Climate change is having a devastating effect on Africa, causing both drought and floods. Do not let the climate change conference in Egypt offer any more bogus promises.
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| [COP27 in Egypt] |
One of the continents worst damaged by the worldwide environmental calamity is going to host the highest decision -making body dealing with the biggest existential danger to civilization to date. The COP of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is returning to Africa for the sixth time. Supporters of historically high CO2 emissions responsible in other nations send their politicians to Egypt. The bleak reality on the ground in Africa, a continent struck especially hard by climate change, may help to dispel the myth that financial solutions to the problem can be purchased. For Africa, there is a dilemma between preserving the environment and growing the economy. Justice, however, is not a kind of charity but rather a cornerstone of international law, and this fact has to be acknowledged.
However, the African delegates need to modify their language as well. It would be wise for COP27's chosen leader, Samih Schukri, to distribute less " Blah, Blah, Blah " (Greta Thunberg), such as his inane remark that politicians were able to "areas of reconciliation and also feasible to investigate divergences" during preliminary discussions. Such comments are indicative of a prevalent worldview in politics. Teenagers who speak out against an issue that endangers all of mankind face backlash from their society, and with good reason. At the next round of climate negotiations, at least Boris Johnson, who scoffed that "all pledges would be nothing but 'bla, bla, bla,' to put it that way," can stop mocking.
From Africa, the only contribution to date (until the previous COP in Glasgow) has been "Bla." Some people appear to have completely lost sight of the pain their historically high CO 2 emissions are bringing on the African continent, and they have broken commitments, denied the problem, and covered it up. Droughts, floods, and heat waves in Africa are clear evidence that the climate has already altered, and that the people of Africa are among the most at-risk populations for its effects. Unfortunately, the industrialized world continues to do little to mitigate the harm it causes. These types of agreements, such as the Warsaw International Mechanism for Damages and Losses from 2003, which acknowledges that impoverished nations are "especially exposed to the harmful consequences of climate change," appear to be nothing more than another blah. Further, it is very unjust for the United States to pressure other affluent nations into dropping the word "emergency" from the Glasgow Climate Contingency Accord plan for funding climate calamities. If Shukri can prevent similar scandals from happening in Sharm el-Sheikh, he will have already saved lives.
As if the people of Africa need more verbal promises, they already have plenty on their plate. Take the so-called Finance Delivery Plan, for example; it was supposed to deliver " $ 100 billion per year by 2020," but that sum has yet to be allocated. At the prior COP, this was even touted as an advance. This is heartless and callous, especially in light of the millions of people starving in the Horn of Africa. Development is stunted by hunger because a hungry mind cannot think clearly. Western politicians have a rare and symbolic opportunity to do the right thing by the people of Africa by really making this money accessible, rather than merely loan it to them. Poor nations are hit the most by climate change, which they did not generate. This is because "climate finance plays a key role in helping developing nations manage climate change."
Worldwide climate action has been influenced by the global pandemic, runaway inflation, and a war brewing near Western Europe. However, Africa is experiencing the harshest consequences, whether from Covid-19 or inflation. The COPs have evolved into a pleasant annual event for the people who can truly save lives, much like a classic Christmas song where the melody and words aren't paid too much attention to. Simultaneously, droughts transform once-thriving ecosystems into lifeless wasteland. The failure to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, combined with the catastrophic conditions in Africa, will turn from an ecological one catastrophe into the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. This must be admitted clearly and unequivocally if another agreement is to be reached in Sharm el-Sheikh.
There should be a focus at Sharm el-Sheikh on Africa's efforts to both adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, as well as its efforts to drive economic and social development. Africa is home to 1.152 billion people right now, making it the area with the highest population growth in the world. Moreover, the number of persons in severe poverty has grown at a far higher rate (109 percent) than the overall population in only the last decade (2008-2018). (44 percent). A green revolution is clearly needed in Africa.
Western approaches to climate change mitigation will need to be revised to account for this. This includes, but is not limited to, the fact that many African nations use their natural resources in ways that are at odds with conventional Western wisdom and practice. According to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, all nations have a "inalienable human right" to "economic, social, cultural, and political development." This right is enshrined in UN international law. The usage of the abundant natural resources is included in this. This property is legally considered state property in each of the individual states. Consequently, it is reasonable and appropriate for African governments to seek "political space for domestically tailored actions and programs on the continent itself" as part of theirDevelopment Agenda 2063. And they demand that the rest of the world uphold Africa's right to growth and justice in accordance with their hopes and dreams. According to the United Nations, by 2050, saving lives in Africa from the consequences of climate change might cost as much as $500 billion. This delicate balancing act between doing right and doing well has a chance of succeeding if developed nations live up to their moral and financial commitments on climate funding.
So, no more platitudes, broken pledges, lies, and cover-ups. Africa's catastrophic climate emergency has all but died out amid all the blah-blah at the COPs. Politics has to be jolted awake and propelled into the real world in Sharm el-Sheikh. It's time to shift the conversation's emphasis to protecting and rescuing at-risk populations. Justice and fairness, not the capacity to make loan payments, must guide these discussions on climate financing. Respect for human life, rather than global inequalities in political or economic power, must serve as their compass.
Each year, without rain, millions of people perish from hunger. Thus, Sharm el-Sheikh should serve as an example by recognizing and affirming that human life in Africa is accorded the same worth and quality as life everywhere else. In order to prove their moral fortitude, politicians who recognized the "basic dignity of the human person" in the SDG development objectives must now make actions that do the same. They need to demonstrate an understanding of and regard for the inestimable worth of every human life.
The author Michael Davies-Venn is a policy analyst and communications expert.