Abstract
Climate change crisis is recognised as one of the most existential threats to humanity. Africa is the least carbon emitter, yet it suffers greatly from the impacts of climate change. As it seeks to realize its economic goals, the question is how do so without compromising the environment and exacerbating global warming. Some analysts have argued that the burden of combating climate change disadvantages African countries compared to the developed counterparts since African countries may not have the resources to combat climate change. Some have even argued that Africa should first be allowed to industrialise as it pollutes the environment before it can be start implementing the climate change mitigation mechanism. The argument is buttressed by the fact that developed countries used fossil fuels to propel their industrialisation. However, given the urgency of the climate crisis, it is not possible to postpone the mitigation efforts. This paper posits that Africa has great potential for green growth and can use its natural resources to spur its industrialization requirements without compromising the environment. From 2011 to 2020, African forests increased the carbon stock by 11.6 million kilotons of C02 equivalent net emissions, while carbon stocks in forests outside Africa declined by 13 million kilotons. Further African countries have 60% of the world’s solar resources but only 1% of the global installed solar PV capacity. Global studies show that Africa has great potential for green growth.
Presenters
Amollo SimbaAssociate, Advocate in the Real Estate and Finance Department, DLA Piper Africa, IKM Advocates, Nairobi Municipality, Kenya
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Industrialization, Climate Change, Carbon trading, Africa
