CSJ participates at COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, United Kingdom

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Nigeria has joined world leaders and other civil society organisations (CSOs) in negotiations for climate change mitigation and adaptation at COP26 climate conference.

CSJ works on climate action, energy and environmental reforms and public finance management among others. The centre’s mandate is to be a principal catalyst in mainstreaming social justice in public life through policy engagement and interventions that bring about economic, political and social reforms, rights enhancement and sustainable livelihoods.

The negotiations at the climate conference were held between 31st October 2021 and 12th November 2021 at the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow, United Kingdom, under the organisation of the Climate Change Secretariat of the United Nations.

There, CSJ took part in discussions at the Nigerian Pavilion and had engagements with representatives of the Nigerian government. CSJ joined other CSOs and activists in several awareness creation events in Glasgow drawing the attention of the world to the need for every country to take steps towards achieving a net zero carbon emission.

The ‘Glasgow Climate Pact’ reached at COP 26 noted with concern that the current provision of climate finance for adaptation remains insufficient to respond to worsening change impacts in developing countries.

The agreement urged developed countries to urgently and significantly scale up their provision of climate finance, technology transfer and capacity-building for adaptation so as to respond to the needs of developing countries as part of a global effort, including for the formulation and implementation of national adaptation plans; and recognized the importance of the adequacy and predictability of adaptation finance, including the value of the Adaptation Fund in delivering dedicated support for adaptation.

The key thematic areas where decisions were reached include science and urgency, adaptation, adaptation finance, mitigation, technology transfer and capacity building, collaboration, etc. At the conference, CSJ shared her experiences and knowledge-base on budget and policy reforms for climate change mitigation and adaptation with other conference participants.

In 2009, developed countries committed to jointly mobilise $100 billion annually in climate finance by 2020 to support developing countries in reducing emissions and adapting to climate change. Data shows that these nations failed to collectively meet the $100 billion goal in 2020.

Many developing countries said they already have national platforms to deliver on their commitments but complained that finance wasn’t flowing to help them succeed.

In the end, governments agreed to reach the $100 billion annual climate finance target within the next two years and agreed that adaptation funding should double. But with the U.N. Environment Programme estimating that adaptation funds will need to quadruple by 2030 from today’s $70 billion.   

Beyond the agreement and succeeding milestones it is hoped that governments and international bodies work on how to better engage CSOs like the Centre for Social Justice in climate change mitigation projects.