Consolidation of the Scenarios of the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals Thematic Group
With a clear vision to contribute to the global effort to reduce global temperatures well below 2°C, Senegal is stepping up its efforts to align its economic development goals with global climate imperatives. It is with this in mind that the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals Thematic Group (CC & SDGs) met at the AXIL Hotel in Dakar for a scenario writing session on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Organized by ENDA ENERGIE, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Ecological Transition (METE), the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines (MEPM), this workshop was a decisive step in the development of the country's Long-Term Strategy (LTS).
The workshop aimed to consolidate the CC & SDGs development scenarios, integrating the contributions of the energy, agricultural, industrial and infrastructure transitions. This session is part of a process of co-construction of a sober and resilient development strategy for Senegal, while ensuring that these scenarios meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The work was marked by detailed presentations of existing scenarios, followed by strategic discussions on the adjustments needed to meet the country's climate and economic challenges. Samba Fall, program manager at ENDA ENERGIE, began his presentation by recalling the results from previous meetings before returning to different exploratory approaches to identify and stabilize the WG scenarios. Subsequently, Deylani DIOP addressed energy issues, and other speakers on infrastructure and the transformation of the agricultural system. These discussions helped to strengthen coherence between the different sectors and ensure that the proposed scenarios align with the country's future political framework.
A central point of the workshop was the analysis of the economic dimensions of the scenarios, including their impact on key indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), purchasing power, growth, gross national disposable income (GNDI) and income inequality. Participants stressed the importance of aligning these scenarios with global efforts to combat climate change, while ensuring development that benefits the entire population.
To finalize this work, several actions were defined. An Excel file will be shared to allow each participant to add their contributions via a collaborative platform. In addition, METE plans to work closely with the Ministry of Finance and Budget to raise awareness among policy makers and the Project Working Group to take into account the results of the GTs in the new policy framework currently being developed. Thus, a high-level workshop targeting policy makers in the targeted themes (Ministers, Secretary General, Director) will be organized by ENDA ENERGIE to present the LTS development process as well as the achievements (summary of scenario narratives) and the activity schedule (2024/2025).
This workshop marked a significant step forward in defining Senegal's strategic orientations in terms of climate change and sustainable development. The consolidation of sectoral scenarios in an integrated framework for the CC & SDG WG demonstrates the country's commitment to co-constructing with national stakeholders a resilient and low-carbon long-term development that is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national priorities.
