Tensions over climate financing resurfaced at Africa’s biggest environmental meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign aid cuts. But environment ministers at the gathering in Nairobi, Kenya, managed to agree on a way forward to reset the continent’s development agenda.
At the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, or AMCEN, they committed to exploring innovative finance to address pressing challenges that undermine Africa’s efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Those challenges include climate change, biodiversity loss, drought, and plastic and chemical pollution.
The commitments were adopted as part of the Tripoli Declaration on Environmental Action in Africa — in which countries also pledged support for the proposed Global Plastics Treaty to tackle plastic pollution across its entire lifecycle.
About the author
David Njagi
David Njagi is a Kenya-based Devex Contributing Reporter with over 12 years’ experience in the field of journalism. He graduated from the Technical University of Kenya with a diploma in journalism and public relations. He has reported for local and international media outlets, such as the BBC Future Planet, Reuters AlertNet, allAfrica.com, Inter Press Service, Science and Development Network, Mongabay Reporting Network, and Women’s Media Center.
