Emerging economy experiences in decarbonization through carbon capture and storage (CCS) and relevant lessons that could be learned by African countries from the experience of the US, Norway, the UK, and Canada were the focus of a side event at the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference.

During the 10 November event, Brad Crabtree, US Department of Energy, said CCS provides opportunities for Africa to develop and industrialize in a manner that involves a much lower carbon footprint. He described how the development of climate change policies, carbon management technology, and infrastructure in the CCS value chain, along with funding commitments by the government, allowed the US to develop its CCS industry. He added that Nigeria and Kenya will join the US and other countries in launching CO2 removal initiatives.

Katherine Romanak, University of Texas at Austin, expressed confidence that subsurfaces can hold CO2 naturally based on a study of 30 ongoing projects globally. Also discussed during the event were:

• South Africa’s Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage pilot project funded by the World Bank and the South African government;
• the upcoming launch of Nigeria’s Africa Center of Excellence for Carbon Management and Technology Innovation, which will serve as a platform for knowledge dissemination and become a “one-stop shop” for policymakers and industries;
• CCS as a business opportunity that can create a new industry in Africa for the “decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries”;
• the ongoing need to reduce the risks in CCS development, which can be achieved through government support as a partner or guarantor or by providing support mechanisms to reduce risks; and
• the importance of CCS in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of large-scale industries. 

The event was organized by the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEAGHG), the University of Texas at Austin, Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), International CCS Knowledge Centre, and Bellona.

A French-language event, which also took place on 10 November, explored how governments can better coordinate their actions on agriculture and climate at the national and global levels from the perspective of Francophone countries. Speakers argued that food security must become central to discussions on climate adaptation.

In keynote remarks, Geoffroi Montpetit, Administrator, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), noted the impact of COVID-19 and rising food commodity prices on poorer regions, citing a “worrisome” International Monetary Fund (IMF) study that estimates that tackling food insecurity will require USD 50 billion dollars. He explained the goals of Nexus, an OIF project that aims to create synergies among Francophone actors working in the areas of agriculture, water, biodiversity, and climate change, among others.

The event was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), in collaboration with the Governments of Quebec, Senegal, and Haiti, and the Institut de la Francophonie pour le Développement Durable (IFDD).

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) is covering selected side events at the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference in Egypt, which runs through 18 November 2022.