International Climate Change Regime and the Paris Agreement: Lessons from China and Strategies for Ensuring Sustainable Economic Development in Africa

Abstract

Asian countries benefitted immensely from the Kyoto Protocol’s flexibility mechanism such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and its potential to foster sustainable development. However, Africa did not benefit substantially from CDM. The CDM was specifically designed to achieve two purposes- to assist developed countries achieve their emission reduction commitments in a cost-effective manner and to foster sustainable development in developing countries. Several assessments by both the UNFCCC and other stakeholders, on the success of the CDM, indicates that although the CDM has proven effective in engaging East Asian countries in mitigation efforts, it has been less successful in engaging Africa. As a result of this disengagement, Africa accounts for only two percent of CERs generated. In comparison China, India and Brazil accounted for more than 70 per cent of the abatement from CDM projects by 2012. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change include mechanisms built in to assist developing countries to achieve sustainable economic development, poverty alleviation, capacity building, adaptation to climate change and to contribute their fair share to reducing GHGs. Taking a cue from the inability of African countries to fully tap into the sustainable development benefits of the CDM, and the lessons that can be learnt from East Asian Countries’ effective engagement with the CDM, this paper aims to highlight how African countries can tap into the sustainable development opportunities in the Paris Agreement. The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) offers a tremendous opportunity for integrating climate issues into the broader macroeconomic policies and strategies of African countries; work towards achieving the sustainable development goals; and sustainable economic transformation.