The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment opened this Thursday in Dakar. It brings together several African ministers of the environment and a special envoy of the American president for the climate, John Kerry. On the occasion, the representative of the United States, stressed the injustice between the contribution of rich and poor countries to global warming and the effects they suffer. He thus emphasized the need for Africa to be a stakeholder in both the decision and action and invited it to comply with.
As a prelude to the COP27 to be held next November in Egypt, African environment ministers met in Dakar on Thursday, September 15 to assess the environmental challenges of the continent. And while African representatives are demanding compensation from rich countries for the damage caused by global warming, for which they are primarily responsible, John Kerry refuses to allow only Westerners to assume the burden. “Those who have polluted more, must put their hand in their pocket. This is not development aid,” said Abdou Karim Sall, Senegal’s Minister of the Environment. Before adding “At the next COP, we hope that justice will be done to Africa”.
“Well, guess what, folks? Mother Nature doesn’t measure where the emissions come from. They don’t come from one country or another. They come from all the choices we make about how we move our vehicles, how we heat our homes, how we light our businesses,” responded John Kerry, the U.S. president’s special climate envoy.
To adapt…
On the other hand, the American emissary invites the Africans to adapt. “We have to adapt. We have to adapt seriously and significantly all over the world, and especially in Africa. So yes, we have to mitigate. But in Africa and around the world, we need to adapt to this planet that is already heading towards 1.5,” said John Kerry before insisting “Developed countries need to do more, but we also need you at the table.
He further noted that the continent experienced catastrophic floods in 2022 that killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands, while the Horn of Africa is experiencing its fourth year of drought.
He also notified the actions carried out by the United States in favor of Africa and against global warming, such as the granting in 2021 of 8.2 billion dollars in humanitarian aid and support for adaptation to climate change.
