UNDP press conference 14 December 2020

[Other language spoken]

So we're, we're extremely lucky today because we, we've got with us Huna Isaac Onva, who is the director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa.

She's going to walk you through the main findings of the latest human development report and and most importantly, the implication of the conclusion for the African continent.

And she will speak for about two 1215 minutes as usual and then we'll open for question and answers.

Ahuna, the the floor is yours.

Thank you very much, Sarah and let me wish you all of you a good afternoon and good morning from New York.

Thanks for coming to this press conference where we today introduced to you key messages that are relevant to Africa on a ground breaking global report, the Human Development Report 2020, which we will be publishing tomorrow.

You know, 30 years ago UNDP challenged the world to look at progress from the lens of the things that we value.

At that time we proposed the first Human development report offering a forward-looking alternative to Gross domestic product, GDP.

The focus was really to rank all countries by whether people had the freedom and opportunity to live a life that they valued.

And in so doing, we gave a voice to a new conversation on the meaning of well-being and the ways we could achieve it.

Today, on the 30th anniversary of the Human Development Report, as the world battles unprecedented global pandemic, the COVID-19 UNDP once again offers new thinking on how we can solve a complex multiplicity of global challenges, such as the rupturing inequalities that we see record numbers of people who are forced from their homes by conflict and disasters, and most of these caused by planetary pressures.

In this geological epoch of the age of humans, or what is now known as the Anthropocene, we we have seen more than ever before that the pressures that humans have put on planet Earth have grown so exponentially that the Earth is actually rejecting them for the first time in a relationship that spans 300,000 years.

Instead of the planet shaping humans, we're seeing humans shaping the planet, and we have done so irresponsibly.

This Anthropocene confirms that human activity has been the dominant influence of climate and the environment.

the US Secretary General recently described this as humanity facing a climate suicide.

We are not the last generation of the Anthropocene, but we are perhaps the first to recognise it.

So before us is really a choice.

Shall we continue with fossil fossil fuel based economies which have caused the loss of numerous species, long extinct, sunken and fossilised in the mud alongside plastic toothbrushes and bottle caps?

Or shall we choose the life of value, where we balance between people and planet and vote for a future that is fair, just and also sustainable?

In this report, which is titled The Next Frontier Human Development and the Attribacy, UNDP sets out this choice, offering an alternative to paralysis in the face of rising poverty and inequalities alongside alarming planetary change.

UNDP therefore proposes a new experimental Planetary Pressure Adjusted Human Development Index index as a means to open a new conversation on the path ahead of each country, a road that is not yet travelled.

The report argues that we must redesign a path to progress that respects the intertwined fate of people on planet and recognises that the carbon and material footprint of the people who have more is really choking the opportunities of the people who have less.

4000 generations could live and die before the carbon dioxide released from the industrial revolution today is scrubbed from our atmosphere, for our countries could experience up to 100 extra days of extreme weather each year within our lifetime before and because of the climate crisis.

We believe that that number could still be cut in half if the Paris Agreement is fully implemented, for instance.

So first, the report confirms that Africa, the Africa region, is disproportionately affected by the pressures on the planet, and yet it contributes to the what it contributes to the problem is actually negligible.

Several examples come from this.

The impact of climate change, for instance, is now being felt in the form of frequent and more severe droughts, floods, food insecurity, oil spills and more.

The global community needs a new development partnership with Africa to fight back some of the setbacks on the continent's development that's occasioned by planetary pressures that are caused elsewhere.

So let's say take drought, for instance.

Africa is expected to experience a 10% decline in rainfall by 2050, which will push massive migration.

Countries like Somalia and Ethiopia have already seen severe drought as episodes, forcing entire communities to move.

Nature's ability to meet people's needs is declining and it's declining fast at a time where people's needs for nature are actually now greatest.

So the global food insecurity in on the continent for instance, we're seeing actually globally we're seeing food insecure population reaching 2 billion just in one year in 2019.

