Egypt, AUDA to establish the African Center of Excellence for Climate Resilience

CAIRO – 3 December 2023: Egypt will host and establish the African Center of Excellence for Resilience and Adaptation to the Impacts of Climate Change in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), this came on the sidelines of COP28.

The primary objective of the center is to equip Africa with the necessary tools and capabilities to enhance its development sectors in a sustainable and meaningful way by adapting to the effects of climate change.

The agreement signed by the Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, and the CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, Nardos Bekele.

Egypt's decision to host the center aligns with its presidency of the African Union and its commitment to strengthening adaptation efforts across the continent.

Additionally, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi held discussions with the CEO of AUDA-NEPAD to further support African countries in fulfilling their commitments outlined in the AU Agenda 2063.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), around 1.3 billion Africans will need to adapt to climate change by 2030, a number projected to increase to 3.2 billion by 2050.

The UNEP's Adaptation Gap Report 2022 estimates that Africa requires approximately $50 billion annually for adaptation financing from 2021 to 2030.

Recent reports by the Climate Policy Initiative and the Global Center for Adaptation reveal that Africa received an average of $29.5 billion in climate finance commitments annually in 2019 and 2020.

The UN Economic Commission for Africa's analysis highlights a significant challenge in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The continent requires an annual investment of USD 1.3 trillion, but falls short due to trade and grant aid revenue, resulting in an annual deficit of USD 200 billion.

Fouad emphasized that Egypt's key focus during COP28 is the implementation of recommendations from COP27. This includes the establishment and activation of the Loss and Damage Fund, which aims to secure contributions from G20 countries, G7 countries, and other developed nations.