GLOBE at Climate Week Africa & Africa Climate Summit

GLOBE at Climate Week Africa & Africa Climate Summit

This year, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) climate weeks returned. The first one took place in Panama from 19-23 May, with the second one taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 1-6 September. This was closely followed by the second Africa Climate Summit, which took place from 8-10 September.

In our role as the Focal Point for the UNFCCC’s informal Parliamentary Group, GLOBE was on ground in Addis Ababa for the entire duration of the Climate Week and Summit. 

Coordinating Parliamentary Engagements at Climate Week and Africa Climate Summit

At the Climate Week and Africa Climate Summit, GLOBE mobilised and supported members of parliament from the continent to participate in key events and to make their input, especially on the role parliaments must play if there is any hope of success in the global drive for climate action.

This led to the involvement of MPs in several events, including the following:

Parliamentary Dialogue

The “Africa Climate Summit II Parliamentary Dialogue—Financing For Africa’s Resilient and Green Development: Parliamentary Pathways” was the flagship parliamentary event at the Africa Climate Summit. The event provided an opportunity for African MPs to discuss pathways to attracting climate finance to Africa— a critical need for  sustainable development and climate action.

Conversations focused on the Climate Prosperity Plans and how MPs can help realise them, as well as a model climate change law for Africa.  The Parliamentarians for Climate Finance project in fifteen African countries, showcased how MPs can leverage the project to unlock finance for mini and off-grid renewable energy for their constituents.

MPs from twenty African countries were on the ground to participate, share their views, and network. 

GLOBE’s role as a key mobiliser and Focal Point was emphasised, with MPs urged to sign up to GLOBE’s mailing list and multilingual newsletter, so as to stay informed about resources and vital information tailored for the parliamentary constituency.

The Parliamentary Dialogue concluded with a Communiqué that emphasises the following:

• A call on African governments to integrate and prioritise climate action as a core part of the continent’s development agenda, by mainstreaming climate resilience into national planning and budgeting, enacting or strengthening climate change laws, in line with the Model Law for Africa, to create a supportive regulatory environment, and establishing robust national climate funds and policies that attract investment. 
  
  
• A call on governments to empower parliaments in climate oversight and ensure transparency in all climate-related expenditures.
  
  
• MPs called on all African governments to implement the decisions and commitments made in regional and global forums, from increasing domestic budget allocations for climate adaptation, to protecting nature-based solutions, and fostering clean energy markets that create jobs for the people. MPs from Africa stand ready to support and push these efforts forward through their legislative and appropriation powers.
  
  
• A call upon international partners, including developed countries, donors, and multilateral Institutions, to fulfil and scale up their climate finance commitments to Africa.

Climate Councils as a Mechanism for Strengthening National Climate Governance

Organised by GLOBE partners, the International Climate Councils Network (ICCN), hosted by E3G – with whom GLOBE had jointly hosted an event with ClientEarth at London Climate Action Week (LCAW) – this most recent event saw updates on the emerging role of Climate Councils around the world, as part of the developing ecosystem promoting independent science-based climate governance.

GLOBE played a key role in sending out invitations and mobilizing MPs to participate in the event. It was also an opportunity for GLOBE to engage with and further support efforts by the South African Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) and the Nigerian National Council on Climate Change to engage with MPs. Following their responses, GLOBE stressed the need for continuous engagement and the provision of scientific advisory to guide MPs.

At the event, GLOBE emphasised the key role of MPs in ensuring that climate councils work effectively and encouraged the South African, Nigerian, and Canadian Councils to leverage engagements with MPs to improve their function. 

This vital resource is an indispensable guide for MPs on understanding the Paris Agreement’s recently-concluded Article 6 negotiations at COP29, which will inform the creation of carbon markets. The Guide provides practical tips on how to leverage Article 6 to address the climate finance gap in developing countries.

We were delighted to have the Guide author, Kalyani Inampudi, on hand as an authoritative resource and lead for dialogues with African delegations on the Guide, which is now to be translated into Swahili, Arabic, French and Portuguese for broader dissemination on the continent.

The GLOBE team contributed to numerous discussions on panels and roundtables convened by the UNDP, ICPH, ECOCIDE, Conservation International, etc., with a particular focus on this vital new resource for parliamentarians.

Calls for Increased Engagement with MPs

GLOBE was invited to speak on the topic “Parliamentary Engagement in Climate Change: Why it Matters” at a side event organised by the International Climate Politics Hub (ICPH). During the event, GLOBE discussed the critical role of MPs in advancing climate action through their constitutional roles of legislation, oversight, appropriation, and representation. This is why as Focal Point, GLOBE has continuously been the rallying point for parliaments and parliamentary networks to take action. This, GLOBE has done by hosting Parliamentary Pavilions at COPs 28 and 29, holding a Roundtable on NDCs 3.0, organising a Pre-COP30 Parliamentary Forum as an official event of of Rio Climate Action Week; holding monthly information webinars; carrying out studies and releasing knowledge resources for MPs; producing multilingual Parliamentarians@COP newsletters; etc.  

It was also an important opportunity to discuss GLOBE’s resource on Article 6 and Carbon Markets as a means of addressing the finance gap needed for the implementation of the NDCs of African countries.

From Africa to Belém, via Baku

From Climate Week Africa and Africa Climate Summit, GLOBE’s focus has now shifted to Baku Climate Action Week 2025 (29 September-3 October 2025), hosted by the COP29 Presidency and curated by GLOBE chief executive, Malini Mehra.

At BCAW 2025 we are honoured to be convening a Roundtable on Climate Laws, NDCs and Carbon Markets at the Milli Majlis, the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on Monday 29th September 2025.

Held with the support of the UNFCCC COP29 High-Level Champion, Nigar Arpadarai MP and the Milli Majlis, the Roundtable will focus on the role of climate laws and institutions, such as independent climate change advisory councils, to inform the next generation of NDCs (nationally determined contributions) and the creation of carbon markets in driving the real economy transition. Experts will discuss the best practices drawing on framework climate laws and policies from around the world to ensure a resilient and just transition to net zero by 2050.

The Roundtable will also see the launch of the Azerbaijani version of the GLOBE Parliamentary Guide to Article 6 and Carbon Markets.

From Baku, GLOBE will continue to mobilize parliamentary action and engagement with our partners as we build up to COP30 in Belém. 

Parliamentary Guide to Article 6 and Carbon Markets

During the Pre-COP30 Parliamentary Forum which took place at the Legislative Assembly of the city of Rio de Janeiro on 25th August 2025, during Rio Climate Action Week, one of the three key resources that GLOBE launched was the Parliamentary Guide to Article 6 and Carbon Markets (others are: Parliamentary Engagement in NDCs 3.0: Results of a Global Study and the Portuguese edition of Parliamentary Guide to Climate Action).