confidentially speaking
The Africa Confidential Blog
Africa calls for action on climate cash
Blue Lines
The World Meteorological Association's latest report evokes a troubling future. It forecasts that living conditions could become unsustainable in the next decade for over 100 million people in Africa, hit by drought, floods and extreme heat. Africa would need to spend US$30-50 billion a year, about 3-5% of continental GDP, just to prevent the worst consequences of the current rate of global warming, it adds.
Questions of equity are set to dominate the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow opening on 31 October. African officials say their governments have been sidelined on policy issues such as net zero carbon targets, carbon taxes, and equitable energy transitions. Africa accounts for less than 4% of greenhouse gas emissions and less than half the continent has access to a reliable electric power supply. Its governments, led by oil and gas-producing Nigeria, are protesting against Western boycotts on finance for hydrocarbon projects. A report from Reuters that European officials are urging the World Bank to ban all fossil fuel investments will prompt more criticism of biased rules and hypocrisy over energy.
Gabon's Tanguy Gahouma, who chairs Africa's Group of Negotiators at COP26, wants a new system to track funding from rich nations that are failing to pay their share of the UN-agreed $100 billion a year fund to help developing economies adapt to climate change.
