Issue 001/October 2018 AFRICA Newsletter SUSTAINABILITY HUB Developing Competitive Green Climate Fund (GCF) Projects Using Climate Relevant Innovations (CRIBS) Approach The African Union and Africa Sustainability Hub team during a GCF Training in Abuja Nigeria and the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS). ASH is part of the STEPS Global Consortium at the University of Sussex which comprises six ‘hubs’ based in leading academic/research institutes across the globe in Africa, South Asia, China, Europe, Latin and North America with a vision for tackling the most THE AFRICA SUSTAINABILITY HUB (ASH) pressing sustainability challenges currently facing wwas established on a mutual partnership between the world and in the future. The Global Consortium Africa and UK leading research and policy think tanks provides an opportunity for lessons sharing on various on sustainability with the founding partners being the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) issues and African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), the lessons across the continents, which is pertinent to STEPS Centre at the University of Sussex, the Africa Africa’s sustainability. Centre of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), sciences. The centre carries out carries out inter-disciplinary global research uniting development studies with science and technology studies to reduce poverty and bring about social justice. The Global Consortium at the Steps Centre unites 5 The Steps Centre is hosted in the UK by the continents through their hubs with a vision to tackle Institute of Development Studies and the Science the most pressing sustainability challenges facing the Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University world. The Centre further aims to develop theoretical of Sussex constitutes a team of international pathways approach to understanding interactions researchers from a range of countries and academic between social, technological, and environmental backgrounds from social sciences and natural dynamics The African The Institute for Climate Centre for Change and Adaptation (ICCA) is Technology Studies an academic institution of the University (ACTS) is a pioneering of Nairobi established in 2011 by the development research University of Nairobi Senate. The think tank on harnessing Institute’s academic staff consists of applications of science, technology and innovation a diversified team of experts and researchers drawn policies for sustainable development in Africa. Founded from within and across the University of Nairobi in 1988 as an intergovernmental organisation, ACTS is environs. ICCA applies trans-disciplinary approaches today a leading think tank in Africa and continues to to its teaching, research and actions and is dedicated pursue policy-oriented research aimed at strengthening to building human capacity necessary to address the the capacity of African countries and institutions to unique climate change adaptation needs of vulnerable harness science and technology for sustainable communities through teaching, action-oriented development. The think tank envisions a sustainable research, development of innovative technologies economic, social and environmental future for Africa, and community participation. It provides expert through science, technology and innovation. In 2013, advice for national and regional policy formulation it was rated amongst the top Environment Think Tanks and implementation. ICCA’s mandate is to contribute in Africa and the world. In 2016 ACTS was ranked towards the harnessing of applications of science, among the top 3 climate change think tanks by ICCG technology and innovation for accelerated sustainable Rankings. development in Africa. 2 Capacity Building Workshop for African Union member States on GCF In August 2018, the African Union Scientific The agenda was developed to address some of the Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC) Key challenges in Africa. Various strategies such with the technical support of the African Centre for as Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Technology Studies (ACTS), the Africa Sustainability Programme (CAADP); Program Infrastructure Hub (ASH), and the Institute for Climate Change and Development for Africa (PIDA); A.Us Science, Adaptation (ICCA), held a training for African Union Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA Member States on accessing the Green Climate Fund 2024) seek to effectively engage with Africans in that (GCF) in Abuja Nigeria. regard. Africa is amongst the worst hit continent by the Africa has been touted as the frontier continent impacts of climate change despite contributing in development with tremendous infrastructural less than 5 per cent of the global greenhouse gas development being observed from construction emissions. Considerable evidence of climate change of roads to the pursuit for industrial development, in Africa continues to be recorded as Africa’s six there’s need for energy screening to ensure that warmest years on record have all occurred since GCF projects on mitigation are carefully developed 1987. Lake Chad has shrunk from 26,000 square to win funding and help mitigate against the effects of kilometres in the 1960s to 1,500 in 2,000 while ice these developments. The policy makers were urged caps on Africa’s highest mountains are receding to widely think how their projects could tap into both with an example of Mount Kenya which has lost 92 mitigation and adaptation as there are opportunities per cent of its glaciers in the last 100 years. These for engaging and incorporating an integrated impacts continue to affect the vast populations in the innovation approach towards solving some of Africa’s continent. key challenges on climate change. The GCF was established to promote a paradigm Participants were drawn from AU-STRCs database shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient of thousands of scientists and scholars from a wide development pathways in developing countries to range of stakeholders comprising key government limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to policy makers that included Ministers, members of adapt to the impacts of climate change. Nevertheless, the academia from Vice Chancellors to Professors AU Member states continue to grapple with access and top climate change scholars and researchers; to the fund. It’s against this backdrop that the AU- development partners; private sector stakeholders STRC organised for a training for policy makers from as well as Non-Governmental Organisations from the AU Member states to build their capacity and skills Africa Union Member states. on developing, implementing and monitoring GCF The diverse backgrounds of the participants projects. enabled facilitators to effectively lead and engage The training was critical in offering well thought-out the discussions that provided insights on prospects, strategies that would enable them gain the requisite opportunities and challenges for establishing knowledge and competencies on the GCF processes effective innovation systems to enhance climate to develop competitive fundable projects that would change technology transfer for the AU member ideally support the implementation of their Nationally states. Discussions centred on the need to establish Determined Contributions (NDCs) on climate change. effective innovation systems that would be critical for The Africa Union (A.U) recognises that climate AU Member States to leverage on to increase their change and its impacts are fundamental and the chances of accessing the GCF. Declarations made continent’s over-arching Agenda 2063 may not be by the AU Member states for consideration by the AU achieved without addressing climate challenges. were agreed upon after the 3 day training. 3 Developing Green Climate Fund proposals using the CRIBS Approach two-week capacity building training on the preparation of proposals for the Green Climate Fund A (GCF) took place at the Elementaita Country Lodge in Naivasha, Kenya recently. The event organised by the Africa Sustainability Hub (ASH) at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in collaboration with the University of Sussex in the UK brought together researchers and policy makers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to engage on GCF processes. The training sought to get insights on the current international policies on climate change and clean energy access, environment and climate change mitigation and adaptation and sustainable development impacts while identifying and assessing funding options for clean energy Dr. Joanes Atela, a Senior Research Fellow and the head of access projects for submission to the (GCF). The GCF was the Climate Resilient Economies programme at ACTS makes a established to mobilize climate finance to support scaled- presentation in Elementaita. Dr. Atela is also the coordinator of the up mitigation and adaptation action during the COP 16 Africa Sustainability Hub. (United Nations Climate Change Conference) in Cancun in 2010 as an operating entity of the financial mechanism a North-South collaboration provides a commendable idea of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate for robust engagements and partnerships development Change (UNFCCC). which ideally seeks to turn research into use for policy A policy mechanism acronymed CRIBs, the Climate makers in Africa. “Africa’s economic trajectory is still wanting Relevant Innovation-system Builders, developed by a team despite the abundance of resources. Does Africa still need of researchers from the University of Sussex and ACTS