Tackling Climate Change in Africa: Where are we?
Share this
By Adebayo Abubakar
Climate Change is one phenomenon that has engaged the attention of World leaders and other critical global stakeholders in the past couple of decades, due to the enormity of its impact on lives and livelihood, across nations. It has a ripple effect on many things, especially, food security, and the quality of the air we breathe in (oxygen). Looking at it from Abraham Maslow’s point of view, food is one of the most basic needs of human beings, guaranteeing existence, as biological beings. It is therefore imperative that the authority in every society must strive to ensure that anything that will undermine its food security is tackled headlong. In other words, every nation that feels threatened, in terms of food, needs to adapt and mitigate through implementing climate actions, as that would be a cheaper solution, in the long run, than having to rely on aid from more affluent countries.
A report on Channels Television, per AFP, said, “humanity has less than three years to halt the rise of planet-warming carbon emissions and less than a decade to slash them by nearly half.” UN climate experts warned the world that it is experiencing its last gasp in the race to ensure a liveable future. To do that, according to the report, the world must radically reduce fossil fuels. Nations should stop burning coal completely and cut oil and gas use by 60 and 70 percent respectively to keep within the Paris goals. The IPCC, notes that both solar and wind are now cheaper than fossil fuels in many places. In the said report, United Nations Chief, Antonio Guterres said; “some government and business leaders are saying one thing …but doing another. Simply put, they are lying. And the results will be catastrophic.”
Credit: Yale Sustainability
Following its established vulnerability, Africa is expected to offer a robust response or resistance to this global existential threat, through a concerted effort with other critical global stakeholders. Many African countries are signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, which seeks to reduce Green-House Gas Emissions to a reasonably low level within the framework of the agreement. Many international summits have been organized to further promote the agenda with African leaders in attendance. The latest of such, being the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31st- November 12th 2021.
Gas emissions. Image credit: Shutterstock
The details of the goals of COP26, as summarized by the UK Parliament, are two:
1. To review the implementation of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, respectively.
2. To adopt decisions to further develop and implement these three instruments.
What this entails is that, every effort by the attendee countries is expected to be geared toward the reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. It was, therefore, a massive relief and a welcome development when Nigeria finally decided to invest in her massive gas deposit that is reputed to be more than enough to cater for the needs of about a billion people in Africa. But it is equally disheartening to note that; Nigeria has not been able to even bring to the consciousness of her citizens the advantage of Liquefied Natural Gas, over other means of energy like firewood/charcoal, especially its environment-friendliness.
Despite the readiness of UNEP Africa to assist any African country that shows the preparedness, in implementing what is popularly referred to as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), in climate actions, it is still only Morocco, Ghana and Uganda that have really benefited from such opportunity, within the framework of the NDC.
As part of the indigenous responses to threats by climate change, the African Development Bank says, it continues to prioritize mainstreaming climate change and green growth in its portfolio and has committed to incorporating climate-informed design into 100% of its investments. The Climate Change and Green Growth Department, according to the bank, continues to make progress in driving Africa’s transition towards greater climate resilience and a low-carbon development path, in line with the second Climate Change Action Plan 2016-2021. The Bank is on course to meet the following commitments made under this Action Plan:
- Allocating 40 percent of project approvals to climate finance by 2021, with equal proportions for adaptation and mitigation.
- Mainstreaming climate change and green growth into all Bank investments by 2021.
- Securing significantly increased access to climate finance for low-income African countries with a target of $25 billion by 2025 and positioning Africa’s financial sector at the forefront of financing innovations.
According to a report by Brookings, ”Morocco has built the world’s largest concentrated solar facility to help achieve the country’s goal of 52 percent renewable energy mix by 2030. The advanced 6,000-acre solar complex, Noor, serves as a clean energy source for around 2 million Moroccans, and provides pivotal job opportunities as the country transitions away from the fossil fuel industry. South Africa’s Carbon Tax Act, which places specific levies on greenhouse gasses from fuel combustion and industrial processes and emissions, came into effect in June 2019. By 2035, the carbon tax could reduce the country’s emissions by 33 percent relative to the baseline.”
Noor solar power plant in Morocco. Image credit: ECOHZ
In September 2020, African leaders welcomed the opening of a regional office of the Global Center on Adaptation, voicing hopes it will spur the continent’s efforts to combat climate change. The leaders said the Center could also provide an impetus for a more resilient recovery after COVID-19, which they said had compounded climate-induced vulnerabilities. President Kenyatta noted that climate change is no longer a projected crisis. “It’s indeed a reality that we need to control urgently,” he said, citing the incidence of El-Nino-triggered floods and droughts in parts of East Africa, which has also been hit by a locust invasion. The excitement of President Kenyatta, as revealed in his speech signposts the commitment of Kenya under his presidency towards combating climate change in collaboration with critical stakeholders like the African Development Bank.
Part of the regional efforts in the eastern region of Africa, are; the East African Treaty, the EAC Protocol on Environment and Natural Resources, the Protocol on Sustainable Development of Lake Victoria Basin as well as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Countries in the region, like Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Eritrea have keyed their respective Nationally Determined Contributions into these initiatives, towards fighting climate change. For instance, Kenya, having suffered a severe drought in the recent past, 2017/18, has come up with one of the most robust responses to climate change in Africa, through KMT’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. In addition to its National Climate Change Action Plan(NCCAP) 2018 – 2022 Document, a five-year plan that helps Kenya adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Government has ensured that legislation has been enacted in the form of the Climate Change Act of 2016. The Act is the main legal framework that guides Kenya’s climate change response through mainstreaming climate change into sector functions, and it is the legal foundation of the NCCAP.