And Africa is coming out as the most affected continent with 34 countries relying on external food aid in 2019.

Resolving this will require investments in green technologies to trans to transform agriculture on the continent.

Women working in agriculture, for instance in Africa, depend on forests, they depend on land, they depend on rivers and they depend on rainfall for their livelihoods, all vastly affected by climate change.

And the likelihood of female migration increases with the severity of food insecurity.

So we look at oil spills for instance, also on the rise in the Niger Delta, in Nigeria, in in Mauritius just this year we saw that devastating event.

This confirms that as Africa transitions from brown to green economies, there is need for a global consensus and global solidarity to pivot away from production system that emphasise extractives and move more into the direction of diversifying economies.

The second impact on Africa that we see on relevance for Africa is that Africa African countries are scoring much better that advanced and developed nations on the new Planetary Planetary Adjusted Human Development Index and this should be recognised and credited through new international support measures to boost development on the continent.

Worldwide, for instance, only four countries are within limits for all 5 indicators of planetary boundaries per capita or per area unit, 3 of them from the African Region, Gambia, Ghana and Rwanda.

Africa is therefore leading the way in how to better steward a planet and this should be both recognised and credited in Ways and Means that can deliver development dividends for Africans.

International cooperation, for instance in the form of green investment should be favoured should be favoured for these and other countries that are moving in this direction, especially in industrial sectors that are key for the structural transformation of Africa and for its diversification away from fossil fossil fueled fossil fuel based economies.

The report confirms that the loss of human development index due to carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint per capita as reflected in the what we now call the PHDI is the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa at 1.5%.

But this impressive performance is not yet reflected in overall improved performance on the HDI because of the development challenges with low human development and significant inequalities that continue to prevail in this region.

And this means that in spite of the impressive performance that we see on that new index, the impact of the pressures have felt stronger with significant social welfare costs.

In fact, 29 sub-saharan African countries remain in the low human development category, including this star performance that I just mentioned in the new planetary adjusted index.

The 3rd and final message that I think is relevant for Africa in this report is that Africa can actually lead in showing the world the best practises in managing this new geographic geological epoch of the Anthropocene.

So how can Africa do that?

I think we look at the social norms and values that are that dominate life on the continent, the knowledge systems that are rooted in African philosophy, history and culture.

They all hold strong potential to enrich sustainability and they and they should inspire policies around the world.

These, I think we can count many examples, but I can just mention one of them.

For instance, is that the Maasai pastoralist culture in East Africa, which frowns on the ***** of land, animals and plants and promotes use, responsible use of only the resources that are needed, not their overconsumption.

In Central Africa we see the backup people's practises in preserving food production systems, in community staples and also land restoration.

And there are complex examples that we feel need to be need to be studied.

So, you know, how does Africa navigate the challenges of the Anthropocene?

And we can discuss this in the Q&A, but I just wanted to say that amidst this double complexity of the COVID-19 recovery, there are no easy answers.

This is especially so given that Africa's weak industrial base, need for structural transformation and the legitimate concerns around just transitions are still with us.

So let's not forget that the Anthropocene is also overlaid on existing massive inequalities in human development, with Africa recorded still the highest levels of inequality.

And these are all the factors that need to be brought in.

But let me say that the African Union's 2014 strategy of climate change, which provides A20 year framework, calls for a recognition that Africa has not caused this problem and should therefore be effectively resourced through partnerships that scale up technology and financing, reflecting the historical contributions to greenhouses, greenhouse gases and others.

And at UNDP, we actually, and I close with this, we believe that the international community has a key role to play in partnering with African governments, private sector and communities to ensure that the technology that is needed to transform the continent in onto a path that is green in its industrialization is available.

That has to be assured otherwise Africa will have no other option but to go the way other countries have gone in in, in promoting their industrialization and growing their economies.

Let me stop there Sarah, and, and maybe you open it up over.

Thank you very much Ahuna, for this overview of the report.

I, I want to tell our friend generally in the room that I'll be happy.

