Virtual Pre-validation Workshop on
Needs-Based Finance for the East African Community
14-15 December 2020
(14:00 – 17:00 EAT)
Consultations on the draft technical assessment of climate finance
and discussion of the climate finance access and mobilization strategy
Workshop Programme
Despite of the constraints presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, EAC Partner States were able to further advance the EAC Needs Based Finance Project. Based on the valuable inputs by Partner States during the Zanzibar inception workshop held in February 2020, as well as publicly available reports and data, a technical assessment on current climate finance needs and climate finance flows into the region has been completed in 2020 with support from the EAC Secretariat and UNFCCC secretariat. On 14th and 15th December 2020, representatives from Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania convened on a virtual meeting to review and pre-validate the technical work and on this technical basis continue the discussion and formulation of the regional climate finance access and mobilization strategy. The sessions were moderated by the EAC chair, supported by the consultants.
According to estimates published in countries' NDCs, the region needs USD 189 billion between now and 2030 for mitigation (USD 147 billion) and adaption (USD 42 billion) interventions in the energy, agriculture and industry sector. Jean Baptiste Havugimana, the EAC Secretariat’s Director of Productive and Social Sectors, speaking on behalf of the Deputy Secretary General, in opening the meeting remarked that the total need for addressing crucial priority trans-boundary and regional climate change issues is approximately not less than USD 2.2 billion. A common financing strategy, with the help of – but not entirely depending on - international donors, can ensure that resilience of the region is strengthened, including through instruments such as carbon taxes and a regional climate fund.
The objective of the strategy is to ensure climate finance is effectively mobilized, accessed, utilized and scaled up to contribute to achieve intended climate change goals for sustainable development in the Eastern African Community. Partner States identified working in national isolation, weak institutional capacity, limited number of direct access entities (especially those targeting the private sector) and low participation of the private sector as the key barriers to be addressed. Options for strategic actions discussed by countries to address these barriers included:
- Organizing a regular investor/donor climate change roundtable. This event can support mobilization of resources for the EAC Climate Change Fund and the priority pipeline projects.
- Establishment of institutional arrangements to enable proper coordination and coherence between Partner States and the EAC Secretariat during the implementation of the strategy. Tentatively, the strategy can be coordinated by the EAC Secretariat, however, customization and internalization to feature national implementation plans by Partner States would be recommendable.
- Capturing technological aspects of climate and environmental protection in the key result areas of the strategy in order to drive innovative approaches to addressing climate change in the region. Participants indicated that there is no strong institution in the region to exploit the technology branch of support in addressing climate change.
- Coordination by the EAC secretariat of the development of a pipeline of priority projects/programmes/investments/funds with the support of national experts and ministries. Designing regional projects or programmes through which Partner States can access climate funds and implement relevant activities.
- Establishing dedicated project preparation staff that can prepare high quality projects and share ideas with Partner States, the private sector, and interact with financiers. Relatedly, the need to enhance knowledge of funding requirements, guidelines and processes and approval time frames of the various climate funds was emphasized, in order to achieve shorter approval periods between 12 -18 months.
- Engaging in carbon markets and carbon trading schemes. Enhancing monitoring, verification and reporting systems is a prerequisite.
- Enhancing inter-ministerial and task force coordination both at national and regional levels.
Partner States reaffirmed the key principles proposed in the inception workshop, and envisioned a strategy including;
- Recommendations (key interventions) to address the climate finance gap and barriers identified by the technical assessment, and how to build relevant capacity. There was a preference to have the strategy cover a broad scope of sectors in order to catch all funding opportunities that may arise in the future.
- Key result areas focusing on the needs and interests of the East African people.
- Target to operationalize the East African Community Climate Change Fund, established under the directive of the EAC Council.
Participation
The virtual workshop was attended by around 26 participants from:
- Country representatives
- Ministry of Environment
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry for East African Community Affairs
- EAC secretariat and UNFCCC secretariat
Programme
14 December (14:00 – 17:00 EAT)
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Time
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Session
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Speakers
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13:50-14:00
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Arrival in the virtual room
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14:00-14:45
45 min
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Session 1: Opening remarks and introduction
Welcoming the participants and introduction of the virtual workshop outlining its focus.
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Jean Baptiste Havugimana, Director on behalf of Hon. C. Bazivamo, Deputy Secretary General, EAC Secretariat
Emmanuel Kamugisha, Republic of Rwanda, Chairperson
Grant Kirkman, UNFCCC secretariat
Ladislaus Leonidas, EAC secretariat
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14:45-15:15
30 min
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Session 2: Technical assessment of climate finance
An overview of key outcomes of the technical assessment undertaken, including climate finance flows from multilateral, bilateral, domestic, private and public sources and common regional needs and priorities, as identified from national climate change plans and reports submitted to the UNFCCC.
