The Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance at COP 25 in Madrid

Just five months after its official launch in June 2019 at the SB50 in Bonn, the Eastern Africa Alliance lived up to its billing at the global stage when it featured in two of the most relevant side events on carbon market mechanisms (including article 6 and carbon pricing) at COP 25 in Madrid.

The Eastern Africa Alliance together with the UNFCCC co-organized a side event on ‘Building confidence of countries in adopting carbon pricing instruments and preparing for Articles 6: The role of regional platforms’. Moderated by Dr. Karcher Silke from German’s Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU), the discussion at the event revealed that while establishment of carbon pricing instruments in smaller economies has been challenging, regional collaboration (e.g. through the EAA) among several countries with smaller economies broadens the potential of engaging in market  mechanism at a regional level.

During another side event titled ‘Article 6 from an African perspective’ held at the IETA pavilion, the coordinator of the Eastern Africa Alliance Ms. Bianca Gichangi who was one of the panelists emphasized the role the alliance is playing in facilitating coordination and knowledge exchange among member countries as they prepare to engage in article 6 implementation.

Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance appoints Regional Coordinator

Countries cooperating to support unified action for climate change is an image to behold. To build on the momentum of the Paris Climate Agreement, countries in the Eastern Africa region (Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi) have formed an Alliance to promote a common vision to foster carbon markets and climate finance in the region. Specifically, the Alliance aims to enhance the long-term position of Eastern African countries to participate in international carbon markets and increase the region’s capacities to access climate finance for implementation of their National Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Supported by the GIZ Global Carbon Market Project in East Africa on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in cooperation with the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Center Kampala, the Alliance was officially launched on 21 June 2019 on the margins of the 50th session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies meeting in Bonn.

The Alliance follows a country-driven collaborative approach to build technical and institutional capacities, which requires robust coordination and guidance. For this reason, the Alliance has appointed a regional coordinator, whose main responsibilities will be to coordinate the implementation of the alliance work plan and overall management of the related activities, representing the alliance at relevant climate fora, and reporting to partners.

The new coordinator, Ms.Bianca Gichangi, was announced at the Negotiators Pre-COP25 Forum for Eastern Africa Countries held 23-25 October 2019 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, which was held back-to-back with the meeting of the East African Alliance.

Launch of the Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance in June 2019

Several countries in East Africa refer to the utilization of market mechanisms to facilitate the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

In acknowledgment of the opportunities that Article 6 entails and the interrelated socio-economic impacts that climate change poses on the region, East African countries view sub-regional cooperation as a potential way for leveraging each other’s strengths on carbon market approaches and climate finance.

Supported by GIZ Global Carbon Market Project in East Africa on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in cooperation with the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Center Kampala, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda established the Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance.

The Alliance was officially launched during a side event of the 50th UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies sessions (June 2019). The Alliance National Focal Points, who are appointed by the member countries of the Alliance, endorsed the formal establishment of the Alliance and encouraged other countries in the extended region to seek membership. They further highlighted the importance of a common East African vision with regards to carbon markets and Article 6 as well as climate finance. This is also echoed in the specific objectives of the Eastern Africa Alliance, which are:

• Promoting a common vision on carbon markets and climate finance in the region;
• Fostering active and better-coordinated participation of delegates from the region in the UNFCCC negotiations on market mechanisms and climate finance as well as other international fora;
• Supporting readiness to implement Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Inspired by the West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance, the secretariat of the Alliance will be anchored in a local or regional institution within East Africa to provide stability and continuity. The secretariat will comprise a dedicated technical advisor in charge of coordination of its activities. During the transition period of identifying a suitable secretariat, UNFCCC RCC Kampala and GIZ Uganda are serving this role in close coordination with member countries.

Through its established network of Alliance National Focal Points, the Alliance has identified several activities aimed at supporting the member states, such as:

• The calculation of the standardized baseline for the Grid Emission Factor (GEF) for the Republic of Kenya;
• Upcoming training for East African negotiators on market mechanisms and Article 6 PA, which aims at preparing delegates for upcoming climate change negotiations during COP25 in Chile;
• A regional private sector dialogue, which aims to increase the knowledge base on carbon markets in the transition from the CDM to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement amongst the private sector.
• Several additional activities are currently in the pipeline and are being discussed with the member countries.

For more information please contact: Please contact the Secretariat of the Eastern African Alliance on Carbon Markets secretariat@easternafricaalliance.org