Bonn, Germany, June 6, GNA – The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) has called for a decisive shift from climate commitments to implementation.
They said vulnerable communities across the continent could no longer wait as climate impacts intensified.
“The era of promises must give way to the era of delivery. Climate ambition without implementation cannot protect vulnerable communities,” Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Chair of the AGN, made the call ahead of the 64th Sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB64) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Dr Amoah said Africa would enter the negotiations united and determined to secure outcomes that responded to the continent’s realities, including prolonged droughts, devastating floods, cyclones, rising temperatures, food insecurity, water stress, disease outbreaks, and growing economic losses.
Against this backdrop, he outlined four priority areas that would guide Africa’s engagement at SB64.
On climate finance, Dr Amoah said African countries remained concerned about attempts to weaken discussions on Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, which placed obligations on developed countries to provide financial support to developing nations.
He stressed that climate finance should not be viewed as charity but as an agreed international commitment to support adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, and climate-resilient development.
“Africa cannot continue to hear promises while communities struggle without the resources needed to implement adaptation and resilience measures,” he said.
On adaptation, the AGN Chair described the issue as a matter of survival for Africa and called for increased support to protect livelihoods, food systems, infrastructure, health systems and ecosystems.
He said the continent would continue to push for progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation, the Baku Adaptation Roadmap and the Belém–Addis vision, particularly on implementation support.
Adaptation must receive equal political attention and financing as mitigation efforts, he added.
Addressing loss and damage, Nana Amoah said African countries continued to bear increasing costs from a crisis they had done little to cause.
While welcoming progress made through the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, he argued that current capitalisation levels remained inadequate to meet the needs of developing countries.
He called for a fully capitalised fund supported mainly through public and grant-based finance and designed to provide simplified and direct access to vulnerable communities.
“Addressing loss and damage is not an act of generosity. It is a matter of responsibility, equity and climate justice,” he said.
On just transitions and sustainable development, the Chair said Africa supported climate action that created jobs, expanded energy access and strengthened industrialisation.
He cautioned against approaches that could place additional burdens on developing countries or restrict their policy choices.
He also expressed concern about emerging climate-related trade measures and unilateral actions that could create barriers to trade, investment and economic transformation.
“Climate action must not become a tool for protectionism,” he said.
Nana Amoah further highlighted the links between climate change, public health, food security, peace and security, stressing that Africa remained committed to multilateral cooperation and consensus-building.
He said while the continent would continue to engage constructively in negotiations, it would remain firm in defending the interests and expectations of African citizens.
“The world cannot continue to ask Africa to be patient while climate impacts intensify. The time for implementation is now. The time for delivery is now. The time for climate justice is now,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
6 June 2026
Writer: Albert Oppong-Ansah
Email: [email protected]