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Richard Muyungi, NBF consultant
Mario Marques, NBF consultant
Presentation
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15:15 – 16:15
60 min
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Session 3: Feedback on the technical assessment
Each country will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the technical assessment (accuracy of quantitative and qualitative data), make suggestions for finalization of the assessment, and highlight key insights.
Guiding questions:
- Does the technical assessment reflect the regional/national context sufficiently, is there anything missing, incorrect or that needs adjustment?
- Does the technical assessment reflect the main climate finance/technological and capacity building priority needs (regional/national)? If not, which priorities are missing?
- Are the climate finance flows correctly reflected or are there major differences to your national data? Please provide relevant information/data.
- Do the challenges and barriers discussed in the technical assessment cover the main challenges you have been facing in mobilizing and accessing climate finance, are there further issues you encounter?
Each country will have 10 minutes for their presentation.
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- Burundi
- Kenya
- Rwanda
- South Sudan
- United Republic of Tanzania
- Uganda
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16:15-16:45
30 min
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Session 4: Q&A
Opportunity for consultants to address questions which may have arisen during session 2 and 3, as well as for Partner States to ask and address further questions.
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All participants
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16:45-17:00
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Close of day 1
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Ladislaus Leonidas, EAC Secretariat
Grant Kirkman, UNFCCC
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15 December (14:00 – 17:00 EAT)
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Time
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Session
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Speakers
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13:50-14:00
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Arrival in the virtual room
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14:00-14:05
10 min
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Session 5: Opening day 2
Welcoming participants, outlining of the focus of the second day.
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Ladislaus Leonidas, EAC Secretariat
Grant Kirkman, UNFCCC secretariat
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14:05-14:15
10 min
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Session 6: Recap strategy elements
Recap of the results of the discussion of strategy elements held during the inception workshop in February 2020. This may be used by Partner States as a basis for further discussion.
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Mario Marques, NBF consultant
Presentation
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14:15 – 14:45
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Session 7: Country input for strategy development
Each country will have the opportunity to provide suggestions for strategic approaches to increase climate finance mobilization and access on the regional level, resulting from the technical assessment and other experience (main barriers to be addressed, financial instruments, policies, best practices), as well as other key points you wish to highlight.
Guiding questions:
- Given the determined barriers to accessing climate finance, what areas of capacity building should be of focus with the climate finance strategy?
- Which strategic elements (financial instruments, institutional arrangements, policies, best practices, …) would you recommend being included in the strategy chapter?
- What do you envision is needed for the coordination and implementation of a regional climate finance strategy?
- Do you have any further feedback to the technical assessment or process for the design and development of the climate finance strategy for the region?
- Would you like to add or suggest changes to the outline of the climate finance strategy as discussed at the inception workshop?
Each country will have 5 minutes for their presentation.
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- Burundi
- Kenya
- Rwanda
- South Sudan
- United Republic of Tanzania
- Uganda
Presentation
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14:45 – 16:30
1h, 45min
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Session 8: Discussion of strategy development
Building on the provision of input and suggestions in session 7, countries will have the opportunity to exchange views on the substantive development of the strategy. The following guiding questions can be used as orientation for the discussion.
Countries will have on average 15 minutes per question.
- How should the process of strategy drafting be designed (e.g. formation of strategy drafting group of country representatives; expert consultations; drafting by consultants; iteration of reviews)?
- Which are the main barriers to be addressed in the Strategy?
- Which are the strategic approaches and promising experiences from countries to be further explored?
- Which organizations need to be involved for support for successful implementation of the strategy (in terms of technical expertise, provision of capacity building, technical assistance in project development, investment)?
- How should a pipeline of priority climate projects/investments/transactions/ facilities/initiatives be developed and how it could further be promoted?
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All country participants
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Group Photo
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16:35 – 16:45
10 min
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Session 10: Next steps
Summary of the next steps as agreed by partner states.
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Richard Muyungi, NBF consultant
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16:45-17:00
15 min
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Closing remarks
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Daniele Violetti, Director, UNFCCC secretariat
Jean Baptiste Havugimana, Director on behalf of Hon. C. Bazivamo, Deputy Secretary General, EAC Secretariat
Emmanuel Kamugisha, Republic of Rwanda, Chairperson
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