Have you ever sat in a long endless meeting that discusses productive solutions toward fixing a problem but bears no fruit after the fact? As various African countries sat at the round table to discuss the role Africa must play in climate change, environmentalists urged African leaders not to simply sit at talk but to take the initiative and take viable actions to fight against the climate crisis. It was said that meetings are simply rhetoric and unhelpful. Kenya as a summit host also had more reason to call for the summit than simply hosting heads of state. It was reported before the summit that the rising water levels in Lake Baringo, Kenya were due to climate change and have led to increased risks of attacks by hippos and crocodiles, threatening the livelihoods and safety of local communities. This has caused much cause for alarm because residents of Lake Baringo filed a lawsuit against the Kenyan government for failing to respond to the climate crisis and are demanding financial compensation for the loss of land, and for exposure to water-borne diseases. In this article, we will discuss the different aspects that Africa is required to attend to give the various discussions.

As the summit commenced, activists argued that factory farming tends to be overlooked during said meetings as a climate-damaging activity. Factory system of rearing livestock using highly intensive methods, by which poultry, pigs, or cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions. Factory farming rips down forests to plant crops for animal feed at the end of the day releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Africa needs to place animal welfare at the Center of Global environmental agenda and sustainable development. While it is overlooked, it has been brought to the attention of many of us that the lives of animals must be protected. 

An effort should be made to localize the legalese that commonly stay in conference rooms so that the efforts and resolutions made come with an understanding of climate change. Of course, it is not enough to simply sit and talk but the act of disseminating the conversations and debates on climate change into local languages will solve a whole lot of problems. 

Soil organic carbon loss in agricultural soils has also been among the huge contributors to climate change. Since industrial farming began, the world has lost about 1.6 trillion of carbon dioxide stored in virgin soils. The creation of carbon credit markets however helps solve these challenges. A carbon market allows investors and corporations to trade both carbon credits and carbon offsets simultaneously. This mitigates the environmental crisis, while also creating new market opportunities.

Reduction of our carbon emissions is one action that Africa should take towards fighting the climate crisis. The majority of our fuel emissions come from the use of fossil fuels and the use of carbon. Countries like South Africa refused to attend the Climate summit because they were under protest from European partners to abandon coal yet about 80% of its energy comes from coal. 

Climate finance is one topic that cannot be ignored. Like any initiative or project, the big question as to where funding will come from definitely plagues the minds of most leaders. Climate finance is the funding for actions to address climate change, such as mitigation and adaptation. As controversies ensued, it was argued that the approach to climate finance agreed at the summit will advance Western priorities at the expense of the continent.

A few controversies have risen from the summit as not everyone accepted the meeting to be for the greater good. The question that we must ask ourselves, in the long run, is whether the summit, while the road ahead may be fraught with obstacles, will as Africans be acceptable. This summit offers hope that Africa can and must play a pivotal role in addressing the global climate crisis.