Africa's youth: Funding climate change programmes could solve unemployment
AU Special Youth Envoy Chido Mpemba.
Africa's youth say more funding for climate change mitigation programmes will ultimately provide solutions to unemployment, seeing the two issues as linked.
This week, Chido Mpemba, the African Union chairperson's youth envoy, said the international community should fund programmes to combat climate change-related disasters, something that could naturally attract youth participation in reclaiming their environment and earning from it.
“Nine out of ten countries in Africa are hit the hardest when it comes to climate disasters. We have seen this when it comes to loss and damage, how it affects education and food security in various communities, yet at the same time less that 3 percent of global financing is going towards climate disasters in Africa,” Mpemba said on the sidelines of the Shape Africa Summit held in Addis Ababa.
This meeting was organised as the world gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan, to discuss a global deal on climate change, in particular compensation for the world's poor nations, such as those in Africa, who suffer the most from climate change-related disasters but contribute the least to causing them.
Floods, droughts, warming oceans and erratic weather patterns are all linked to climate change. And its effects include poor yields in agriculture, one of Africa's biggest employers, and destroyed infrastructure, which in turn affects trade that could otherwise provide employment opportunities.
Africa needs $277 billion a year in climate change funding, according to the African Union. Although Africa produces the least carbon emissions, it remains the most vulnerable to climate disasters.
Southern Africa is reeling from an El Niño-induced drought that has pushed more than 60 million people to the brink of hunger, according to the regional bloc.
As humanitarian agencies scramble for resources to feed the hungry, a La Niña has been predicted for 2025, when the rainy season is expected to be marked by flooding.
“We need to do more and I believe as leaders gather at COP 29, this should be at the forefront of discussions. Young people should amplify their voices but policymakers, equally, should ensure that our future is certain,” Mpemba said.
“Let's come together in solidarity in this fight towards ending climate disasters in Africa and making sure there is more financing that comes on our continent.”
African countries and activists are pushing for increased investment in climate-related projects and reform of the global financial system.
Central to the discussions is the setting of new climate finance targets to help developing countries adapt to and mitigate climate change.
A new collective agreement will replace a 15-year-old commitment by developed countries to provide $100 billion annually to developing countries, which was not met until 2022 after years of missed targets. The continent has been calling for at least $1.3 trillion a year in funding for loss and damage, but such a deal has been resisted by developed countries, which believe that solutions to climate change should be built locally.
During the Shape Africa Summit, youth from across Africa discussed climate change, mental health and ways to work together to achieve Agenda 2063, where the continent aims to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth.
Youth have been identified as a key pillar in achieving this goal. Young people make up 77 percent of the continent's population and, according to Mpemba, have a key role to play in the continent's development.
