Environment Minister Participates in Consultative Meeting of African Environment Ministers’ Conference

On 18 November, on the sidelines of the COP29 in Baku, Ms. Messaouda Mint Baham Ould Mohamed Laghdhaf, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, took part in a consultative meeting of African environment ministers in her capacity as vice president of the North African sub-region.

The meeting took place against a backdrop characterized by the issue of climate financing, a key theme of the COPs.

At the current COP29 climate conference, African countries must work and integrate with other member countries within a clear collective financing target that will replace the $10 billion per year climate financing target set in Copenhagen in 2009.

The COP needs an outcome that builds confidence, mobilizes the necessary funds, and advances reform of the international financial architecture and structure.

Developing countries, particularly African countries, which are not responsible for climate change, need these financial resources to support their resilience and adaptation efforts and minimize loss and damage.

The meeting also addressed the updating of African countries’ NDCs to ensure economy-wide coverage and encourage energy transition and the rapid streamlining of loss and damage response financing to enable these countries to access additional contributions.

The meeting reviewed the status of current consultations linked to the ongoing climate session and the need to work toward validating African countries’ position on the above-mentioned issues. It also discussed the venue for the next consultative meeting of African environment ministers, which will be held in North Africa, Libya having been chosen for the next meeting.

The African countries taking part in the Baku COP on climate change are expected to set up a carbon market that would provide additional international financing for the fight against climate change.