CSO statement following the first workshop on: Capacity Building for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on Climate and Energy.

Lomé (Togo), March 27, 2019

We, as representatives of the civil society actors of pilot cities and signatories of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa, gathered on the occasion of the Capacity Building Workshop of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on Climate and Energy, held in Lomé (Togo) from 25 to 27 March 2019 with the objective to involve CSOs more in the development and implementation of Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs) as well as in the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative.  

Noting that:

– Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing humanity today. In sub-Saharan Africa, the population is expected to reach 2.4 billion by 2050, 55% of whom will live in cities. As a result, the high concentration of people in urban areas irreversibly induces the responsibility of cities in coping with climate change. 

– The recent reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2018) present Africa as an increasingly high-risk climate region and recall that 50-70% of the mitigation and adaptation measures are intended to be implemented at the sub-national level. 

Considering (that):

– The successful implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require the involvement of cities and municipalities that have a key role in developing strategies and implementing solutions oriented to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to people’s access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy; 

– Efforts made by all non-party entities (cities and other sub–national governments, civil society organisations, private sector, financial institutions) contribute to addressing and cope with climate change; 

– Mitigation and adaptation to climate change concerns that  the future of cities and municipalities will be conditioned by the integration of climate evolutions into long-term decisions made at the decentralized level and a more systematic use of decentralized production methods, especially from renewable resources. 

Declare that:

The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa initiative is now an appropriate framework for our cities and local authorities to: 

– Build the capacity of local authorities to understand, develop and implement action plans on climate and energy based on the realities of each territory; 

– Promote the creation of a partnership framework between cities and municipalities and civil society actors to effectively address climate change; 

– Provide CSOs with tools to technically support their cities and municipalities in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of ambitious climate andenergy action plans. 

We are committed to:

– Mobilize and sensitize other civil society organizations and stakeholders to support cities in addressing climate change; 

– Mobilize and sensitize other cities and municipalities to join the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa; 

– Accompany cities and other stakeholders in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs); 

– Participate in advocacy initiatives to improve the mechanisms for achieving the global goals of mitigation, adaptation and access to energy; 

– Build the capacities of the populations and other stakeholders for the appropriation of the problem, at local, national, regional and international levels; 

– Sensitize the population to increase their awareness and active participation in coping with climate change; 

– Capitalize on good practices and lessons learned from actions undertaken to share them with other CSOs at local, national, regional and international levels. 

We recommend:

– The recognition of African civil society representatives as key actors in addressing climate change and access to energy issues; 

– The mobilization of funding for civil society actors to be more involved in the development and implementation of SEACAPs; 

– The valorization of energy andclimate initiatives developed by civil society actors in the SEACAPs of signatory cities and municipalities of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa; 

– The establishment of a platform of African civil society organizations committed to the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Done in Lomé, on March 27, 2019 

Lists of organizations having signed this declaration 

Actions en Faveur de l’Homme et de la Nature (AFHON) – Côte d’ivoire 

Action Pour la Promotion des Initiatives Locales (APIL) – Burkina Faso 

Association Dynastie Ahala Onambelé – Youndé 3 

Association de bonne volonté – Youndé 3 

Conscience Civique Universelle (CCU) – Zou 

Citoyens Responsables – Bouaké 

Délégation Fondation Akwaba – Bouaké 

Eau Vie Environnement (EVE) – Pikine 

Groupe de Réflexion et de Réalisation des Projets d’Avenir (G2RPA) – Tsévié 

iCare -Liberia  

Jeunes Volontaire de l’Environnement (JVE) – Sénégal 

Mali-Folkecenter  (MFC) – Mali 

ONG ALDIPE – Zou 

Organisation d’Appui en Ingénierie de Développement et de Maîtrise d’œuvre Sociale (OAI-DEMOS) – Yaoundé 4 

Organisation pour l’Environnement et le Développement (OPED) – Tsévié 

Plateforme DAKCLIM – Dakar 

Young Environmental Leaders (YEL) – Liberia