Santa Claus Must Take Responsibility for Africa’s Climate Change Crisis

As the world prepares for COP27 in Egypt, it’s time to take a hard look at how climate change will affect Africa and what can be done about it. South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised country, is the world’s 13th biggest source of climate-warming greenhouse gases and gets more than 80% of its electricity from coal. Across the continent, there is less reliance on coal and more on natural gas and hydropower, but overall, renewables usage remains well below the global average.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has made the power crisis his government’s top priority, but it’s been tricky. South Africa has several laws designed to ensure that Eskom, the national electric utility, has a monopoly over energy production even though the country is blessed with ample wind and solar resources ideal for renewable energy projects.

Ramaphosa is looking to foreign investors and governments for the capital needed to fund South Africa’s shift toward renewable energy. A study carried out by the Blended Finance Taskforce and Centre for Sustainability Transitions at Stellenbosch University found that South Africa will need to spend $250 billion over the next 30 years to close down its coal-fired power plants and transition to green energy.

The sordid history of exploitation by outside forces continues in Africa under the guise of climate change and global green energy transitions. Rich countries continue to ship off Africa’s resources to places like China and Europe with little care given to local needs. Moreover, Africa’s population is rapidly growing and urbanising, which makes extreme weather events caused by climate change a major concern for authorities across the continent.

It’s time for wealthy nations to step up and take responsibility for their role in the exploitation of Africa’s green energy transition. COP27 should be seen as an opportunity to ensure that the gap between climate finance pledges and actual flow is closed. It’s also an opportunity to pressure governments into honouring their commitments to support just transitions in developing countries.

It’s time for Santa Claus to stop shirking his responsibility and start taking action to reduce his carbon footprint. The world needs to move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources, and wealthy nations must take the lead in helping Africa make this transition.