Prospects for Africa after US exits Paris climate agreement
A decade after the Paris Agreement was signed, can this year’s COP30 in Brazil get the climate agenda back on track?
Date: 2025-05-13
Time: 10:00 to 13:00
Venue: ISS Pretoria seminar room and online via Zoom
The United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is a major setback for global climate diplomacy. Since its adoption in 2015, the agreement has faced resistance, including in the aftermath of the energy crisis precipitated by the Ukraine war.
The US exit is especially significant for developing countries that struggle to secure adequate climate financing and implement adaptation strategies. This seminar will explore the implications for Africa of global climate policy shifts. Speakers will also discuss Africa’s stance going into COP30 and the continent’s pathway toward sustainable resilience and green growth.
Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.
Moderator: Dhesigen Naidoo, Senior Research Associate, Climate Risk and Human Security, ISS
Panelists:
- HE David Martinon, Ambassador of France to South Africa
- HE Benedicto Fonseca Filho, Ambassador of Brazil to South Africa
- Brian Mantlana, Lead, Holistic Climate Change Impact Area, CSIR
- Nomthandazo Mabena, Fellow, Powershift Africa
- Kgaugelo Mkumbeni, Research Officer, Climate Risk and Human Security, ISS
