George Omondi in African Business Daily: African countries have asked legislators to draft a common position on climate change, a decision that could put to an end years of debate on who is best suited to represent the continent’s interests at global negotiations.Africa, the lowest emitter of carbon gasses and the most vulnerable region to climate change, does not have a common position to negotiate for compensation from industrialised nations. At the moment, fragmented government voices have been keen on the mitigation and social justice side of the debate, while private businesses see a lot of opportunities in the phenomenon. They feel that national governments should help them exploit the openings.
On the other hand, the civil society has been pushing for a slice of the compensation cake, while the world’s poorest communities find themselves trapped in a cycle of poverty and harsh living conditions resulting from global warming. Experts say settling on legislators to forge a united position in climate change negotiations is the best way forward.
“While parliamentarians already represent people of diverse interests, they must be cognizant of the fact that adaptation money that carbon emitters owe the continent could be a huge investment for Africa’s infrastructure, green energy and agricultural development,” said Mr Alex Harneit-Seivers, the regional director of Heinrich Boll Stiftung…..
Children in the oasis village of Timia, Niger, at the southern edge of the Sahara desert fill their containers every morning. The mountain village gets enough water to grow fruit year round. Shot by Phuong Tran, Voice of America, Wikimedia Commons
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