A the ongoing 27th United Nations Climate Conference (COP27), Fiji, Tuvalu, Kenya and Chile took an important step towards more ambitious national commitments to a managed phase-out of fossil fuels by joining as ‘friends’ of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA).
The four countries join Italy, Finland and Luxembourg as ‘friends of BOGA’, which signals their intention to help accelerate a swift, just and equitable energy transition to avoid the worst scenarios of the global climate crisis.
BOGA was officially launched in November 2021 during COP26, in Glasgow, by the initiative of 11 national or subnational governments, under the leadership of Costa Rica and Denmark. Other core members of BOGA were, by then: California, France, Greenland, Ireland, Quebec, Sweden and Wales. But today, Portugal and Washington state, previously categorized as ‘associate members’, also turned into core members, increasing the total number of core members to 10.
The commitment assumed today by Kenya is especially significant as it is the first African country to join the alliance, in the midst of a dash for gas in the African continent.
Charity Migwi, Africa Regional Campaigner at 350.org, said: “It is remarkable for a developing African nation like Kenya to become a friend of BOGA. This shows leadership from the bottom up that should inspire developed nations to make similar commitments or become core members of BOGA and ensure a phase out of fossil fuels.
“At a time when there’s a massive dash for gas in Africa by European nations, the move also serves to signal African nations to take a strong stance against the aggressive push for expansion of fossil gas and prioritize a just transition to renewable energy.”
