Africa's opportunity in taming a warming world

Climate activists stage a protest to demand a phase-out of fossil fuels during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku on November 15, 2024. [AFP]

The World Meteorological Organisation’s State of the Climate 2024 Update dropped it like thunderclap. The period between 2015 and 2024 could be the warmest decade ever recorded, as global temperatures surged to 1.54°C from January to September 2024, above pre-industrial levels.

For Africa, this means a continuation of extreme weather events that rendered vulnerable communities poorer, sicker, and with stagnating economies. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been warning that “climate catastrophe is hammering health, widening inequalities, and rocking foundations of peace”, and there is abundant evidence in Africa.

Africa is to heavily pay for the problem, yet it is not entirely to blame. Imagine a situation where in the process of building his house, a rich man causes a problem that harms you irreparably. You are forced to spend your hard earned money to treat yourself instead of developing.

Whenever you negotiate to find a solution to the problem, he offers support. However, the so-called support comes in form of loans. Even mobilising funds so that you can access the loan is a problem. You need $8,000 every year to manage the problem in a way that allows you to continue to work, but he commits to mobilise $2,000 instead. His other condition is that you do not blame him for the problem.

He wants this to look like aid, when in real sense it is a loan you pay with interest, for which he charges more than triple the market rates. He does not honour the agreement to raise the funds. Once in a while when your house gets flooded, he appears with aid, takes photos and shares widely. When you ask for the loan, as per set rule, you have to go through a rigorous process, which may mean waiting for as long as three years, by which time it won’t really help.

This is the experience of many on the front-line of the climate crisis in Africa. This raises questions about justice, responsibility, and opportunity. The extreme weather events directly affect food security, through agriculture, the backbone of many of the continent’s economies.

In COP29 climate talks, Africa demanded $1.3 trillion yearly reparations to vulnerable countries, but the global North committed to mobilising $300 billion, to address the crisis.

The demand for justice stems from the fact that the continent contributes a mere 4 per cent to the global carbon emissions but suffers some of the worst catastrophes, including tropical cyclones in the South, recurrent floods in the East and West, and prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa.

The global response to climate change should consider historical injustices. Africa is not asking for aid, but equitable access to resources for climate adaptation and mitigation.

The truth about the aforesaid 1.54°C is that every increase in warming compounds the risks for Africa. Drought and flooding episodes will multiply and more intense, affecting agriculture, the blue economy and more sectors. More heatwaves worsen health challenges and reduce labor productivity. This will directly threaten livelihoods.

Despite these challenges, Africa has potential to be the solution. With vast resources such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy and great potential to minimise fossil fuels, as demonstrated by Kenya and other countries, Africa can create jobs and boost economic growth. It must invest in resilient infrastructure, and climate smart agriculture, especially among small-scale farmers.

The Congo Forest is wealth. Besides it are many carbon sinks. These must be protected by ending deforestation. Meanwhile, wealthy nations must pay. Africa must continue to speak as a bloc and advocate better transparency and accountability in climate finance delivery. Lastly, let’s empower communities and youth to know their roles in climate justice.

- The writer advocates climate justice. [e-mail]