Africa’s first climate summit ended on Wednesday with the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration, which calls for new global taxes to fund climate change action, an increase in Africa’s renewable generation capacity, and a new debt relief architecture.
Though some experts lauded the declaration as a bold step in the right direction, others said it placed a lot of emphasis on establishing systems that generate revenue for climate finance but lacked details and promoted false solutions as a viable alternative to phasing out harmful fossil fuels.
“The declaration is laced with calls for green growth, cries for finance and veiled references to carbon trading, technology and the like, which open routes for green colonialism and render the continent nothing better than a vast carbon sink and experimental grounds for polluting nations and corporations,” Nnimmo Bassey, director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, said.
About the author
David Njagi
David Njagi is a Kenya-based Devex Contributing Reporter with over 12 years’ experience in the field of journalism. He graduated from the Technical University of Kenya with a diploma in journalism and public relations. He has reported for local and international media outlets, such as the BBC Future Planet, Reuters AlertNet, allAfrica.com, Inter Press Service, Science and Development Network, Mongabay Reporting Network, and Women’s Media Center.
