AFRICA AT COP29: OF CHARADE, AND BUSINESS AS (un)USUAL

 

As a continent with everything pointing to the fact that it is the worst hit in terms of climate change, it is expected that African leaders would take the bull by the horns and find practical solutions to this menace.

So, what happens next after the Conference of Parties  (COP 29 )here in Azerbaijan? In the spirit of genuine progress, can we imagine our leaders not waiting for the next grand gathering to unveil their plans? Why does it take a global event for our leaders to remember the importance of sustainability?

Have we really reached a point where a delegation of well-heeled politicians strutting across international stages is the only way to stir the pot of change?

Maybe it’s time to look within our borders. After all, every nation brims with untapped potential, unique perspectives, and local wisdom. Instead of hopping into COP events with an air of entitlement, expecting the developed world to hand over cheques simply because the Paris Agreement whispers promises in our ears, let’s weigh our own priority areas. Are we waiting for someone else to define our future? If we continue to do so, when will we ever take the driver’s seat in our journey?

The reality is that state actors are sovereign states, not charity cases waiting for benevolent donation drives. Have we conveniently forgotten that no one entered our shores to conduct business without a high-level meeting, environmental scoping, and intense local regulations? Are we really going to dance around the fact that it’s a two-way street,( i.e.between responsibility and response? )

Now, let’s start a real conversation about adaptation and mitigation. What if we channeled all that scorching rhetoric from the podium into action right back home? What might we accomplish if we engaged our communities in a real dialogue rather than a staged one? Talking about climate change is only part of the equation; implementing grassroots solutions, learning from our own experiences, and empowering our local leaders to take centre stage.

To all the African leaders about to board their return flights home, lets pursue partnerships with local innovators, tap into traditional knowledge, and raising practices that sync with our diverse climates and cultures. Let’s stop waiting for a handout or template when we can develop ours to troubleshoot our own challenges.

And with six years left on the global goals to come to their finality, may we, at the next COP avoid attending a shopping list of demands, let’s show up with plans in hand, ready to present our homegrown ideas. After all, true sovereignty lies in our ability to shape our destiny not in waiting for someone else to deliver it. So, leaders of Africa, seize the moment! The stage is set, but it’s time to step off of it and into the heart of our nations, where real change begins.

Let COP events serve as a platform for the world to know where you have come from and where you are, with climate change.