The United Nations Climate Change Conference that began in Durban on the 28 November 2011 has brought together representatives of all Parties as well as International Organizations and Civil Society. With a comprehensive agenda that follows the Bali Action Plan agreed at COP 13, which also includes the Cancun Decisions, the discussions are being held in two tracks, COP17 – LCA and CMP7 – KP and will seek to make progress in the implementation of the Bali Action Plan and the Kyoto Protocol.

African Technology Policy Studies Network, ATPS is represented at Durban COP 17 and has a 9 day exhibition booth at the African Pavilion to sensitize the delegates on ATPS activities and also hosted a side event on Making Sense of climate change.

The event, which was held on 1st December 2011 was attended by Government representatives, the private sector and other delegates, with speakers Prof Kevin Chika Urama, Executive Director at ATPS presenting a paper on Making Sense of Climate Science, Economics, Innovation and Politics for African Development. Other presenters were Mr. Billy Katontoka from the África Carbón Credit Exchange of Zambia presenting a paper on Innovation And Opportunities In Climate Change For Development In Africa: A Private Sector Perspective and Jeremy Webb from the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) presenting a paper on Development first: Addressing climate change and development in Africa .

In his presentation Prof Kevin Chika Urama the executive director touched on issues relating to Science Communication to address inherent complexity & uncertainties in climate science, Making Sense of Climate Economics through Policy Analyses and Exploring Alternative Development Pathways; Making Sense of Climate Innovation by Exploring opportunities for innovation and wealth creation; making Sense of Climate Politics & Policymaking through Scenario Analyses to explore the nexus; among multiple development policy objectives in Africa – poverty, ecosystem degradation, climate change among others.

He noted that the main resource challenges included increased inequities within and amongst the socio-ecological and economic systems that has led to conflicts within the systems resilience capacities; the deterioration of the environment itself driven by growth in resource consumption, that appears to be increasing the vulnerability of resource supply systems and as a result pprimary resource exporting countries tend to get poorer as the global economy expanded.

In his paper, Mr. Billy Katontoka from the África Carbón Credit Exchange of Zambia illustrated how the Combination of Science, Technologies and Innovation provided simple solutions to complex challenges.Mr Katontoka also said that Investing in the right technologies and innovations for climate change adaptation would help Africa out of poverty, address biopersity loss, water scarcity, droughts, floods, poor agricultural productivity.

He noted that Africa holds the greatest potential for most abundant clean energy. Yet natural resources such as wind, hydro power, solar power and geothermal energy are not properly harnessed for economic growth and development on the continent.

Jeremy Webb from the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) addressed climate change and development in Africa and highlighted that from climate, economic, financial, social and environmental data, information and knowledge, and taking into account the short term and long term impacts, there’s need to start with development first: focusing on how we can achieve our development goals, drawing upon our climate resilient low carbon development options

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