I'll be happy to share with them the the complete report under embargo with all the statistics that Ahuna mentioned in the the ranking as well of the different countries and how the planetary pressure and new index affect that ranking.

Now let's open the the floor for question.

I don't see yet any hand.

So while the journalists in the room are preparing for that question, maybe we could come back a little bit on the, on the statistics on Africa and, and you know more specifically on, on this new index and how it informs the the way forward for, for the continent.

So I don't know if you, Ahuna, or if Raymond can walk us through a couple of key statistics.

And really, yeah, maybe I could ask Raymond to come in there and give some of those specifics.

[Other language spoken]

Raymond, are you online?

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

The client adjusted HDI, as Ahuna mentioned, is a way for us at UNDP to challenge the development community afresh to look at development pathways and development prospects from a new perspective.

As the regional director rightly pointed out, for centuries, millennia, it has been the environment influencing that and I think we've now come to the realisation that man's impact on the environment is so profound that it's not just a challenge in terms of the environmental sustainability questions, but also undermines development prospects along across the board.

The implanetary adjusted HDI has two new components.

First it looks at carbon dioxide production per person from a production perspective, and then it looks at the material footprint, that is how, how much of, of the planet's resources are required for each item of consumption.

And the, and the, these two, these two variables, although then they, they, they don't encompass the entirety of mankind's influence on the planet.

These two variables give us some insight into, in terms of how we produce things and how we consume things, the effect that it has on the, on the, on, on development prospects.

There are two things to look at when it comes to this particular index.

And the first is that it kind of shows which countries and regions are doing better in terms of the human development when you look at it from Environmental Prism.

But secondly and quite interestingly, in the report, we've calculated the traditional HDI and the planetary adjusted HDI for all countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

It was calculated for 43 countries and the difference between the HDI and the PHDI we see as the extent of the losses incurred because of the planetary adjusted impact.

Globally, the average loss is 7.3%.

In Africa, which is the lowest, it's 1.5%, ranging from Botswana having 13.3 to Madagascar having 0.4.

And what does this tell us?

It tells us that firstly, as the Vice Division director rightly pointed out, Africa is not the major contributor but if you look at the development impact on Africa, Africa suffers, is affected disproportionately.

That's why on the second point you think about in a post conflict dispensation, how is Africa going to move forward?

Are we asking Africa to embark upon Mission Impossible?

Because the investments required to address this, these issues, particularly the material footprint issue do not only reside on the continent.

Because the material footprint gives an idea not just of consumption in **** higher income parts of the world, but it gives an idea of the pressures of the supply chain for consumption.

I see you're looking at a chocolate bar for instance, It's not just consumption in in Europe or United States or Asia.

It is the pressure it puts on the producers all through the manufacturers to get to end consumption.

And so when we're thinking about how do we address whether it is the material footprint or CO2 per capita, we have to look at a more holistic range of, of interventions that would ensure that not just the reduction of the gap between the traditional HDI and the PHDI, but how to see African countries climbing up the wrong in terms of development in a way that is sustainable, but also in a way that is globally comprehensive and realistic.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, Raymond.

I don't see any question from, from the room.

So, Aruna, if you allow me, I've got a question actually from one of our colleague and, and she, she was very interested for you to potentially develop a little bit more on what were the, OR what are the lessons that Africa can share with the rest of the world on balancing people and planets.

And, and for instance, how can countries like Nigeria that depend heavily on fossil fuels can transform their economies to to reach that?

You know, in the graph where we see the, the, the new index to see the blank part of the graph.

Over to you, Ahuna.

[Other language spoken]

I think, you know, we need to well, should I go on mute?

[Other language spoken]

No, thanks for that question.

You know, there are so many of these examples.

I was, I was reviewing the list and it's quite staggering in terms of the number of countries in Africa that are really going into these practises of, of a balance.

It's embedded in cultures.

It's just that development practises sort of walked away from this.

