Africa must decentralise renewable energy initiatives - Civil society groups

By Sellina Nkowani

CAIRO, Egypt (PAMACC News) - African Civil Society Organisations have called for the need to decentralize renewable energy and make it people centered.

The CSOs echoed their voices today at the sidelines of the sixth special session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) holding in Cairo, Egypt.

In his remarks during the presentations on Post-Paris conversations on climate change, renewable energy, energy transformation and access in Africa, Mithika Mwenda who represents millions of African farmers, women and youth groups under the umbrella of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance urged African governments to work towards ensuring that energy is decentralized and not concentrated on urban areas only.

Africa’s Rich Natural Capital, Paris Agreement top Agenda as AMCEN begins

The need to sustainably harness Africa’s vast reserves of natural capital and the implications of the Paris Agreement dominated today's  technical  session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Cairo, Egypt

Attended by the ministers of the environment and high-level officials from more than 40 African countries, the sixth special session of the AMCEN explores the theme: "Agenda 2030 and Paris Agreement: From policy to implementation in Africa".

Dr. Khaled Fahmy, Minister of Environment of Egypt and President of AMCEN, said: “Egypt is proud to host the sixth special session of the AMCEN in Cairo at this important moment in time. The continent stands to determine its development priorities in the context of the sustainable development goals. It is crucial for us to clearly define common priorities and the means to achieve our objectives at the regional and national levels.

Paris COP 21 outcome on finance, a diversion from the UN Convention – Civil Society

By Isaiah Esipisu

CAIRO, Egypt (PAMACC News) - Members of the African Civil Society attending the African Ministerial Conference Environment in Cairo, Egypt have observed that the outcome of the 21^st Conference of Parties (COP 21) on finance evidently walks away from the original United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) developed country parties commitments.

Under the UNFCCC’s article 4.3, the convection clearly provides that developed county Parties and other developed Parties included in Annex II shall provide new and additional financial resources to meet the agreed full costs incurred by developing country parties in complying with their obligations with regard to steps taken to implement the convention.

UNEP & African civil society begin Post-Paris consultations in Cario

By Atayi Babs

CAIRO, Egypt (PAMACC News) - Ahead of the sixth special session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) scheduled for the 16th-19th April 2016, civil society consultations on the Paris agreement and the 2030 Agenda began this morning in Cairo, the Egyptian capital.

Organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) in collaboration with Major Groups and Stakeholders Forums, the Post-Paris workshop aspires to interrogate the overall African performance in COP21, the Paris Agreement, and its implications for Africa in the short and long-term development agenda.

Le Togo veut inverser durablement la dégradation des terres

Par Gabriel Adonou 

 Une vaste campagne de formation de neuf cents acteurs de l’administration publique, notamment de l’agriculture de l’environnement et des acteurs de la société civile a été lancée ce 12 avril 2016 à Tové environ 120 km de Lomé. 

Clean energy helps Cameroon communities face power cuts and poverty

By Elias Ntungwe Ngalame

Solar powered mobile phone chargers

IDANAU, Cameroon (PAMACC News) - It is 11 pm in Idenau, a fishing village community located on the coastal fringes of the Cameroon- Nigeria divide.  Joan Dione, 58, fish trader in the locality and her two daughters are busy drying fish.

Fish business in this renown fishing habour is on the increase thanks to the installation of solar energy that has significantly reduced post post-harvest losses.

“We can now dry our fish even at night with the use of solar ovens,”says Dione, smiling.

“The demand for fish is very high, with many customers coming from big cities in Cameroon and neighbouring countries like Nigeria and Gabon.”

Civil Society cautions against channeling climate funds through banks that fund coal

Green Climate Fund must say no to partnerships with HSBC, CréditAgricole

Songdo, South Korea --The Green Climate Fund (GCF) must not channel its money through two scandal-ridden international commercial banks that are leading funders of the coal industry, say civil society groups at a meeting of the GCF’s Board in Songdo, South Korea.

The groups say that the GCF must reject applications for accreditation by big banks HSBC and CréditAgricole. Accredited entities are institutions approved to receive and manage GCF funds.