Africa, like other continents, is being severely impacted by Climate Change- from the gradual melting of glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro to drought in Somalia to decreased rainfall over large parts of the Sahel and Southern Africa to increased rainfall in most part of Central Africa, climate change is a particular threat to Africa’s economic growth and to the livelihoods of people in the continent.
The upcoming Africa Climate Week in Accra is one of the first Regional Climate Weeks to be hosted this year with the rest being Latin America, the Caribbean and the Asia-Pacific Climate Weeks.
Happening from the 18th-22nd March, the week will focus on how engagement between State and non‐State actors can be further strengthened in the key sectors for Africa and the role of future carbon markets to achieve enhanced climate action towards the goals of sustainable development.
Why should you attend the Africa Climate Week 2019?
The week will comprise a series of events that provide space for a grassroots exchange of knowledge and best practices across the region on Nationally Determined Contribution implementation, UN Sustainable Development Goals, and Global Climate Action.
Some of the key topics to be discussed during the week are;
- Practical examples of policies, initiatives and actions in Africa
- Barriers and enabling measures for engaging climate action in key sectors
- Financial instruments and regulatory frameworks
- Advancing the implementation of climate action
Enter Ghana Climate Innovation Centre
The Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) being a key stakeholder in the green ecosystem in Ghana will be an active participant in this year’s ACW 2019- from getting involved in high panel discussions to exhibiting and to hosting three side events. Find out more about our activities below;
Aside from the side events, GCIC’s Executive Director- Ms Rukayatu Sanusi, on the 18th March will participate in a panel discussion on the topic: “Adapting to Climate Change: Resilience, Security and Finance,” organized as part of Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (Gh-NDC) Investment Forum.
An integral part of activities organized under the Africa Climate Week, the NDC Investment Forum – co-convened by the Government of Ghana and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with UNFCCC – will gather government representatives from across Ghana as well as international organizations, experts and investors involved in the NDC processes and implementation to discuss key issues.
Side Event 1: Only 12 years left to bring global warming to 1.5℃ – IPCC 1.5 report and why it matters for Africa
In partnership with the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), and moderated by Dr. Abebe Haile-Gabriel, Assistant Director General, FAO, this is a panel discussion that will bring together a set of eminent African experts from academia, the private sector and UN agencies to debate and discuss how Africa can walk towards strong leadership in climate action. Experts will showcase successful initiatives of policies and measures adopted across Africa.
Date: Wednesday 20 March
Time: 13:30 – 14:15
Venue: Committee Hall II, Ground Floor, Accra International Conference Centre
Status: Open to all participants attending Africa Climate Week
Side Event 2: Green Economy = Green jobs – beyond business as usual to climate resilient development
The solutions space will showcase the Ghana Climate Innovation centre’s entrepreneurs who are pioneering innovations and solutions that have huge potential for Ghana’s mitigation and adaption to climate change. It is purposed to demonstrate what works and share practical examples.
This session will enable young budding new entrepreneurs to share their experiences and identify ways to scale up some of their best practices. It will enable GCIC to demonstrate many of the positive impacts generated from the range of green businesses, and highlight several tangible outcomes, not least the creation of green jobs, the development of green skills and the establishment of green infrastructure.
Date: Wednesday 20 March
Time: 13:30 – 14:15
Venue: Committee Hall II, Ground Floor, Accra International Conference Centre
Status: Open to all participants attending Africa Climate Week
Side Event 3: Building resilience through green business Incubation
In Ghana, trees are rampantly cut in the name of firewood and charcoal, our cars are constantly polluting the air yet we are not thinking of alternative solutions or engaging government on policies to reduce emissions. The middle- and upper-class citizens are quick to buy a generator for ‘dumsor’ (constant power outage) when we have an abundance of sunlight for solar energy and we pollute with improper disposal of plastic when we can recycle. And though the situation seems dire and hopeless, there is a gleam of hope with a new crop of entrepreneurs want to see this change.
The Ghana Climate Innovation Centre supports entrepreneurs who have innovations in the green space. Our purpose is to nurture green businesses in the areas of solar energy, renewable energy, domestic waste management, water purification and climate smart agriculture to be able to scale, to be profitable and ready for investment. Your contribution can be as simple as supporting us by using the products and services of these green entrepreneurs.
Date: Friday 22nd March
Status: Open to all participants attending Africa Climate Week
To attend, register here and you can find the ACW 2019 programme here.
The Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) is a pioneering business incubator whose objective is to support entrepreneurs and ventures involved in developing profitable and locally appropriate solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in Ghana. The Centre’s key focus is on building businesses operating within the areas of energy efficiency, domestic waste management, solar energy, water supply management and purification and climate-smart agriculture. GCIC is part of the World Bank Group’s infoDev Climate Technology Program. Supported by the governments of Denmark and the Netherlands, the Centre is managed by a consortium led by the Ashesi University College and including Ernst & Young, SNV Ghana, and the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa.
