ANALYSIS: Poor climate finance inhibiting green growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

In less than a month, relevant climate change experts, world leaders, and industry practitioners from across the globe will converge in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to discuss how to address the lingering impacts of climate change at the 29th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP29).

According to organisers, this year, the discussions at COP29 are expected to be focused on climate finance, mitigation, and adaptation, with the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) designed to provide support for vulnerable communities in global climate solutions.

However, the prolonged lack of sustainable climate finance has continued to undermine Africa’s ability to upscale climate mitigation and adaptation efforts amidst the lingering scourge of climate change in the region despite contributing much less to global emissions.

At the opening of Pre-COP29 meetings last week, global leaders raised the importance of increasing financial support for vulnerable regions and enhancing climate resilience across the continent through infrastructures.

Based on this, the prospects of achieving a green, sustainable and climate resilient economy across Africa remain blurry yearly, especially because investment in climate action in Africa are not self-driven but largely dependent and motivated by availability of international investment or support.

In his remarks at the Pre-Cop meeting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the NCQG at COP29 must “meet the needs of developing, least developed, and small island developing states” and represent a “substantial increase” over prior goals.

President Aliyev noted that reaching this goal will require the collaboration of the international community.

“Neither Azerbaijan in its capacity of the COP29 Presidency, nor any other state, can take decisions on behalf of others. Our role is to provide the platform for facilitating negotiations, which we believe we have been fulfilling impartially,” he said

Less emission, more burden

According to the World Meteorological Organisation, Sub-Saharan Africa bears a heavy burden of climate change. The region is experiencing rapid increases in temperature, droughts, and extreme floods—like those recently experienced in Liberia, Nigeria, and Mali.

The Africa Policy Research Institute stressed that Sub-Saharan Africa has been significantly affected by loss of biodiversity, coastal erosion, desertification, and saltwater intrusion, all at a faster rate than the global average.

These challenges, coupled with inadequate infrastructures, have left millions of people vulnerable to natural disasters.

Experts have posited that resilient infrastructures, including well-maintained transportation, water supply, and energy grids, are critical for protecting human lives and ensuring economic stability.

Unfortunately, these systems are either badly maintained or visibly absent in many developing countries, making it extremely difficult for residents/communities to adapt to extreme weather events orchestrated by the changing climate.

This is evident in the spate of climate-induced disasters wreaking havoc across the sub-Saharan region. According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, severe flooding has adversely affected an estimated 4 million people from West Africa and Central Africa, displacing at least 500,000 people including children and destroying more than 300,000 homes.

For instance, the sudden burst of Alau Dam in Borno state, Nigeria, originally built in 1986 to provide flood control, irrigation, water supply, and other social support, led to the recent flooding that engulfed over half of Maiduguri metropolis in Borno state00 persons, displaced over 390,000 persons and contributed to the loss of over 38 lives, according to official figures.

Similarly, over the past decade, unprecedented flood disasters experienced across West African countries, including Liberia, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Chad, among others, have left unimaginable consequences, with all episodes bearing fatalities, loss of properties and destruction of critical social infrastructures such as healthcare facilities, schools, roads and power generation stations.

The situation has further worsened the state of food availability, affordability and accessibility in the region, leaving millions in dire humanitarian needs.

In July, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, launched the ‘Albatros’ project to bolster climate resilience in five Sub-Saharan African countries—Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, and South Africa.

This project, which would establish seven hubs as part of the Global Climate Resilient Network, is for long term benefits and climate adaptation in the midst of disasters.

Experts share their concerns

In his reaction, Eme Okang, executive director at Social and Environmental Initiative, said despite the region’s minimal role in global emissions, it faces disproportionate risks.

Mrs Okang said Sub-Saharan Africa’s vulnerability to climate change is very high due to the lack of critical infrastructures.

“We face bad roads, lack of electricity, water scarcity, and food insecurity, all of which complicate our ability to adapt to climate challenges,” she said. “While global climate finance discussions focus on funding, real solutions lie in addressing the infrastructural gaps that exist.”

She said: “We talk about climate finance, but without sustainable infrastructural development, we are essentially running in circles. Poorly maintained systems mean that even with finance, our ability to withstand climate disasters remains weak.”

In Nigeria, Mrs Okang said, weak political will is one of the major issues undermining effective policy implementation. She said the government’s tendency to make ambitious policy commitments at international forums but failing to implement those promises at home is a big issue.

“Nigeria is very good at being present at negotiation tables, but when we return home, nothing changes. Policies are not followed through, and infrastructural projects remain stalled or poorly executed,” she noted.

Mrs Okang called for proactive actions instead of policies that are never implemented. According to her, sub-Saharan Africa needs real-time solutions and sustainable infrastructural development to help it survive growing threats.

In August, during the 12 edition Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa, Anthony Nyong, African Development Bank Director for Climate Change and Green Growth, said the global share of climate finance reaching Africa is insufficient to support its climate adaptation and resilience. He noted that the sub-Saharan regions receive less than 3 per cent of the total annual share.

“The current global climate finance falls far short of African countries’ needs and expectations, with less than 3 per cent reaching sub-Saharan Africa annually.”

Mr Anthony, a professor, reaffirmed the African Development Bank’s commitment to doubling climate finance to reach $25 billion next year and increasing Africa’s share of global climate finance from 3 per cent to 10 per cent.