Greetings from Regional Collaboration Centre for West and Central Africa (RCC WAC), a partnership between the UN Climate Change secretariat and the Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD).

This newsletter is meant to share climate action news from the West and Central Africa region, including highlights of our events, updates about the RCC team and opportunities for stakeholders.

You can reach out to us with any questions and partnership opportunities by emailing us at RCCWACAfrica@unfccc.int.

Your Partner in Climate Action,

The RCC WAC Africa Team

Africa Climate Week 2023 in September

Africa Climate Week 2023 (ACW 2023) will take place from 4 to 8 September in Nairobi, Kenya. The Climate Week is organized concurrently to the African Climate Action Summit from 4 to 6 September also hosted by the government of Kenya.

ACW 2023 offers a platform for policymakers, practitioners, businesses and civil society to exchange on climate solutions, barriers to overcome and opportunities realized in Africa.

Visit Africa Climate Week 2023 for more information

During each of the Regional Climate Weeks 2023, the RCCs will host Regional Dialogues on Carbon Pricing, Article 6 Training and DNA Forums, The first one will take place next week in Nairobi from 4 to 7 September with RCC WAC and RCC East and South Africa (RCC EAS).

Over four days, the event will provide an overview of carbon pricing and international compliance, voluntary carbon markets, and a deep dive into Article 6.4 mechanisms and Article 6.2 cooperative approaches. 

This opens opportunities for DNA representatives (both of the CDM and Article 6.4 DNAs) and national carbon market experts to exchange views, share experience, and bring forward common challenges and issues related to carbon pricing and operationalization of the Article 6.4 mechanism.

Find more information on the regional dialogues on the UN Climate Change website

Blending Climate Finance and Carbon Markets for Enhancing Climate Action

The West African Alliance on Carbon markets and Climate Finance (WAA) and Climate finance innovators Project will host a side event at ACW in Nairobi on 7 September.

The event will highlight how synergies between climate finance and carbon markets in Africa can enhance climate finance mobilization and effectiveness of implementation.

The event will also provide the opportunity of a dialogue with regional expert audiences from both public and private sector representatives, as well as international organizations.

Africa's Enhanced Transparency Framework Readiness Seminar

The UN Climate Change secretariat and RCC WAC Africa are working closely with AfDB and its NDC Hub partners to co-organize a seminar on Africa's readiness for the operationalization of the Enhance Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement (ETF).

The seminar will take place on 5-7 September in Nairobi Kenya and aims to enhance the understanding of African countries' ETF commitment and modalities, Procedures and Guidelines of ETF.

It will help to identify the needs, challenges and priorities of African countries relating to the ETF, with a view to enabling partners to take the necessary steps to respond to them, including in 2024.

Visit our website for more information on the Seminar

Climate Finance Workshop for ECOWAS Member States

As part of a collaborative effort led by ECOWAS, WACMCF and the UN Climate Change Secretariat, a comprehensive training initiative was organized in Bonn 22-25 August.

This unique program was facilitated by key players in the Financial Mechanism realm, including GEF, GCF, AF, and other accredited entities, with the objective to provide a deeper understanding of project development, structuring, and submission as required by each fund or institutions, to further develop a pipeline of project draft concept proposals for the region.

The forum sought to enable government participants to access the needed finance for priority project proposals for the region.

The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), the Business Partnership for Market Implementation (B-PMI) and the West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance (WAA) will organize a workshop in Abidjan to take place 26-28 September.

This workshop aims to encourage private sector engagement with carbon markets in west Africa by highlighting challenges and opportunities, sharing knowledge and raising mutual awareness on priority actions in the region.