Africa: It's Time for Rich Polluters to Pay for the Climate Crisis They Created
WFPNew York — The world is standing at a critical juncture. Climate change is not just a future threat--it's here, and it's already devastating lives. From record-breaking heat waves to floods and landslides, the planet is sending us clear signals that we cannot afford to ignore.
But for many of us in the Global South, this crisis is not new. It is a daily reality that we have been living with for years, despite contributing almost nothing to the problem.
I am from Uganda, a country that contributes less than 0.02% of global CO2 emissions and ranks as the 36th most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change. I grew up on a farm, and I saw firsthand how changing weather patterns--flooded roads and mudslides--kept me from attending school.
What was once a reliable planting season turned into a guessing game of whether the rains would come at all or whether they'd wash away everything in their path.
Our plantation didn't survive. Neither did many others in my region. And in the end, it wasn't just our farm that was lost--it was our livelihood, our food security, and for me, an entire year of education.
What frustrates me most is that Africa, a continent rich in resources and biodiversity, continues to bear the brunt of a crisis we did not create. Our people are paying with their lives and futures for the emissions and actions of the world's wealthiest.
According to Oxfam, the richest 1% emit as much planet-heating pollution as the poorest two-thirds of humanity and their carbon emissions are enough to cause 1.3 million excess deaths due to heat. The richest continue to be indifferent to the fact that it is the poorest and frontline communities who pay the price.
According to UNICEF, girls worldwide spend 200 million hours every single day collecting water. Think about that for a moment--200 million hours. The climate crisis is making this burden even heavier.
As water sources dry up, girls are forced to walk further and further, giving up education and opportunities to secure the most basic human need. By 2030, water insecurity is expected to displace 700 million people globally--most of them girls and women. This is not just a climate crisis; it's a social justice crisis.
Africa, despite its negligible carbon footprint, is on the frontlines of environmental disasters, while the fossil fuel industry continues to rake in record profits. This system is built on injustice. A system where the few benefit while the rest of us suffer. It's a system where the powerful can pollute, and the poor pay the price.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
In Uganda, we're organizing. I founded Fridays for Future Uganda to demand climate justice and to fight for a sustainable future where communities can thrive, not just survive. And we're not alone. Across the world, movements like Make Rich Polluters Pay are calling for those responsible for the climate crisis--the fossil fuel giants and the ultra-wealthy--to be held accountable.
The solutions are within reach, but it requires the political will to act. Right now, in New York, there's a bill sitting on Governor Kathy Hochul's desk that could set a powerful precedent. The Climate Change Superfund Act would force major fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share for climate damages in the state.
Governor Hochul has the power to sign this into law and ensure that everyday people aren't left footing the bill for the climate crisis. We need similar actions across the globe.
This November, at COP29 in Baku, leaders from the Global North, including the United States, must agree on a new goal for climate finance that includes taxing the ultra-wealthy and fossil fuel companies. Rich countries, whose emissions have fueled the climate crisis, must step up and take the lead. It's time for rich polluters to pay for the destruction they've caused.
We cannot wait any longer. The climate crisis is here. The people who have contributed the least to this crisis are the ones suffering the most. We need to hold those responsible to account and demand that they pay for the loss and damage we are experiencing.
The future we want is equal--one where renewable energy powers our economies, where girls are in classrooms instead of walking miles for water, and where communities in Uganda, New York, and beyond can thrive.
I urge you to take action. There are many ways you can do that. One is to support the Make Rich Polluters Pay campaign by signing the petition and raising your voice. Climate justice isn't just a demand--it's our right. Together, we can build a better, fairer future for everyone.
Hilda Flavia Nakabuye is a Ugandan climate and environmental rights activist and founder of Fridays for Future Uganda.
IPS UN Bureau
Africa: Ruto Urges United African Push for Fair Climate Financing At COP29
WFP
Azimi Abubakar, 50, a resident of Gasamu, wades through the floodwater in Jakusko LGA of Yobe State, Nigeria
30 September 2024
Business Day Africa (Nairobi)
African leaders must present a united front at the upcoming United Nations climate change conference to demand a fairer global climate financing system, Kenyan President William Ruto said.
Speaking at a meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), held alongside the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ruto urged the continent to push for reforms that would increase investment in Africa's energy transition and boost its climate adaptation efforts.
"The focus at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, should be on securing an equitable climate financing mechanism that addresses the needs of Africa and other developing nations," said Dr Ruto, who chairs CAHOSCC.
He emphasised that the current level of investment--just three percent globally in energy transition--falls far short of what is needed to combat the worsening impacts of climate change.
President Ruto's comments come as African nations face mounting climate challenges, from droughts to floods, with the continent contributing the least to global carbon emissions yet suffering the most severe consequences.
He underscored the need for investments in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, green transport, and nature-based solutions to ensure Africa's transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
"These investments are not only vital for Africa but also the entire global community," Ruto said.
The Kenyan president also stressed the importance of debt sustainability and reforms in the international financial system, highlighting the strain high debt servicing costs place on African nations' ability to fund climate-resilience projects.
"As climate-related shocks increase in frequency and severity, coupled with high interest rates and credit downgrades, refinancing becomes more expensive, and governments' capacity to invest in green resilience is constrained," he added.
The CAHOSCC meeting, attended by African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, set the stage for Africa's strategy ahead of COP29.
Mr Mahamat echoed Ruto's call for unity, stressing the importance of a cohesive African stance to secure increased climate financing.
Earlier, Dr Ruto hosted the inaugural Steering Committee Meeting of the African Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII), a platform aimed at unlocking investments for large-scale green industrial and infrastructure projects across the continent.
The initiative seeks to foster partnerships between African leaders and stakeholders in finance, industry, and philanthropy.
"This initiative aligns value chains across the continent and is key to driving Africa's economic transformation through green industrialisation," Ruto said.
The African Union has warned that some countries on the continent have already experienced GDP losses of up to five percent due to the effects of climate change, underlining the urgent need for concrete action at COP29.
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