African Wildlife & Environment Issue 85

WESSA NEWS

relevant national and international policies. Now is also the apt time to reflect on the outcomes of the Conference of the Parties, COP28, held in Dubai in November and December 2023.With global temperatures soaring to unprecedented levels and extreme weather events affecting people worldwide, COP28 was a pivotal moment for the international community to evaluate the progress made under the 2015 Paris Agreement, a ground-breaking climate treaty. Consequently, COP28 was also a critical opportunity to recalibrate, to intensify efforts in tackling the climate crisis, and to formulate a strategic plan for substantial emission reductions and the protection of livelihoods and lives. The scientific consensus is clear: sustaining a habitable climate requires a swift reduction in the production of coal, oil and gas, coupled with a threefold increase in global renewable power capacity by 2030, encompassing wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal energy. Additionally, there is an urgent need for a significant boost in funding for adaptation and investments in climate resilience. While the COP regularly brings together leaders from governments, businesses, NGOs, and civil society collaboratively to devise tangible solutions, the surge in fossil fuel-linked delegates prompts questions about its potential impact. The quadrupling of these delegates’ numbers with 2,400 such delegates overshadowing those from vulnerable nations, raises concerns about transparency, their motives, and their influence on climate discussions. Controversies, such as COP28 president Sultan al-Jaber's ties to a state oil company, add complexity and cast more doubt on the credibility of climate discussions. The debate on engagement with corporates versus excluding them from these kinds of discussions brings up questions and strong responses, emphasizing the delicate balance between inclusivity and preserving the integrity of urgent climate action considerations. At WESSA we do believe that they should be involved and they should be making the commitments with governments at these events but they cannot be the strongest voice in the room.

19 members, with the aim of strategically aligning the sector’s voice and efforts to expand its impact in support of South Africa’s environment. The Collaboration was initiated as a collective strategy to advocate for the South African government’s support for the Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3: 30x30. The success of this advocacy, and the environmental NGO sector’s catalytic role as a partner with government in the development of South Africa’s implementation plan, demonstrated the power of this strategically aligned action. To address the scale of our environmental crisis, we need a collaborative approach that can match and have an impact on the crisis. With its skills and resources, the environmental NGO sector especially could play a significant role in solving this crisis. But to be significant we need a strengthened, better resourced, more representative, and strategically aligned environmental NGO sector to engage in a collective manner with stakeholders like government. Following on this success, and by working collectively as the environmental NGO sector, we can provide environmental and socio-economic benefits for South African – and African – communities through: • effective policy guidance and development planning • enhanced management effectiveness for conservation areas (including for protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs)), and • improved and coherent integration across all aspects of conservation with other stakeholders. This collaboration is an innovative approach for South Africa. Furthermore, the Environmental NGO Collaboration and its members are guided by robust evidence and a science-based approach and are aligned to the objectives and conventions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD)as well as other

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