US, Global North trying to silence Africa at climate change talks —HOMEF

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) is concerned that the US and other Global North countries may be bullying African countries in order to obstruct discussions on fossil fuel industry interference at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

HOMEF is therefore calling on delegates from the African region attending the experts meeting on the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany to join the Least Developed Countries (LDC) in saying no to corporate bullying and demand a Conflict of Interest (COI) policy as a framework of checks and balances for all non-party stakeholders.

This, the group said, will help weed out those that greatly contribute to the climate crisis that use their access within the space to weaken policy.

HOMEF, in a statement signed by Philip Jakpor, Head, Media and Campaigns, Environmental Rights Action, and made available to Ecoscope, observed that African negotiating block spoke strongly in support of the COI policy in the climate negotiations last year, and now openly opposes the same recommendation.

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An environmentalist of renown and Executive Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey said: “The U-turn by the African negotiating bloc on the COI issue is suspicious. It is disheartening that an issue as important as protecting the climate negotiations from industry meddling is now subjected to a carrot and stick experiment by US and countries of the Global North.”

Bassey said that the disappointing position of the African delegation on the COI issue in the Bonn talks gave little hope for impacted citizens of Africa who look up to them to lift off the heavy burden of the climate crisis.

According to the statement, the US has a long track record of bullying the Global South, using development aid and other leverage points to silence countries.

Given its opposition to this policy over the last four years, Bassey questioned whether the US was up to its old tricks again, especially given the US’ veiled threat in response to the LDC’s position that a conflict of interest policy would somehow harm parties with great interest in renewable energy, knowing that this was an area of interest to developing countries.

“A COI framework is key to keeping big polluters and their allies out of the room to pave way for real solutions to the climate crisis. Now is the time for African governments to take a stand. Enough is enough,” he said.

The HOMEF leader commended Uganda for braving the odds to become the lead voice for a COI policy and framework in the LDCs, insisting that what delegates from other African countries should do is support the LDCs to save Africa.