Page 6 - GLNG Week 46 2022

GLNG COMMENTARY GLNG

COP27: Africa lobbies to retain

gas use despite pollution dangers

AFRICAN nations are lobbying to be allowed to short-changed by climate finance, and that
AFRICA use their natural gas reserves to lift up to 600mn Africa received only 3% of total climate finance
people out of energy poverty and to connect globally, receiving $18bn per year, compared to
them to modern electricity supplies. the $125bn per year it needs.
While renewables are the key to the future
of Africa, natural gas is still needed to balance Pollution threat
out energy supplies and to provide the feedstock However, a report from the UN released at
needed for industrialisation. COP27 highlighted that Africa could prevent
“We must recognise the special nature of 880,000 deaths per year by taking action on air
Africa. Africa has the highest level of energy pollution and climate change.
poverty in the world,” said African Development Three bodies, the Climate and Clean Air
Bank President Akinwumi Adesina at COP27 in Coalition (CCAC), the United Nations Envi-
Egypt, Reuters reported. ronment Programme (UNEP) and the African
“My interest is how Africa uses natural gas as Union Commission, said in their report, called
part of its energy mix to provide electricity for Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and
600 million people today that don’t have access Climate Change for Sustainable Development
to electricity.” in Africa, that African government needed to
Adesina said that Africa’s specific need for reduce pollution by focussing like methane and
natural gas must form a central plank of any final black carbon.
deal that comes out of COP27. Air pollution is the one of the greatest envi-
His claims come as he also told the con- ronmental threats to human health and is
ferene that: “Africa is suffering from devastating responsible for about 7 million deaths each year
effects of climate change, from droughts, floods, globally. The report identified 37 measures that
cyclones, locusts, and army worms.” would reduce pollution, led by cleaner vehicles
He also said that Africa was losing $7-15bn and more public transport, more clean cooking
per year due to climate change, which is pro- technology and renewables, reducing methane
jected to rise to $50bn by 2050. He warned that emissions from agriculture and developing bet-
Africa, which accounts for just 3% of greenhouse ter waste management systems.
gas emissions, is the least prepared to cope with Again, the report stressed that African
its devastating effects. Indeed, he said that 5mn nations were responsible for a small fraction of
Africans had been displaced by climate change. global greenhouse gas emissions but bear an out-
He warned that Africa was being sized burden of negative climate impacts.

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 46 17•November•2022