BUSINESS
AFRICA – How to get Africa out of climate injustice?
(EARTH LOVE UNITED ) – The UN Climate Summit, which opened on 31 October in Glasgow, Scotland, is widely regarded as a last chance. While the main challenge is to convince 200 countries to do more to reduce their CO2 emissions, Africa also expects climate finance to be unlocked and increased.
In the climate field, Africa is experiencing a real injustice: 4% of global CO2 emissions are attributed to the continent which has contributed the least to climate change, but which is suffering the worst effects. Cyclones, floods, droughts… the climate risk takes different forms and its repercussions are multiple. According to the 2021 Global Climate Risk Index compiled by the NGO Germanwatch, of the ten countries in the world most affected by climate change in 2019, five are African. According to the African Development Bank, the impact of climate change on the continent could reach $50 billion a year by 2040.
This disproportionate vulnerability was highlighted by the UN in a report on the state of the climate in Africa published on 19 October. This document highlights that climate change has contributed to worsening food insecurity, poverty and population displacement on the continent last year. “By 2030, it is estimated that up to 118 million extremely poor people will be exposed to drought, flooding and extreme heat in Africa if adequate action is not taken. In sub-Saharan Africa, climate change could lead to an additional 3% decline in gross domestic product by 2050,” writes Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission (AU). in the foreword of the report.
Financing to be released
Faced with this observation, African states intend to urge developed countries to keep their financial promises in order to limit global warming. “We have been waiting more than 10 years for the $100 billion a year promised to help developing countries deal with the climate emergency,” Tanguy Gahuma told AFP. “ Békalé, referring to the commitment made at the Copenhagen climate conference in 2009.
Indeed, while greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2020, attention will focus on the commitments of major emitters. “Current commitments lead to global warming of 2.7°C, but it’s 4°C to 5°C in Africa. This is not acceptable, the major emitters must review their copy,” said Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s ambassador responsible for climate negotiations. Aid is all the more urgent because Africa must not sacrifice its economic recovery on the altar of climate change. Given the scale of the needs, the response must go further, be broader, with more precise and qualitative objectives, as Gabonese Tanguy Gahouma-Bekale, Chair of the African Negotiating Group at COP26, points out.
Leading countries and exemplary initiatives
On the continent, in the face of development priorities and the fight against poverty, the issue of the environment is too often relegated to the background. However, some countries are showing the way, like Gabon, one of the rare countries to have adopted policies for the preservation of the environment very early on. In addition to being able to boast a positive carbon footprint, the country is home to the world’s first industrial zone – the Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ), managed by ARISE IIP – to be certified carbon-neutral. For their part, South Africa and Morocco are continental leaders in taking environmental issues into account, to which they allocate a substantial budget.
On climate change, some large-scale African initiatives stand out, such as the Great Green Wall of the African Union or the African Development Bank’s Desert to Power initiative, which aims to build the world’s largest solar power generation zone in the Sahel. In the same dynamic, but on a different scale, many start-ups and NGOs are working locally to limit the effects of climate change. In the face of the immense challenges, actions are multiplying for the protection of natural forests, the restoration of wetlands and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.
While many NGOs are positioned on the environmental issue, the issue of awareness is a major component. Thus, the Earth Love United Foundation, founded in 2020, multiplies actions to raise awareness on climate issues. This action goes hand in hand with the development of a carbon capture and storage technology based on a bioreactor and the cultivation of various plants, whose first test site is in Benin. “This technology will play an increasingly important role in the decarbonization scenarios in which the major polluters are engaged,” said Jean Missinhoun, President of the Earth Love United Foundation. “
Source : Agence Ecofin
The presidency of Togo has announced that the project to exploit the manganese mine of Nayega, located in the Savanes region in the north of the country, is entering its operational phase. According to a statement issued on June 10, 2025, production is scheduled to start at the end of June 2025, with an initial volume of 4,000 tons per month, which should gradually double to reach 8,000 tons per month.
Keras Resources is the technical partner retained by the Togolese government to carry out this project. A statement from Keras, relayed by the presidency, details that the company signed a cooperation agreement in 2023 with the Togolese state, owner of the mine through the Togolese Manganese Company (STM). Under the terms of this agreement, Keras will receive a remuneration of 1.5% of the mine’s gross revenue for three years for its advisory services, as well as 6% for brokering services.
The reserves of the Nayega mine are estimated at 8.5 million tonnes, which would allow exploitation over a period of 11 years. The authorities of Lomé welcome the expected contribution of the mine to the national budget, a benefit that should be strengthened by the rigorous management of the generated revenues, as indicated by our colleagues from Agence Afrique.
With a growing global demand for manganese, particularly in steel alloys and renewable energy technologies, Togo is seeking to assert itself as an essential supplier of this strategic ore. This positioning could play a catalytic role for the national economy, always according to information from the Africa Agency.
Source: senego / Photo credit: Republicoftogo.com
The Gabonese government decided on Friday to ban the import of broilers in order to promote national poultry production and ensure food security, according to the final communiqué of the council of ministers chaired by the head of state, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
The ban will be effective from 1 January 2027, thus leaving a period of 18 months (1 year and 6 months) for actors in the sector to structure themselves, invest and prepare to meet national demand.
“This measure aims to restore domestic poultry production, boost agricultural investment, reduce food dependency and strengthen the trade balance,” the government hopes. Gabon also hopes to foster “the emergence of a network of rural jobs, the rise in quality of products consumed locally and the creation of an economic ecosystem around this sector”.
The government has also planned a detailed operational plan to be presented within 45 days by the ministers responsible for economy and trade.
Libreville dreams of reducing its dependence on poultry imports and strengthening the country’s food security. In addition, the promotion of local poultry farming should have a positive impact on rural areas, generating jobs and contributing to the development of a vibrant poultry ecosystem.
Imported frozen chicken is the most consumed food in Gabon because of its low price and packaging ready to be thrown into a pot.
“The star of the freezer” is how Gabonese people refer to frozen chicken because it is often the only food, if not the default food, found in the freezers of Gabonese families.
Frozen chicken and meat are generally imported from Latin America and Europe. Their massive presence on the market has destroyed local production.
The Council of Ministers also announced a ban on exporting crude manganese from 1 January 2029. The objective is to promote local industrial development, create jobs and maximize the value of this resource, of which Gabon is the world’s second largest producer.
Sources: gabonactu.com
Mauritania is in the spotlight. On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Sidi Ould Tah was elected president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), at the annual meeting of the institution held in Abidjan. He succeeds Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, in office since 2015.
His election came after a hard-fought duel against Samuel Munzele Maimbo of Zambia, who finished in second place. The election, which was marked by major geopolitical and economic issues, took place against a background of high expectations regarding governance and development financing on the continent.
The Senegalese Amadou Hott, long perceived as one of the favorites, finishes in third place, followed by the South African Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala. Despite significant diplomatic support, notably for Hott, the momentum in favour of Sidi Ould Tah has prevailed in the last few rounds.
Former minister and general manager of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Sidi Ould Tah is recognized for his experience and strategic vision. He will officially take office on 1 September 2025.
Photo credit: Forbes Africa
