With the forthcoming COP28 in the United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 12, Africa should be at the top of the agenda as the continent is more susceptible to climate change. Africa is becoming increasingly important in the global conversation on environmental sustainability. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) uses the Conference of the Parties (COP), an important series of international meetings, as a platform for countries to come together and tackle the urgent problem of climate change.  

Africa has a unique and complex position in this framework, reflecting the challenges the continent faces and the creative solutions it can offer.   

Heavy rains in September of this year forced two dams in Libya to fail, flooding the east coast city of Derna and causing severe climate damage to Africa. The flood was the most fatal in Africa in the previous century, with an estimated 4,000 deaths and 46,000 homeless. These kinds of catastrophes are spreading throughout the continent, although Africa accounts for 1.45 billion tons, or 4%, of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

During this summer’s heatwave, Algeria and Tunisia also had some of their greatest temperatures ever, with temperatures close to 50 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, after multiple failed rainy seasons, the Horn of Africa is only now beginning to recover from a protracted drought. 

COP28 takes place at a pivotal moment. The window of opportunity to meet the objective of the Paris Agreement, which is to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, is rapidly closing.

The majority of the instruments required by the world to quicken the energy transition are also found in Africa. Plenty of the continent is well-suited to renewable energy sources, especially solar energy. The Sahara’s solar resources are becoming increasingly attractive to Europeans as a source of energy, but Africa also has a unique chance to leverage its renewable resources to drive a green industrial revolution across the continent; this should be the main topic of debate at the upcoming COP28. 

Several of the main tenets of Africa’s COP28 negotiation stance were decided upon during the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, which took place in Nairobi in September.  The international community was urged “to act with a sense of urgency to decrease emissions, meeting its commitments, upholding past promises, and assisting Africa in addressing climate change” in the Nairobi Declaration, which was the result of the summit and showed that the continent had made significant progress in mitigating climate change.

African leaders’ primary objective at COP28 will be to convince developed nations to follow through on their prior commitments to provide funding to assist developing nations in adapting to the most severe effects of climate change. 

In order to determine how to create the Loss and Damage Fund, which is meant to give financial support to low-income nations that experience especially severe impacts, COP27 established a transitional committee. At COP28, the committee is expected to provide its recommendations. 

Without a doubt, African delegations to COP28 will work hard to see that these ideas become a reality. The world’s wealthiest nations, the majority of which have recently reduced their funding for international development, are unlikely to drag their feet, as this will undoubtedly spark a diplomatic backlash. 

The need to put Africa at the top of the agenda is becoming more and more apparent as the world community moves toward COP28. Due to the continuous effects of climate change on the continent, the dynamic interaction between the continent and the Conference of the Parties (COP) is not only an issue of regional concern but also a worldwide imperative. 

The threats posed by climate change to Africa are severe and immediate. The effects, which range from severe weather to disturbances in agriculture, are profound. However, this story of vulnerability is intertwined with a strong sense of resilience and a multitude of creative solutions. The continent is a source of inspiration, providing lessons in adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable development; it is not only a passive player in climate negotiations. 

Putting Africa at the top of the COP28 agenda signifies a call for climate justice, an acceptance of the continent’s right to development, and the need for an inclusive and fair global response to climate change. The problems at hand transcend national boundaries and reflect the interdependence of the environmental difficulties facing our world. 

Africa is a key component of the global effort to combat climate change because of its distinct conditions, varied ecosystems, and potential for renewable energy and sustainable practices. It serves as a knowledge base, a test of fortitude, and a ray of hope for a sustainable future. 

As COP28 draws near, Africa will not only have a chance to express its concerns; the rest of the world is also invited to participate, listen, and learn. By putting Africa at the front of the agenda, it will recognize that understanding the needs and ambitions of all countries, especially the most vulnerable, is essential to the success of global climate measures.