EAC HQ, Arusha, Tanzania - The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA)’s Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change led by Hon. Jackeline Amongin in collaboration with the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), today hosted a crucial forum on climate change dialogue, focusing on the pivotal role of regional Legislatures in turning policies into legislation. In Recognizing the crucial role of Parliamentarians in driving climate action through legislative mandates, the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) has partnered with the Pan African Parliament (PAP) to establish the Africa Climate Legislative Initiative (ACLI), aimed at enhancing parliamentarians’’’ capacity on climate issues and legislation.
In his opening remarks, The Speaker of EALA, Hon. Joseph Ntakirutimana, applauded the EAC Council of Ministers for considering initiatives for promoting climate change in this year’s budget 2024/2025 Budget, especially, prioritizing areas under the Environment and Natural Resources including the finalization of the EAC Blue Economy Strategy and Action Plan, Review of the EAC Regional Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, and the review of the EAC Climate Change Policy Strategy.
The Speaker also acknowledged the passage of the Polythene Materials Control Bill, 2017, which called for a total ban on the use of plastic materials that threaten the ecosystem and promote use of biodegradable material in the EAC region and that EALA continues to “monitor the implementation of this law and ensure that Partner States comply with its tenets”. The Speaker urged EALA “to continue advocating for legislation that addresses climate change and to “introduce support legislation that sets out clear targets for emission reduction, promote renewable energy and promote sustainable practices”.
In her opening remarks, the Chairperson of the EALA Forum for Climate Change, Hon. Jacqueline Amongin, appreciated PACJA, a great champion for climate justice in Africa, for convening the forum. She stressed that the African continent bears the greatest brunt of the climate change despite Africa emitting minimal percentage of global emissions. She urged EALA to play a “pivotal role” in ensuring necessary actions through “legislation, oversight, and consultations”. She urged EALA to enact an EAC climate change Act to be adopted and assented into law by our EAC Heads of States.
The Deputy Secretary General of EAC, Hon. Aguer Ariik, representing the Secretary General, emphasised that climate change is “a security threat to many EAC countries” and urged EALA to take up the lead in sensitizing the region about the effects of climate change and mitigation and propose strategies to mitigate those effects. He also urged the African states and EAC In particular to stop relying on foreign funding to mitigate the effects of climate change but rather mobilise local resources to deal with the adverse climate effects.
The Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism, and Natural Resources, EALA, Hon. Francoise Uwumukiza urged members of EALA to “champion and take appropriate measures to climate adaptation, mitigation, research and the monitoring and detection of climate effects”.
The Executive Director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), Dr. Mithika Mwenda, urged EALA to “deliberate and shape the region’s collective climate change agenda” in order to be prepared for the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. He urged the region to be part of the global efforts to mitigate climate change effects.
The Forum acknowledged that Climate change continues to pose significant challenges in vulnerable countries across the continent, with the East African region being particularly affected. Extreme weather events such as droughts, heatwaves cyclones, and floods have become more frequent, leading to devastating impacts on communities. The recent adverse effects of climate change in the region underscores the urgent need for collective action.
The forum deliberated on the past conversations at continental and sub-regional levels, with focus on implementing the Paris Agreement and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Parliamentarians are tasked with providing essential legal frameworks to limit global warming to 1.5°C in line with climate in justice and imperatives.
The deliberations focused on appraising EALA members on international climate discourse processes and National Determined Contribution (NDC) implementation, sharing outcomes of the recent SB60 and PAP Summit declaration, and developing a roadmap for EALA’s engagement towards COP29 and COP30, a forum aimed at enhancing awareness and coordination.
The EALA members resolved to enhance the awareness and coordination of EALA parliamentary initiatives aimed at driving the climate change agenda in the EAC region, increase participation and visibility of EALA parliamentarians in climate dialogues, and the formulation of an action plan for future climate action processes. The event was wrapped with a tree planting exercise right behind the EALA chambers.
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For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
Nicodemus Ajak Bior
Senior Public Relations Officer (SPRO)
East Africa Legislative Assembly
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255-768-885-633/, +254729157207(WhatsApp)
Email: nbior@eachq.org
Web: www.eala.org
