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WHAT if climate change had never occurred, would that still slow down Africa’s economic development ? But now that climate impacts are a painful reality, how will Africa — the world’s most vulnerable continent — respond to the two-fold global agendas on climate change mitigation and sustainable development? Faced with this conundrum, African Union chairman, President Mugabe’s message to the ongoing crunch UN climate summit in Paris was clear: economic progress in Africa will neither be delayed nor deferred to a time in the future on account of ponderous wealthy nations bent on abdicating responsibility.
Now, as the world limps towards a new climate treaty in Paris, President Mugabe’s message embodies what it is that the whole of Africa expects from the conference: an outcome that truly supports climate resilience, a long-term goal on adaptation and commitment to quantified financial targets, reviewed periodically.
Anything less, will be unacceptable, with good reason. Having accepted historical responsibility for the current climate change crisis, rich Western countries proceeded to break own promises of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by an average five percent below 1990 levels, as universally agreed under the expired Kyoto Protocol.
Africa and the rest of the developing world took the West’s calculated treachery in a stride, agreeing to new poisonous demands by the defaulting party for every country, big or small, to commit to mitigation under a new deal, regardless of the potential negative economic impacts in developing countries, already burdened by endemic poverty.
In submitting its climate plans for mitigation, Africa — the least emitting continent accounting for 4,5 percent of the global emissions total — has demonstrated its commitment to progressing beyond the failed Kyoto Protocol and to finding an effective long-term solution to climate change, tough economic conditions at home notwithstanding.
But this is only as far as the continent will go. It ‘‘cannot, and will not, assume more obligations” that may disrupt economic development and poverty eradication, according to the AU chair.
For a fair agreement and rightly so, we expect stronger developed economies to recognise this significant contribution from a poorer and weaker partner by providing clarity on the level of responsibility they will assume on mitigation, adaptation and finance, as enshrined under the “Climate Convention’s Common, But Differentiated Responsibilities” principle.
The Paris climate summit presents rich countries an opportunity to show the kind of leadership that made them rich at the expense of the environment at a time when everyone else was still scrambling for a different kind of ecologically-sustainable riches.
Today, Zimbabwe and Africa are well within their rights to continue to exploit their natural resources responsibly to achieve desired economic goals, climate change or no climate change, hoping the wealthy countries will own up to the promise of $100 billion developing countries’ funding per year until 2020.
The global target of curbing temperature rise in this century to two degrees Celsius requires a shift to renewable energy, afforestation and others, but the process of economic growth thrives on fossil fuels and other minerals consumption and production feeding the vicious climate change cycle.
It is a quandary from which the continent cannot escape, not less attempt to evade, but one which those meeting in Paris must conscientiously accept and take note of in any new agreement.
There is no leap-frogging into low carbon development, as demanded by the global climate change agenda, as long as 60 percent of Zimbabweans remain without access to electricity and 70 percent are employed in the climate sensitive agriculture sector.
No leap-frogging into low carbon development as long as the entire African continent of one billion people generates just 150 gigawatts of power, less than what Germany and its 70 million citizens produce.
In view of the continued imbalance between economic growth and natural resources consumption and even when the global climate goals were met, long-term sustainable development may be a tough cookie.
Online Reporter