On a High Note: African Adaptation Summit Revives Old Pledges
At the African Adaptation Summit this week in Rotterdam, wealthy nations once again pledged to support African countries facing the worst and first impacts of the climate crisis that they barely contributed to. If wealthy countries keep their promise to spend $25 billion by 2025 on climate adaptation in Africa, it will be a change from past actions. Rich countries failed to live up to their 2009 promise to mobilize $100 billion per year for developing countries by 2020, with the US responsible for most of the shortfall.
African countries collectively have generated less than 3% of greenhouse gas emissions. Still, the continent is the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, according to the most recent UN climate report. The pledge for adaptation funds comes months before Egypt hosts the latest UN climate meeting, COP27.
"If we can't demonstrate commitments to Africa at this time, then really the promises are broken," Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina Jane Mohammed told DW.
Forbes: World Leaders Discuss Challenges At The Africa Adaptation Summit, Spetember 6, 2022.
Oxfam International: Climate loss and damage, July 20, 2022.
Robin Hood: "This is Loss and Damage - Who Pays" narrated by Mark Strong, September 23, 2021.
DW: This is just how unfair climate change is, May 21, 2021.
COP26: Loss and Damage and Climate Reparations | A call for solidarity, November 6, 2021.
Chatham House: Loss and damage | Where are we now and what happens next?, January 31, 2022.
Carbon Brief: Which countries are historically responsible for climate change?, October 4, 2021.
New York Times, November 12, 2021.
Source: Global Carbon Project·
Note: The rich, developed countries group is based on the United Nations’ Annex II definition. International transport is not counted as part of either group’s total emissions. The data reflects territory-based carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and cement, but does not include land-use and forestry. The graphic shows emissions from countries and territories.
