • A commitment by the World Food Programme (WFP) to purchasing at least $120 million of its agricultural products each year from smallholder farmers through a partnership called the Patient Procurement Platform. That $120 million represents 10 percent of WFP’s annual procurement budget. Ertharin Cousin, WFP Executive Director, also announced that the Patient Procurement Platform would expand into Kenya and three other countries in 2017.
  • $150 million over the next five years from OCP Africa to support local fertilizer distribution, storage and blending in Africa. Mr. Tark Choho, Managing Director of the OCP Group and Chief Executive Officer of OCP Africa, said OCP also will focus on building fertilizer plants in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and is in discussions with five countries. This investment is expected to significantly increase access to fertilizers for Africa’s smallholder farmers and is projected to cost $1 billion.
  • Over $3 billion to African agriculture over the next six years from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – in keeping with its current policy of spending at least 50 percent of its annual $1.1 billion in Africa. IFAD’s investments focus on intensive efforts to generate jobs in farming and food production, particularly for African youth and African women. “Those of us who have been fortunate to achieve so much over a rich and full lifetime must now do everything in our power to provide our young people with opportunity and hope,” said Kanayo F. Nwanze, president of IFAD and first winner of the prestigious new Africa Food Prize.
  • Yara International ASA (Yara), which has been involved in African agriculture for more than 50 years, has pledged to continue with significant investments that can link smallholder farmers to lucrative value chains. “We believe there is a tremendous opportunity for the African agriculture sector to grow from being a net importer to an exporter of food,” said Yara CEO Svein Tore Holsether.
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