Transcript RECs and Green Growth - EAC Presentation

REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON INCLUSIVE GREEN ECONOMIES FOR POVERTY REDUCTION
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: From Inspiration to Action
Regional Economic Communities and Green Growth: Building Blocks for Enhanced
Sustainability
28 Feb -1 March 2015
Cairo, Egypt
Brian O. Otiende
Climate Change Coordinator
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
East African Community
[email protected]
Vision: a prosperous, competitive, secure and politically united East Africa
Outline
1. EAC’s Mandate and Integration Agenda and
Achievements
2. Regional Cooperation in Sustainable Development
and Green Economy
3. Challenges and Opportunities in Investments in
Green Economy
4. Evolving role in the context of Green Growth
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Regional Mandate & Sustainable
Development Agenda
 Regional Intergovernmental Organization of the Rep. of Burundi, Kenya,
Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda
 Area:1.82 mn Km2; Pop: 143.5mn; GDP: $110.3 bn; GDP per capita: $769
 Re-established in 1999 by the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC
 Objective- to widen and deepen social, economic and political integration
for mutual benefits of the Partner States through sectoral policies and
programmes
 Vision- A prosperous, competitive, secure and politically united East Africa
 Socio-economic and political cooperation is a requisite for a fast, balanced
and sustainable development and well being
 Sectoral development activities may have negative impacts on the
environment, leading to the degradation and depletion of natural
resources
 A clean and healthy environment is a prerequisite for sustainable
development
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Good Governance
Rule of Law
Political
Federation
Common
Market (2009)
Market-Driven
Monetary
Union (2013)
Customs
Union (2005)
People-Centred
Creation of Enabling Environment
Equitable Distribution of Benefits
Good Neighbourliness Peaceful Settlement of Disputes Mutual Benefit
Mutual Trust
Political Will
Sovereign Equality Peaceful Co-existence
Progress & Milestones
 With the establishment of the Customs Union in 2005 and the Common Market in 2010, EAC
has realized systematic and steady progress in several sectors including
– Infrastructure (roads, railways, ports)
– Energy- cross-border interconnectivity and transmission, renewable energy-geothermal
development, oil & gas discovery
– Environment & Natural Resources
– Agriculture & Food Security
– Information Communication & Technology (ICT)
– One Stop Border Post (OSBP)
– Removal on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs)
– Intra-EAC trade growth- US$3.5bn in 2009 to about US$5.8bn in 2013
– Value chain study of solar and bio energy industries
Regional Cooperation on Green Economy- Existing
Policy Framework
 Protocol on Environment and Natural Resources Management
(2006)
 Protocol on Sustainable Development of Lake Victoria Basin
(2003)
 EAC Climate Change Policy (2011), Strategy (2011/12-15/16),
Master Plan (2012-2030) and Climate Change Fund
 Agriculture and Rural Development Policy (2006) and Strategy
(2005-2030)
 EAC Food Security Action Plan (2011)
 Regional Strategy on Scaling up Access to Modern Energy
Services in EAC (2006)
 Power Master Plan;
 EAC Industrialization Policy and Strategy
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 EACPost Rio+20 Plan of Action
Challenges and Opportunities
 Lack of common understanding on green economy approaches,
potential risks, costs and benefits
• Common understanding is necessary for designing the required strategies
at a regional level that are in conformity with international best practices
 Climate change - major threat to sustainable development
• Opportunities for climate change adaptation and mitigation-climate
proofing development/climate smart development
 Lack of adequate financing
• Innovative financing mechanism include Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
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Climate Change Variability & Change
 Impacts are largely evidenced in the increasing frequency and
intensity of extreme events (climatic disasters) often leading
to massive damage to both public and private investments
and loss of lives
 Biggest threat to achievement of sustainable development
and poverty alleviation- risk of retarding/reversing
development gains
 Will continue to have disproportionately negative impacts in
Africa due to the continent’s high vulnerability due to overdependence on natural capital, low adaptive capacitiesinstitutional, technical and financial
 Economic costs to African economies is estimated at 1.5 -3%
of GDP by 2030 and is protected to rise
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Role of RECs in the Evolving Green Economy
Context
 The Outcome of the Rio+20 Summit- "The Future We Want" recognized
Partnerships and networks in adopting green economy policies and
initiatives
• Regional studies and capacity building initiatives
• Formulation and harmonization of Green Economy Policies and Strategies
• Galvanizing Public-Private Partnership- Comprehensive Dialogue
Framework (CDF)
• Leveraging finance and investments in climate change, infrastructural and
industrial development projects (EAC Climate Change Fund, EAC Carbon
Credit Exchange Platform, Infrastructure Fund and Industrial Development
Fund/Trade Facility, EAC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency-EACREEE)
• Access to Climate Change Funding- Supporting direct access of funds from
the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through
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National and Regional Implementing Entities (N/RIEs)
Conclusion
•
Despite developing countries being net emitters, climate change adaptation and
mitigation offers enormous potential to contribute to SD and GE in the context of
environmental multilateralism and the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities and capabilities
•
Adaptation opportunities exist in almost all socio-economic development while
mitigation opportunities exist in the forestry (REDD+), energy (RE &EE), industry
(CP), transport , agriculture (CSA); waste management sectors
•
Although some of the technological options can be exploited through market
based mechanisms such as Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), more strategic
financial and technological support is required in areas and options where marketbased mechanisms may not be attractive.
•
2015 offers an excellent global opportunity for strengthening linkages between the
sustainable development (SDGs), climate change (Post-Kyoto) and disaster risk
reduction (HFA-2)
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END-Thank You!