A recent UN report on 10 disasters in 2020 and 2021 shows how interconnected the world is when it comes to climate change and its effects. In other words, it’s everyone’s responsibility to work together and step back from degrading our planet.
In order to achieve this, it is vital that we explore the roles different countries play in the climate change story. In addition to pledging and working to reduce the damage they are doing to the environment, the biggest polluters – China, the US, India, Russia, Japan and others – must do more to support those who are not only cleaning up the carbon mess but don’t contribute to it to anything like the same extent in the first place.
Good neighbours
Bhutan and Suriname – the only countries in the world that are net carbon-negative – should be top of the list of potential beneficiaries. By retaining their forests, they are able to absorb some of the CO2 emissions their neighbours emit. Shouldn’t the polluters encourage them to continue to do this by sharing part of the wealth gained from their polluting activities?
Under this scenario, most countries in Africa would also qualify as low emitters, maintaining as they do large swathes of forests, restricting the use of dirty energy sources like coal, or using cleaner methods of production. Because, while the continent does not share in the wealth gained from activities that damage the environment, it does share in the consequences. In East Africa, for example, flooding has increased five-fold since 2016, while 90% of the body of water in the Lake Chad Basin has been lost since the 1960s.
Work together
Here’s an example of how this idea could work. Australia digs up large amounts of coal each year, using some of it for electricity and exporting the rest to countries like China, so raising CO2 emission levels. In contrast, Nigeria – although it has reasonable coal deposits in Enugu and an unstable electricity network – is investing in renewables and aiming to boost its renewable electricity to 23% of total generation by 2025. Australia could offer something in support of Nigeria’s stance, by investing in the West African country’s shift towards cleaner sources of energy, for example.
Avoid the polluters’ club
We must all fight climate change together. As Africa’s less industrialised countries develop, they should learn from what we now know about the damaging effects of emissions and avoid the polluting processes that cause them.
If the nations that have benefited from these processes were to help others to avoid joining the polluters’ club, while also rolling back on those emissions-heavy activities, the whole world would benefit. November’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) presents a great opportunity for serious conversations, and maybe decisions, around this.
