WWF is working to tackle the climate crisis in a variety of ways, from encouraging governments to implement more ambitious climate policies and supporting the shift to renewable energy, to working with cities, businesses, and communities to create a climate resilient, net-zero future. We caught up with Laurent Magloire Some, head of Policy and Partnership for the Africa Region at WWF International.
Excerpts from the interview with Laurant Magloire Some
Laurant Magloire Some on Africa’s priorities at COP27
First of all, my main consolation and my main condition would be to give my colleagues who came across the network a feeling of being at home and to enjoy this. This is my first ambition and expectation. Then we have to go for our policy. Yes, we came up as a network, we set out a number of issues that we really care about, but specifically for Africa, we came up with a list which is actually in alignment with what we prioritise. As African countries, we are also listening to them. How do they plan that into our priorities?
On adaptation on Africa’s agenda
Those priorities include things like adaptation. How do we cope with the effects of a hurricane and so on? We are not prepared for that. So, we really want the international community to support us with technology, support us with the resources and the technical knowledge to cope with the negative effects. Linked to that is the loss and damages. How do we cope with the loss when a hurricane comes through and so on. Then again, we really want to ensure that this is even discussed because until now the international community has been dragging its feet, but we were happy yesterday to hear that it is on the agenda.
On certain resources particularly being allocated to Africa
Now let’s not fool ourselves because there are certain things that have not been put on the table. We have to talk about compensation issues as part of the loss and damages but not forgetting, of course, the financial mechanism that will come to ensure that those who have lost something will be compensated. So, this is another issue. This is also happening in Africa. As you can see from the international context – Africa, although belonging to this international community, has some particularity. We have all this poverty around us. However, Africa has things that it offers, like our tropical forest. We really want the international community to understand that what is happening to us is a common responsibility; but special attention should be paid to Africa in terms of how certain resources are allocated. This was somewhat agreed upon in yesterday’s agenda, although it will not be a formal discussion, it will be an informal consultation.
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