This African Union climate change and resilient development Strategy and Action Plan for the planned period form the year 2022 until the year 2032 builds on the continent’s commitment to ensuring an effective multilateral approach to addressing climate change through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement adopted thereunder, while emphasizing equitable access to sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and recognizing the specific needs and special circumstances of African countries. Through a focus on strengthening adaptation and resilience building of Member States across the continent, the Strategy identifies key priority areas, interventions, and actions to reduce the vulnerability of affected communities and manage the risks related to climate change and climate-induced extreme events. These key priority areas include enhanced governance and institutional collaboration with a wide range of state and non-state actors, policy coherence and enhanced climate knowledge systems, as well as anticipatory planning. The Strategy also seeks to enhance Africa’s capacity to respond to climate impacts through the mobilisation of domestic and international financial resources, enhancing access to technology and innovation, and developing safety nets for loss and damage. This Strategy is a 10-year strategic planning document that defines the main priorities, intervention areas and action areas required to build resilient capacities for adaptation – and to unlock the benefits of the mitigation potential of the continent. It is designed as a living document to keep pace with the latest science, technological advancements and other global, continental, sub-regional and national developments. As such, the Strategy will be revised every five years. In realization of a shared vision for a prosperous, secure, inclusive and innovative future for Africa, the Strategy builds on the continent’s commitment to ensuring an effective multilateral approach to addressing climate change through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement adopted thereunder, while emphasizing equitable access to sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and recognizing the specific needs and special circumstances of African countries. The Strategy outlines priority areas, sector-based interventions and actions for adapåtation. While prioritising adaptation, the Strategy recognizes the opportunities of adopting low-emission development pathways to develop green industrialisation and skills, and to position the continent strategically in terms of emerging economic, regulatory and technological trends. This Strategy seeks to enhance the adaptive capacities of Member States. It further seeks to promote low-emission growth pathways aligned with the 1.5 degree Paris Agreement goal, and shaped by the principles of the green and circular economy, sustainable development, and poverty reduction. The Strategy also seeks to and orient governance, knowledge systems, planning, and national/regional/ international structures to addressing climate change as a development imperative. The vision here established is “A sustainable, prosperous, equitable and climate-resilient Africa”. The general goal is to provide a continental framework for collective action and enhanced cooperation in addressing climate change issues that improves livelihoods and well-being, promotes adaptation capacity, and achieves low-emission, sustainable economic growth. The stated overall objective is to build the resilience of African communities, ecosystems and economies, and support regional adaptation. Four main specific objectives are as follows: 1. Strengthening the adaptive capacity of affected communities and managing the risks related to climate change. 2. Pursuing equitable and transformative low-emission, climate-resilient development pathways. 3. Enhancing Africa’s capacity to mobilise resources and improve access to and development of technology for ambitious climate action. 4. Enhancing inclusion, alignment, cooperation, and ownership of climate strategies, policies, programmes and plans across all spheres of government and stakeholder groupings. This Strategy identifies eight cross-sectoral opportunities that are essential for achieving climate-resilient development pathways and accomplishing the SDGs. It provides recommended interventions and actions for each priority area: 1. Transforming food systems 2. Protecting land-based ecosystems 3. Transforming energy systems 4. Transforming mobility and transport 5. Enhancing inclusive, low-emission industrialisation 6. Transforming water systems 7. Transforming the blue economy 8. Digital transformation 9. Resilience urban centres.
2022-01-01