April 10, 2018

Africa’s first climate week must walk the talk

located:	Kenya
editor:	Bob Koigi

The first ever Africa Climate Week that took place last week is coalescing various players with a rallying call to move from planning to action in the implementation of the Paris Agreement, while keeping a pulse on the commitment of the continent to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

The gathering is timely, coming at a time when Africa has been identified as the continent that will be greatly affected by weather vagaries, leaving a majority of its population vulnerable and its key economic sectors, such as agriculture, at risk.

But it is also an opportune time for Africa to have a candid conversation about its contribution to climate change acceleration. From South Africa emitting more carbon than Britain, Zambia’s obsession with energy sources that have seen it destroy more of its vegetation than Brazil, to numerous African countries that are in the process of setting up coal fired power stations that further exacerbates environmental damage, it can no longer be business as usual when it comes to raising awareness around polluting and destructive industries in the continent.

As the clarion call to leave no one behind in the climate change debate gains momentum, a proactive plan on how the continent needs to handle this is of utmost importance and urgency. Numerous technologies that oscillates around adaptation and mitigation have been developed, many by a new generation of innovators working to advance their communities. This is also the generation who is set to be hardest hit by the changes in weather. Yet currently many noble innovations have stalled at concept stage as a result of lack of resources and requisite support.

Many of the forums around climate change that have taken place before have produced dozens of documents with impressive recommendations, yet until now, these new solutions only end up gathering dust in libraries. This new forum must dare to be different by going back to the basics, having conversations with those expected to take the greatest hit from climate change: farmers, pastoralists and small businesses and work towards targeting interventions from their grass root perspective.

With just twelve years to the deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, we must start having tangible results, otherwise our aspirations for a safer, cleaner planet are just words on paper. The Africa Climate Week, which is projected to be an annual meet, must position Africa to lead from the front in global climate action.

Photo: ECA