Africa is crying for climate justice

By Harsen Nyambe 

Africa is bleeding from the double effects of COVID-19 and Climate change. Being one of the most vulnerable parts of the world, the continent continues to spend its limited resources to combating climate change, a war which is gobbling an estimated amount worth 3 to 6per cent of its GDP.

The continent is also sinking into debts and servicing such debts is becoming almost impossible, partly as a result of COVID-19. That the west has refused to lift these loans leaves one to wonder as to “where is justice for Africa”. Despite having no historical responsibilities on climate change, yet Africa is the most hit, leaving us as where is the climate justice for Africa?

According to the African Union biannual Disaster Risk Reduction report of 2019, it is clear that the continent is experiencing rising intensity, frequency and duration of natural disasters which are associated with climate change.

Most of our economies are directly dependent on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, and tourism, none of which is climate-proof. Even our infrastructure cannot withstand the impacts of climate change. The rise in temperature that is projected is likely to cripple our economies and push more of Africa into poverty and derail Africa’s aspirations for Agenda 2063.

What is shocking though is that the world has failed to take note of this. Instead, the developed world continues to pile pressure on Africa to forego its development agenda demanding that the continent switch to low carbon development.

Yet, the problem is not an African problem. It is simply that the west is deviating from the principles of the conventions such as the “equal but differentiated responsibilities”. The world is forgetting that Africa needs more time to switch to such transitions. Further, such transitions require massive investments such as infrastructure, capacity building, and technology transfer. Yet the pledges the west made to deliver USD 100 billion that were to begin in 2020 to assist Africa combat impacts of climate change and transit to low carbon development have not been honored.  

In addition, already, despite the west lagging behind implementing the Paris Agreement, there are calls to upgrade ambitions of our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) yet Africa’s NDCs are extremely ambitious and can hardly be implemented by the national budgets.

We are still waiting funds to implement them but even before this is done, we are being pushed to revise! Where is justice for Africa? Africa must therefore continue to press for funds to assist combating climate change and must continue to play its part in multilateral arrangements as the only way out.

As a people, we must be clear that adaptation remain paramount to the continent given our vulnerability. There is need to negotiate for just transitions including setting up clear conditions for such transitions.  

The writer is the head of environment and climate change division at African Union commission