By George Gichuki
Kenya has been honoured to host the inaugural Africa Climate Summit this month. The historic summit brings together heads of states and governments under the umbrella of the African Union. It will also be attended by more than ten thousand delegates from different parts of the world. Top of the summit’s agenda is coming up with solutions to the monumental challenge of climate change, especially the ones addressing Africa’s unique needs and challenges.
In 2015, the Paris Agreement seeking to limit global warming was signed. Unfortunately, according to a report by Action Aid, giant banks from other parts of the world have continued to fund projects that are fuelling climate crisis in Africa. These projects are in the fields of industrial agriculture and expansion of fossil fuels. Industrial agriculture contribute significantly to the emission of greenhouse gases, leading to global warming and climate change. Burning of fossil fuels is also another factor that contributes heavily to climate change.
The adverse effects of climate change include : intense and frequent droughts, heavy rainstorms, shifting seasons, erratic rainfall and onset of vector borne diseases. These challenges can be solved by reducing fossil fuels, widespread electrification, improvement in energy efficiency and use of alternative fuels.
At the end of the summit, Africa is hoping to take leadership in ensuring that the world will be more environmentally responsible in order to mitigate the effects of the climate change nightmare. Adequate, accessible and affordable financing is needed as the continent fights to become climate resilient. Hopefully, the summit will also be able to unlock opportunities towards that end.
george.gichuki@biasharaleo.co.ke