COP 24: Africa Asks for Balanced and Robust 'Rulebook'

Katowice, Poland

Ayoola Afolakemi Kassim | 11 December 2018

As countries negotiate over the so-called rulebook of the Paris Agreement during the 24th Conference of Parties (COP 24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), African countries are asking for a balanced and robust set of guidelines that will define how climate action is implemented, and accounted for, over the coming decades.

The rulebook, an important guide for all countries including countries in Africa, is also expected to articulate guidelines on how to report on finance for climate action and other obligations of developed countries under the Paris Agreement. Under the Paris Agreement, governments also agreed to keep the increase in global average temperature to "well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with a target to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius."

At COP24, least developed countries in particular urged wealthy nations to make it clear that they intend to support developing countries with increased finance in order to help them adapt to climate change.

Ayoola Kassim reported from the COP24 in Katowice, Poland, with the support of the 2018 Climate Change Media Partnership, a collaboration between Internews' Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Foundation. The full report follows.