25 April 2010: The need for Africa to speak with one voice and make itself heard at the upcoming 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the UNFCCC, to be held in Cancun, Mexico, at the end of 2010, was highlighted during a seminar on climate change and Africa organized by the World Bank.
The seminar, organized as a side event during the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings in Washington DC, US, also addressed the inclusion of soils in the carbon trade regime to ensure better land practices and food security. Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, Chair of the Africa group of climate negotiators, highlighted the significant opportunities Africa could reap from forest-related climate mitigation measures. He underlined that “deforestation contributes 20% of global emissions: if you cut deforestation in half you will have reduced emissions by 10%.” [World Bank Press Release]