RCC WAC Africa will host a regional webinar to support the development of NDCs on 25 June.

The 2023 RCC Annual Report is out: check out the RCCs' achievements per region!

RCC West and Central Africa and the Regional Climate Action Transparency Hub (ReCATH) for countries in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) organized a training workshop for environmental lawyers and the Constitutive General Assembly of the Network of Environmental Lawyers Experts of Central Africa (REJEAC). The training workshop aimed to enable lawyers to acquire a basic knowledge of multilateral environmental agreements and their implications at the national level, exchange national experiences, and advance harmonization of member states' legislation. Summary Africa has vast regions rich with natural resources. There is an urgent need to sustainably manage these resources as the continent grows in line with national and global goals. Realizing the vision of a green economy requires legal experts equipped to navigate a complex web of environmental laws and regulations. RCC WAC Africa, the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for West and Central Africa, co-organized a workshop on multilateral environmental agreements to inform and engage Africa’s legal community.  The workshop engaged the Environmental Lawyers and the Constitutive General Assembly of the Network of Environmental Lawyers Experts of Central Africa (REJEAC) in Kigali, Rwanda, from 30 April to 3 May 2024. Effective implementation of international agreements in Africa requires legal, regulatory and institutional reforms, all of which are tied to legal expertise. The workshop equipped African environmental legal negotiators with in-depth knowledge of multilateral environmental agreements.  Discussions focused on the three Rio Conventions—UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCDand fostered an exchange of national experiences and a conversation on the urgent need to harmonize legislation across Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) members.  RCC WAC Africa held the workshop on-site supported by the secretariat Legal affairs division online. The team facilitated and presented the UNFCCC rules of procedure, the Framework Convention, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement. Discussions focused on the NDCs and Article 6.   The event culminated with the launch of a network of environmental lawyers in central Africa, which aims to support countries in preparing and participating in UN Climate Change negotiations and implementating the Paris Agreement. The event also established a bureau and drafted a roadmap to guide the network's operations, including a strong capacity-building component. The Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Environment, offered to host the Network. This offer and the roadmap were adopted unanimously.   Co-organizers of this meeting included ECCAS – through the Regional Climate Action Transparency Hub for Central African States, Legal Response International and the Africa Group of Negotiators Expert Support.  

The RCCs in Africa and our partners held a stakeholder validation workshop for the recent Africa LT-LEDS Landscape Study. The workshop opened an opportunity for countries, experts and other stakeholders to provide feedback and advance a comprehensive strategy that can enhance the capacity of African countries to align LT-LEDS and NDCs. The Regional Collaboration Centres serving East and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa, and Middle East and North Africa partnered with the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) and Climate Analytics to conduct a study on understanding the Long Term Low Emission Development Strategies landscape across Africa. The main objective of the study was to establish the state of play, challenges, and opportunities to enhance the development of LT-LEDS across the continent. Additionally, the study sought to identify best practices that would inform development of a guide that countries can use while elaborating LT-LEDS.   

RCC EAS Africa and RCC WAC Africa mobilize regional partners for the NDCs 3.0   In late March 2024, RCC East and Southern Africa and RCC West and Central Africa teamed up to bring together more than 10 partners in the region to connect countries with support for the NDCs 3.0. This meeting was convened as part of a global series of partner meetings to develop ambitious NDCs by early 2025. Connecting governments with support for NDC development can increase confidence needed to make bold commitments and accelerate implementation.      Background The 2025 NDCs, or NDCs 3.0, are to be prepared with a timeframe for implementation till 2035. All Parties are required to submit their NDC 3.0, latest by February 2025, in order to allow for sufficient time for the preparation of the compilation and synthesis report in advance of CMA7 (November 2025). NDC 3.0 are expected to be a progression beyond previous NDCs and should reflect the highest possible ambition. The NDCs 3.0 will determine to a large extent whether the world will get back on a global GHG emissions trajectory that is in line with the 1.5C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement and whether countries will build up the resilience for such a scenario. Ideally, the next NDCs should not only be ambitious in terms of numbers on paper. They should also help to accelerate implementation, unlock finance, and be well positioned to credibly move the needle on climate action. Taking the above into account, the UNFCCC secretariat plans to coordinate with key partners to ensure coordinated support for the Parties to deliver the 2025 NDCs. To launch this effort the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat is convening a meeting to bring together key organizations to jointly lay the ground to ensure NDCs 3.0 are fit for purpose, will accelerate implementation of climate action, will unlock finance and will be well positioned to credibly move the needle on climate action.   Meeting Objectives Provide an opportunity for regional development and implementing organizations to discuss approaches for increased cooperation and coordination in providing support towards the developing of ambitious and implementable NDCs by 2025 as a precursor to the webinar that was held with Parties from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM on the 26 March 2024.    Way forward RCC West and Central Africa and RCC East and Southern Africa together with NDC Partnership will map out the different support areas provided by partners to countries in the Sub-Saharan region, providing insight into where collaborations can be built, and identifying areas where there is a lack of support, both geographically and sectorally.  They will also establish a platform to capture ongoing activities and available support and make this accessible to all. This exercise will hope to ensure that consistent matchmaking support is available to countries in the region. RCC West and Central Africa and RCC East and Southern Africa will look into the integration of various climate action elements such as mitigation, adaptation, gender, loss and damage, etc., aiming to build unified support for the NDCs.