We see several of these practises in Kenya, in Tanzania, in in, in, in Ethiopia, all of these countries using traditional cultural means to create this, this, this balance.

And I think it should be studied further and, and recognised in, in policy making corridors, you know, rather than just relegated, you know, the whole concept of preserving natural resources on the land of, of communities using the, this, this the strength of a culture and tradition to cut the excesses of, of modernity.

You know, it really that's creating that balance.

It needs to be recognised not as a kind of a peasant practise.

It really needs to be recognised as a leading policy direction for for, for this case to be resolved.

And I think one of the strongest ways that the investments could begin to, to, to have the kind of impact you talk about Nigeria, for instance, you know, being supported to relaunch its economy away from just their dependence on the, on the primary product of oil, which is heavy extraction.

You know, that diversification requires public private partnerships.

It needs development financing, it needs green financing.

It needs to take into account what we discussed as just transitions.

A lot of these countries, South Africa included, will struggle with making those transitions.

Advanced countries struggle with it.

So let alone countries that still have this burden of reducing poverty.

I mean, in in many of these countries, we're not just talking about the luxuries of life.

We're talking about basic needs being met, of feeding the people, of providing electricity to power both households and industry.

So these are not even sort of the excesses that's that are, you know, creating the the unbearable pressures on the planet.

So, so how, how does Africa's economy sustainably grow?

Because without that economic growth and the consequent impact on livelihoods, you're, you're looking at a continent that will very soon constitute 30% of the world's population being left to face disasters upon disasters that will have significant repercussions on the rest of the world.

If you're 30% of the world population, people better pay attention to what's happening to that population.

It's a region where the world cannot afford crisis at the levels that that could be possible if things don't change.

So, you know, things like we talk about sort of the natural endowment of the continent of renewable energies, for instance, this is a huge opportunity that the world could leverage to say, you know, let us invest in a in Reed is, for instance, de risking the the investments of private sector in the energy in the renewable energy sector, because you take a certain level of risk and a lot of private companies don't want to go there.

So how does development financing come in to do that de risking work that is needed.

So all of these, you know, opportunities can be leveraged to, to really support a sustainable growth of African economies.

And, and, and that has to be done with the idea that the growth, economic growth must have dividends for human development.

We cannot see for instance, we can't, we cannot anymore afford jobless growth, which we've seen recorded in several countries on the continent.

So accompanying economic growth with the human development dividends is the way to go.

And then making sure that that growth is also sustainable and added and that development plans are shockproof is it's it's another element that that we're looking at.

Let me maybe close out Sarah, by saying that I think what we've done in UNDP is really to review our offer on the continent, what we now call a renewed strategic offer where we're looking at six impact areas that will have implications for what we're talking about of the event development report today.

And let me say what the six are.

The first is natural resource governance, which is related to everything I've been talking about, how we govern the natural endowment of the continent and make Africa's money work for Africa's development.

The second is structural transformation, where we're looking at opportunities created by the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.

And what that could yield.

The third is looking at investment in youth and women empowerment, the bulk of the population of the continent and looking at peace and security, you know, ensuring that all the conflict violence that we see on the continent can become negligible and therefore pave the way for sustainable development, but also climate change related issues, adaptation and mitigation as as we were just saying.

So these are areas we're investing in UNDP and we really welcome partnerships to deepen the these investments because I think that's what's going to make it possible for Africa to play its lead role and make a contribution also to, to this.

[Other language spoken]

I want to thank you and, and Raymond for giving us a little bit of time.

Remind the the journalists in the room that I will be happy to send them the full report with all the details and the stats and the HDI.

Just ***** me an e-mail after the briefer and I'll do that immediately.

And also just a reminder that all this information is under a strict embargo.

So we won't publish the recording of the media briefer before tomorrow.

And obviously, if you use the information, don't publish before tomorrow, which for us in CET time, it's 6:00 PM.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you so much, Raymond, and hope to talk to you very soon.

[Other language spoken]

Bye everyone.