COP27: An opportunity to spotlight African voices in the green energy transition
Nowhere are the effects of climate change more destructive than in developing countries, particularly those in Africa. Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum earlier this year, Egypt’s UN Climate Change High-Level Champion, Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin, urged for the upcoming COP27 to steer clear of “useless promises”. His frustrations relate to global climate financing issues, such as the inability for developed countries to fulfil their COP15 pledge to deliver US$100 billion a year to developing countries by 2020 to cope with the impact of the climate crisis and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
For Africa’s leaders, the inability for developed countries to adhere to their climate financing agreements hinders the continent’s economic development, path to greater industrialisation, and ability to achieve its Sustainable Development goals by 2030. Africa is only responsible for under 4% of GHG emissions. When South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria are removed from the equation the continent contributes just over a mere 1%. Despite its relatively small contribution, Africa countries are not only the worst victims of climate change, but are also severely under-resourced to deal with the damaging impacts.
Although Africa faces a disproportionate burden, it is in the continent’s best interest for its leaders to engage with other world leaders directly and actively on environmental problems, to bridge the gap between developed and developing nations. The COP27 global climate summit in Egypt next month is an opportunity for African policymakers to spotlight African voices by placing the continent at the heart of these urgent discussions
Africa’s unique position
Four out of five people in the world without access to energy live in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the continent’s energy deficit and low levels of industrialisation. While decarbonisation is high on the net-zero agenda for the major polluters of the world, African countries are at a completely different starting point in the race to bring the effects of climate change under control.
The continent has a significant endowment of natural resources and has enormous green growth potential in both the public and private sectors, yet its natural capital remains largely untapped. Africa’s forests absorb an average of 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Its’ soils are rich with mineral deposits such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, and copper, all of which are critical in the manufacturing of clean energy technologies.
A just energy transition
The mounting urgency to decarbonise will only increase demand to produce batteries and electric vehicles, expanding the market for rare minerals. Localising production will need to be prioritised to offset wasteful outsourcing and stimulate inclusive growth across the continent.
As the Africa Finance Corporation’s 2022 White Paper highlighted, “for a just transition to clean energy, the world needs African resources". Thus, it is critical that these are harnessed to support Africa’s holistic development objectives, and that each country in the region is able to benefit from the remarkable investment opportunities present in the just transition to a green economy.
COP27 will need to address the global impact of climate change but also opportunities for developing countries to yield inclusive growth and sustainable, climate resilient industrialisation. While the world is universally facing an existential climate crisis, leaving 600 million African’s in the dark is not an option.