ACS 2023: Climate Equity Concerns Rise as Global Stocktake Places Burden on Africa
As the global community intensifies discussions around the Global Stocktake process, concerns are growing over the potential for Africa, a continent disproportionately burdened by the negative impacts of climate change, to be left shouldering the responsibility of building resilience to these impacts without sufficient financial aid.
The Global Stocktake process traces its origins back to 1972 when nation-states endorsed Article 14 of the Paris Agreement. Its primary objective is to assess collective progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fortifying resilience against climate impacts, and aligning financial support with the scale and scope necessary to combat the climate crisis.
African nations have historically contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions but have borne the brunt of climate-related hardships. This paradoxical situation has accumulated into what is termed “climate debt,” with African countries disproportionately paying the price for a crisis they played a minor role in creating.
Simon Stiell, the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, succinctly summed up the dilemma: “The world is asking a lot: Develop, but don’t do it in the carbon-intensive way that we did.” This implies that Africa must seek costlier alternative development paths while also limiting carbon emissions, while Western countries continue to develop with relatively fewer restrictions.
This narrative places African nations in a precarious position, potentially deepening existing inequalities due to the triple planetary crisis and their limited capacity to finance carbon emission reduction efforts.
Dr. Janez Potocnik, UN International Resource Panel Co-Chair and former EU Commissioner for Environment, emphasized the urgency: “Highly developed countries have reaped the benefits and largely driven the planetary crisis, while emerging and developing economies bear the least responsibility and endure the worst impacts.”
Potocnik’s concern underscores the imperative for African states to address alarming climate trends to avoid sinking further into financial inequality. It is crucial to educate citizens about responsible resource use and complement efficiency policies with strategies that promote sufficiency.
Michael Wadleigh, an Oscar winner and coordinator of the Existential Stocktake, raised a red flag, stating, “Greenhouse gas emissions, the major causes of climate change, are not on the agenda at the Africa Climate Week and Summit.” He warned that this omission could have dire consequences for Africa and the entire world in the near future.
Wadleigh explained, “There is no global government, and Existential Stocktake offers each nation adequate reduction responsibilities to stay below 1.5°C/2°C global warming.” While every nation shares responsibility for global warming, the level of knowledge and data available to address the climate crisis varies significantly.
Debra Roberts, Co-Chair of South Africa’s AR6 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, emphasized the importance of open data: “A whole-of-society approach to the climate change challenge requires truly open data.” She stressed the need for data accessibility and comprehensibility not only for national governments but also for local decision-makers.
In conclusion, the Existential Stocktake approach suggests that all nations should contribute to addressing climate change in accordance with their per capita capabilities and responsibilities within UN science limits. African states should not be coerced into cleaning up a mess they did not primarily create. Addressing the climate crisis requires a global effort that acknowledges historical responsibility and the need for equitable distribution of resources and responsibilities.
