https://arab.news/vmzyj
Next month, heads of state and government, climate scientists, private sector leaders, global development partners, and representatives of civil society and youth will convene in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s vibrant capital and the seat of the African Union, for the Second Africa Climate Summit. This is not merely a symbolic gathering; it is a declaration of intent by Africa, an opportunity to unleash a wave of high-return investment, and a potential turning point in how the world confronts the climate crisis.
Africa is on the front line of a socially and economically corrosive global environmental catastrophe. Droughts and floods are disrupting agriculture and displacing millions of people across the continent. According to the African Development Bank, climate change is reducing gross domestic product growth in Africa by between 5 and 15 percent each year, losses that mean millions fewer jobs and less investment in critical infrastructure.
But while Africa is a poster child for climate vulnerability, it is also a model of climate possibility, boasting vast renewable resources, rich biodiversity, rapidly growing economies, and a young, innovative population. Yet Africa’s green potential remains largely untapped. For example, though the continent possesses 60 percent of the world’s best solar resources, it currently accounts for only 1 percent of global installed solar capacity, and only 3 percent of global energy investment.
