Climate Change Solutions Update

Tag: Africa

  • The Breaking Point: Addressing Climate Related Health Impacts on Women and Children

    To address the significant impact of climate change on human health in Africa, African nations need to integrate climate-related interventions into maternal, newborn, and child health programs guided by the Africa CDC's frameworks. The Africa CDC is working to build capacity, strengthen policy frameworks, promote equity-centered responses, improve data systems, address funding constraints, and champion research to enhance climate resilience and improve health outcomes. With a focus on countries with high climate exposure and maternal and child mortality rates, the Africa CDC plays a central role in coordinating climate and health responses, promoting national ownership, accountability, and multisectoral coordination to achieve climate-resilient health systems in Africa.

    https://africanclimatewire.org/2026/08/climate-related-health-impacts-on-women-and-children/

  • How African off-grid solar companies are using financing deals to land mainstream investors

    Africa's off-grid solar companies like D.light and Sun King are utilizing innovative financing methods like green bonds and securitized debt to attract private capital for funding. This shift towards private capital markets signals a maturation of the market for climate financing in the off-grid solar sector. Local-currency investment is on the rise, with participation from new investors and the use of improved technology like lithium-ion batteries to reduce investor risk. While these transactions are seen as a tipping point towards wider adoption, there is a challenge in ensuring that commercial returns do not deter investors from helping the poorest households.

    https://apnews.com/article/grid-solar-renewable-energy-finance-king-3c32d55f597a397261f2fb56435cb085

  • We Need More of Africa in Global Ocean Governance

    Ocean governance is crucial for Africa's coasts and high seas, impacting fisheries, climate processes, and food security. Recent negotiations are reshaping global ocean governance, focusing on ownership, seafloor governance, decarbonization of shipping, and ending plastic pollution. The High Seas Treaty, focusing on marine biodiversity, entered into force in January. The International Seabed Authority is negotiating deep-sea mining rules, while the IMO's Net-Zero Framework aims to redesign the shipping industry. The collapse of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty poses challenges, with Africa's involvement critical for the continent's fisheries and blue economy. The Great Blue Wall initiative in the Western Indian Ocean has shown progress in restoring coastal and marine ecosystems, creating jobs, and improving climate resilience. However, global governance is crucial for its success, especially in the context of high-seas Marine Protected Areas and deep-sea mining. African states must shape these governance frameworks to protect their interests. Climate-induced declines in ocean health could cost the global economy billions by 2050, with African coastal states particularly vulnerable. Coordinated action is needed to regulate plastics, decarbonize shipping, and pause deep-sea mining for a well-governed ocean that benefits Africa.

    https://africanclimatewire.org/2026/07/we-need-more-of-africa-in-global-ocean-governance/

  • Why Africa should link nutritional data with fisheries management (commentary)

    The Our Ocean Conference in Kenya highlighted the need for countries to manage aquatic foods for people's nutrition, not just for production and trade. A new op-ed argues that African countries should focus on managing fisheries for the nutritional benefits it provides to their people. Fishers in Timor-Leste have been logging their trips and recording data on the gear used, habitats visited, and catch brought home to better understand how small-scale fishing nourishes people. The value of a catch should not just be measured in kilos, but also in the nutrients it provides to local diets. This shift in focus is crucial for inclusive development and social impact in fisheries management. Small-scale fisheries play a crucial role in delivering key micronutrients to 2.3 billion people globally. It is essential to rethink food systems investments and ensure that development institutions are investing enough in this valuable nutritional resource. By managing fisheries not only for production but also for the nutritional benefits they provide, Africa can harness its oceans for greater social impact and inclusive development. Essam Yassin Mohammed, director general of WorldFish, leads efforts to advance research and innovation in aquatic food systems to promote sustainable fisheries management.

    https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/why-africa-should-link-nutritional-data-with-fisheries-management-commentary/

  • Cinergy Mobile Power Debuts Smart, Clean Mobile Energy Solutions for South Africa’s Film and Live Events Industries

    Cinergy Mobile Power is revolutionizing the South African film industry by providing clean, quiet, and cost-effective mobile power solutions that replace diesel generators with solar-hybrid and battery-based platforms. With support from climate-focused venture capital firm Holocene, Cinergy's systems have been successfully used in film productions and off-grid events, reducing emissions and saving production costs. The company's collaboration with Netflix for season two of the One Piece series showcased the practicality and cost-effectiveness of their technology, which is expected to scale climate solutions in Africa by working with local solution providers and utilizing high-performance battery solutions from Freedom Won.

    https://cleantechnica.com/2026/07/11/cinergy-mobile-power-debuts-smart-clean-mobile-energy-solutions-for-south-africas-film-and-live-events-industries/

