African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN): UCLG Africa’s intervention at the discussion on : “The crucial role of methane in maintaining a secure climate future is within reach”
On the sidelines of the 18th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), a breakfast discussion was co-hosted by the governments of Senegal and the United States on “The Critical Role of Methane in Maintaining a Secure Climate Future is Within Reach” on September 15, 2022 at the King Fahd Palace Hotel.
This high-level meeting was an opportunity to:
Discuss the critical role of methane in sustaining a secure climate future and how it relates to achieving other development benefits, including food security and health.
Demonstrate Africa’s leadership on methane, including waste management, agricultural productivity, oil and gas, and the integration of methane into national climate action plans.
Discuss next steps, including Africa’s role in advancing the global conversation on methane, opportunities to accelerate action at the regional, national, and sub-national levels, and opportunities to identify funding to support accelerated action on methane.
The program had 3 tracks:
1. Opening Remarks
H.E. Abdou Karim Sall, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Senegal
H.E. John F. Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change, United States
2. The critical role of methane in keeping a secure climate future within reach
Ms. Ligia Noronha, UN Under-Secretary-General and Head of UNEP, New York Office
3. Strengths of African Leadership on Methane
Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Arab Republic of Egypt
Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana
Dr. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Kingdom of Morocco
Mr. Collins Nzovu, Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Zambia
Mr. Lee White, Ministry of Forests, Seas and Environment, Gabon
Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa
In his intervention, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, pleaded for a balance of financing between adaptation and mitigation. He also emphasized the context of extreme climate emergency that requires the revision of the mechanisms of implementation decisions to place local governments at the heart of this mechanism. He informed the audience of the new partnership between Local Government and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Initiative, which aims to reduce methane in sectors such as waste, agriculture and energy.