Africa is the World’s Climate Scapegoat

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden have not followed through on their countries’ funding promises to Africa for the continent’s fight against climate change. (Flickr)

In the midst of the COP26 summit, which took place between October 31 and November 12, the world’s wealthiest, most industrialized countries solidified the role of Africa as their climate scapegoat.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Africa contributes only 918.49 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere per year, the least of any continent and only four percent of all carbon dioxide produced annually. Nevertheless, it is shouldering some of the most extreme effects of global warming. 

Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture with the African Union Commission, noted that, by 2030, “up to 118 million extremely poor people on the continent will be exposed to drought, floods and extreme heat, which will hinder progress towards poverty alleviation and growth.” 

The most imminent threats to African communities are increased temperature and hot days, and a decline in both precipitation and the volume of bodies of water. Because 65 percent of the entire continent’s labor force works in agriculture, approximately 780 million Africans currently are, or soon will be, experiencing economic and resource hardship as a consequence of climate change. 

And yet, Herbert Mwalukomo, a Malawian environmental activist, has completely given up on international climate dialogues. As reported by Sci Dev Net, when explaining his refusal to attend, Mwalukomo asked, “Where is the $100 billion climate finance per year that was committed years back? What are those polluters doing in their territories to stem global warming?”

Such frustration is justified by past summits’ production of empty promises - promises that, if fulfilled, could have slowed climate change and saved African resources from permanent destruction. Mwalukomo is referencing the 2009 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, in which developed countries committed to “a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion per year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries,” including reforestation and investment in environmental initiatives. However, of the 23 developed countries responsible for providing climate finance, only Germany, Norway, and Sweden have paid their dues. 

Africa cannot continue to be the world’s scapegoat. Countries should contribute funds to the fight against climate change that are proportional to the damage they cause.