  • Climate adaptation in Africa needs investment, not imported solutions

    African communities are facing the harsh realities of climate change, with erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather events threatening livelihoods and food security. Despite contributing the least to global emissions, Africa bears a disproportionate share of climate consequences, leading to migration pressures intersecting with poverty and conflict. Investing in climate adaptation in Africa is not just charitable relief but crucial for economic infrastructure, with every dollar invested yielding four to five dollars in benefits. The world must shift towards investing in African adaptation to avoid repeated emergencies, instability, and lost development, as African countries have the agency, knowledge, and platforms for climate resilience but need financial support to match.

    https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/06/26/climate-adaptation-in-africa-needs-investment-not-imported-solutions/

  • Investing in movement building: How flexible funding is helping agroecology take root across Africa

    The industrial agricultural system in Africa heavily relies on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which are becoming more expensive and harmful to ecosystems and human health. Agroecology, a farming approach that works with nature, is gaining traction as a sustainable alternative to agrochemicals. Grassroots organizations in Africa are leading the movement towards agroecology, but they require flexible and unrestricted funding to drive real systems transformation. ClimateWorks and the African Climate Foundation are supporting these organizations to advance agroecology and reduce the use of agrochemicals across the continent. The grant focused on supporting grassroots leaders in Africa passionate about agroecology, providing flexible funding that allowed for the strengthening of farmer networks and building connections across regions. Local organizations and farmers were able to contextualize solutions in ways outsiders cannot, leading to the development of resilient, locally-led food systems. The importance of deep cultural and ecological knowledge in implementing agroecology was highlighted, with local knowledge informing global discourse and farmers being recognized as active co-creators of solutions. The grant facilitated the establishment of national networks to combat counterfeit agrochemicals and drive policy influence at various levels. Grassroots organizations in Africa are collaborating and learning from each other to address systemic barriers and inequalities within food systems. Trust-based, locally-led funding is seen as more effective in driving systemic change in climate philanthropy. The collaboration between organizations has led to the adoption of new technologies and practices to strengthen interventions. Securing adequate and sustainable financial resources is crucial for deepening agroecological work and reducing inequalities in rural communities. These lessons are shaping the strategy for future climate solutions. The Food and Agriculture program at ClimateWorks focuses on coalition building, narrative shifting, and mutual learning to transition to more sustainable food systems. Frontline actors are essential in these coalitions to increase political representation and create durable solutions. Diverse actors are reframing public narratives about food and agriculture to drive change. Mutual learning across regions accelerates the adoption of new ideas and practices. The program aims to create the conditions for change to be possible and support organizations in creating more sustainable food systems for future generations.

    https://www.climateworks.org/blog/investing-in-movement-building-how-flexible-funding-is-helping-agroecology-take-root-across-africa/

  • African Civil Society Calls for Climate Justice Action and Increased Finance as UNFCCC SB64 Opens in Bonn – PACJA

    African civil society organizations, represented by the PACJA, are urging a shift from climate promises to the implementation of Climate Justice actions to address urgent realities facing vulnerable communities in Africa. They are concerned about the exclusion of Loss and Damage and National Adaptation Plans from the proposed agenda of the UNFCCC's SB64, emphasizing the need to address the needs of communities already experiencing climate impacts. The PACJA's three key priorities at SB64 are ensuring climate finance delivery, advancing a just transition for Africa, and placing adaptation and resilience at the center of global climate action. They are calling for developed countries to fulfill their obligations under the Paris Agreement, support industrialization and energy access in Africa, and strengthen support for adaptation efforts in the region.

    https://pacja.org/african-civil-society-calls-for-climate-justice-action-and-increased-finance-as-unfccc-sb64-opens-in-bonn/

  • Afrika Vuka Week 2026

    Africa is facing a severe energy crisis with 600 million people lacking electricity access, exacerbated by fuel price spikes, debt distress, and food insecurity. Women are disproportionately affected, spending hours on unpaid care work. Afrika Vuka Week 2026 mobilized for clean energy advocacy rooted in people's power. The Week of Action focused on affordable renewable energy as a human right, with local communities demanding political accountability and a just energy transition. The REPower Afrika campaign emerged as a roadmap for transitioning towards community-owned renewable energy solutions, empowering African nations to lead their own energy transition. The call is for a renewable energy future that is fair, democratic, affordable, and free from debt, urging a shift towards community-led renewable energy to meet the needs of the people and build a sustainable future.

    https://350.org/afrika-vuka-week-2026/

  • Expert Opinion: Africa’s climate lessons for the world

    Professor Mabhaudhi highlights Africa's experience in managing climate volatility and argues for the continent to lead global conversations on climate and health. Indigenous knowledge, integrated water-energy-food management, and community-based approaches are key to practical climate solutions. The article calls for greater investment in African-led climate and health research, early warning systems, and long-term development financing to address the severe impacts of climate change in Africa, despite the continent contributing only 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

    https://lancetcountdown.org/news/expert-opinion-africas-climate-lessons-for-the-world/