Addis Ababa, 5th June 2023 – The African Union (AU) is taking critical steps towards fostering a sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and effectively managing the impacts of climate change across the continent. The AU Green Recovery Action Plan (GRAP) is a comprehensive strategy designed to promote green initiatives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment, and enhance resilience to climate change. The AU is committed to continue spearheading the implementation of this ambitious plan, which provides a strategic framework for sustainable economic recovery.
Through the generous co-funding of Global Affairs Canada and the Global Green Growth Initiative (GGGI), a new project has been launched to help operationalize the GRAP by focusing on policy knowledge and capacity building for green growth, with an emphasis on climate finance. This collaborative effort is the first of GGGI’s planned four work packages and aims to drive positive change and accelerate sustainable development in Africa.
To ensure effective implementation of this project, a Project Steering Committee (PSC) has been established by GGGI in collaboration with Canada, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF). The PSC convened on June 5th in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to provide guidance and direction for the project’s activities. During this meeting, the committee reviewed the project’s annual work plan, budget, and results-based reporting, as well as set the stage for the successful execution of the GRAP.
The project’s goal is to improve the economic and climate resilience impacts of African populations, with a particular focus on women and young people, who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this, there are three key intermediate achievements: strengthening the AUC capacity to implement the GRAP, enhancing the skills of national and regional policymakers to develop inclusive green growth policies aligned with their climate change frameworks, and facilitating access to climate finance for Africa’s green recovery, with a special emphasis on initiatives supporting women and youth.
The PSC meeting in Addis Ababa serves as a pivotal moment to advance the implementation of the AU GRAP and foster a sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The AU has reiterated its unwavering commitment to collaborating with its partners to drive green initiatives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard Africa’s environment, and build resilience in the face of climate change. With a dedicated focus on enhancing the economic and climate resilience of African populations, particularly women and youth in the post-COVID-19 era, the PSC is providing invaluable guidance for the successful implementation of the AU GRAP.
Contacts
Ms. Nagnouma Kone
Senior Business Development Lead,
GGGI- African Regional Office
nagnoum.kone@gggi.org
Mr. Pramodh Chundurduth Debipersad
AU GRAP Project Manager, (GGGI- Africa Regional Office)
pramodh.debipersad@gggi.org
Ms. Leah Wanambwa
Senior Policy Office and AU GRAP Focal Point
Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy
African Union Commission
WanambwaL@africa-union.org
Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
About the African Union (AU)
The African Union is a continental body consisting of 55-member states located on the African continent. The AU’s primary goal is to promote peace, security, and sustainable development across Africa, while ensuring the well-being and prosperity of its people. It is guided by its vision of “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.” And founded on the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union.
About the Global Affairs Canada Pan-Africa and Regional Development Program
Global Affairs Canada manages Canada’s diplomatic and consular relations with foreign governments and international organizations, engaging and influencing international players to advance Canada’s political, legal and economic interests. This includes: poverty reduction, the empowerment of women and girls, the promotion of a rules-based international order, international peace and security, human rights, inclusive and accountable governance, peaceful pluralism, inclusion and respect for diversity, and environmental sustainability. Global Affairs Canada’s Pan-Africa and Regional Development Program helps build an integrated, prosperous, resilient, inclusive and peaceful Africa. Canada values its strategic regional partnerships with key African institutions such as the African Union, the African Development Bank and the UN-Economic Commission for Africa.