As the United States went to the polls to elect a new leader, Africa’s leaders were closely watching the outcome, recognising its potential global implications for climate action. African nations, among the most vulnerable to climate impacts, are particularly reliant on support from the developed nations, international climate agreements and funding to solve and adapt to the climate crisis. As extreme weather events ravage the continent, African countries find themselves diverting their meagre funds meant for development – infrastructure, education, health, social wellbeing – to handle climate related loss and damages, and to adapt.
Reactions from African climate advocates highlight both hope and caution, reflecting the continent’s growing interest in stronger partnerships, equitable climate financing, and a more consistent U.S. stance on climate commitments.
Donald Trump, a climate denier who in his campaigns pledged to once again withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement, won the elections.
Coming just a few days before the world converges in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the annual climate conference, the leaders, led by former Malawi President Joyce Banda, called for the US to meet its climate obligations.
“The outcome of the US election is consequential for the climate. Efforts to fight against and mitigate climate change effects on the world, and developing countries in particular hang in the balance. As a global superpower, we expect the US to do the right thing for the sake of the world and generations to come.”
This year’s COP is of extreme importance to the African continent, which is pushing for the world, especially the developed nations, to commit at least USD 1.3 trillion in climate financing. The US role in raising this funding cannot be overstated.
“At COP29, the US must lead from the front, and support the delivery of ambitious grants-based and highly concessional climate finance to the trillions of dollars required to meet the adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries and compensate for losses of damages in a timely and transparent manner,” said Raila Odinga, Former PM of Kenya and candidate for Chair of the Africa Union Commission.
“Actions of the United States on climate change at home and globally will shape how Africa, a continent that is least responsible for the climate crisis yet suffering most from climate impacts, will navigate its own development path, deliver energy access to over 600 million people who are without electricity access today. “
Climate experts from across the world insist that a climate finance deal agreed on at COP29 must be structured around grants and grant-equivalent, not loans. Lack of climate funding and fiscal space is the biggest obstacle to mitigation and adaptation, as well as fulfilling the COP28 decisions to transition away from fossil fuels and triple renewable energy in Africa and other least developed countries of the world.
“COP29 must address fundamental barriers to enhancing ambition and break through serious financial challenges of developing countries to tackle the climate crisis. Ambition in finance would mean higher financial provision and overall lower cost of finance to achieve climate and development objectives for regions such as Africa,” said Julius Mbatia, Climate Finance Expert at ACT Alliance.
There is a risk that Trump, in pulling the US out of the Paris Agreement again, will withdraw commitments the US has made on investments on clean energy and on the loss and damage fund. Doing this will have dire impacts on Africa, where the US is a key investor in clean energy, and is a development partner for the Accelerated Partnerships for Renewables in Africa (APRA).
“With Trump’s track record of climate denial, the stakes are incredibly high—not only for the U.S. but for vulnerable regions like Africa that suffer the harshest impacts of climate change,” said Baboucarr Nyang, the regional node coordinator for Climate Action Network – Africa (CAN).
Climate leaders insist that the world must stay true to climate ambitions – to keep global warming below 1.5, and to agree to an ambitious climate finance deal in Baku that will encourage countries, especially the most vulnerable, to set stronger Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
“With or without Trump, our fight for climate justice remains unshakable,” said Dr Wafa Misrar, Campaign and Policy Lead at CAN Africa.
