The first African Climate Summit has commenced in Nairobi, Kenya, with heads of state and other attendees aiming to amplify their voice on a global issue that disproportionately affects the continent’s 1.3 billion population. Despite Africa contributing the least to climate change, it is most severely affected. The event was inaugurated by Kenyan President William Ruto’s government and the African Union, with several heads of state scheduled to attend. Young people, who demanded greater involvement in the summit, were among the first speakers.
President Ruto highlighted the economic opportunities stemming from the climate crisis, emphasizing Africa’s vast mineral wealth and the potential for multibillion-dollar economic growth and shared prosperity. However, there is some frustration among African countries at being asked to develop in cleaner ways than wealthy nations that have historically generated higher emissions. Additionally, the support pledged to African nations has not materialized.
Mithika Mwenda from the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance expressed concerns about the insufficient climate assistance flowing to the continent, criticising the fraction of financial aid compared to the budgets of polluting companies. Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, emphasized the urgent need for the delivery of the annually pledged $100 billion by rich countries to developing nations in climate finance. Although there was a 4% increase in climate financing to poorer countries in 2020, it fell short of the goal set in 2009.
Mohamed Adow from Power Shift Africa stressed the necessity of funding from wealthier nations for Africa to unleash its abundant clean and renewable energy resources. Notable attendees at the summit include John Kerry, the U.S. government’s climate envoy, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who plans to address finance as one of the critical issues relating to the climate crisis’s injustices.
Critics have pointed out the disparity between Kenya’s environmental commitments and its recent decision to lift a ban on commercial logging. Concerns have arisen about deforestation, leading environmentalists to call for better leadership by the country hosting the climate summit.
While Kenya derives 93% of its power from renewable sources and has implemented a ban on single-use plastic bags, it still faces challenges in implementing other climate-friendly measures. Some trees were uprooted to make way for the expressway used by summit attendees, and informal charcoal production continues to be prevalent in certain Nairobi areas.
The lack of electricity access remains a significant challenge for nearly 600 million Africans, despite the continent’s immense potential for solar and other renewable energy sources. Moreover, the African continent struggles with forecast and weather monitoring capabilities, leading to preventable deaths and significant economic damages. President Ruto warned that the consequences of climate change will impact everyone.
Desmond Tiro, an AP journalist in Nairobi, contributed to this report.