RCC hosted a series of webinars in preparation for NDC 3.0

Regional development and implementing organizations discuss approaches for increased cooperation and coordination in providing support towards developing NDC 3.0

A study on the current situation and possible future of carbon pricing in the region

Central Africa is moving forward to establish a new regional alliance.

New study assessing carbon pricing solutions by sector in Nigeria

Identifying challenges, needs, and priorities of African countries to implement the ETF

Long-Term Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development Strategies event, ACW 2023

RCC WAC and EAS Africa hosted a Long-Term Low greenhouse gas Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) regional capacity-building workshop for Africa on 1 and 2 September 2023

RCC EAS and WAC Africa co-organized a workshop on the margins of the Africa Climate Week 2023.

UN Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centres will host a webinar series on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

This year's Africa Climate Week will take place from 4-8 September 2023 in Nairobi, hosted by the government of Kenya. ACW 2023 will be organized in parallel with the Africa Climate Summit on 4-6 September, also hosted by Kenya.

During each of the 2023 Climate Weeks, the UN Climate Change and its Regional Collaboration Centres will host Dialogues on Carbon Pricing, Article 6 Training, and DNA Forum

The Regional Collaboration Center for West and Central Africa (RCC WAC Africa) of the UNFCCC secretariat and the Federal Government of Nigeria organized a workshop on carbon pricing opportunities for Nigeria.   Workshop on Carbon Pricing Initiatives in Nigeria 05 July 2023 | Newton Park Hotel  | Abuja | Nigeria Capacity Building | National Event Click here for the Concept Note and Agenda of the workshop The National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) of Nigeria with support from the UN Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centre for West and Central Africa hosted a workshop on Carbon Pricing Initiatives in Abuja. The workshop discussed the social, economic, regulatory, legal, and institutional implications of different carbon pricing instruments such as carbon tax and Emission Trading Schemes under the Collaborative Instruments for Ambitious Climate Action (Ci-ACA) Initiative.  The workshop brought together 80 stakeholders from various national partner organizations to analyze and discuss the “Assessment of Carbon Pricing Initiatives in Nigeria” study meant to guide national policymakers determine carbon pricing approaches appropriate for Nigeria. The study was commissioned by the Government of Nigeria and RCC WAC Africa.  Moving forward, the NCCC will look at potential next steps and policy options for carbon pricing instruments suitable to Nigeria, including a corresponding national MRV system. RCC WAC Africa will continue to work with the Government of Nigeria and partners in the region to advance carbon pricing and other climate solutions  

ACW 2022 is a crucial step on the road to COP27 Africa Climate Week 2022 was held 29 August to 2 September in Gabon. ACW 2022 engages and empowers stakeholders to drive climate action across countries, communities and economies.   Turning Libreville, Gabon, into Africa's climate capitol for a week, ACW 2022 brought together more than 2,300 stakeholders for five days of discussion in more than 200 sessions, with many more joining through virtual participation. An ACW 2022 Output Report provides a record of engagement that can guide implementation of the Paris Agreement in Africa.   We invite all stakeholders to explore the ACW 2022 Output Report and watch the ACW 2022 Opening Ceremony and ACW 2022 Closing Ceremony here and listen in on the Ministerial Roundtable on Finance.    ACW 2022 Opening and Closing Ceremonies

Technical experts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) recommended the adoption of the draft ECOWAS Climate Finance Access and Mobilization Strategy (the Strategy) at a meeting held in Accra, Ghana between the 26 and 27 April 2022.

Mr. Damien Mama is the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) for Togo. He shares information about his role as UNRC, his view on climate change challenges in Togo and the support the UN system is providing to the country towards meeting the goals of the Paris agreement.

The Alliance is a sub-regional initiative and anchored in institutions that already serve the West African region with regard to carbon markets, technology transfer and climate finance.

The Secretariat of the United Nations Regional Working Group on Climate Change, Environment, Security and Development in West Africa (UN-CCESD) organized its first virtual thematic meeting on Wednesday 14 July 2021 under the topic: “COP 26 and its implications for West Africa”. Over eighty (80) participants representing several UN agencies in West Africa as well as the ECOWAS Commission attended the two-hour long meeting, which was opened by Mr. Leko Moussa, Acting Director of ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Environment & Natural Resources.

On Thursday 10 June, the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), in partnership with the West and Central Africa Office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Regional Collaboration Centre of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), launched a UN Regional Working Group on climate change, environment, security and development in West Africa.