There is a famous story: once in the early 20th century, two shoe salesmen traveled to Africa in search of new markets. A few days after arriving, the first salesman decided that there was no potential for selling shoes here because everyone was barefoot. In contrast, his colleague saw the prospect of a giant, untapped market.
This anecdote is reminiscent of the rhetoric used by rich-world countries, ostensibly with good intentions, when they talk about climate change, especially when referring to Africa. Non-governmental organizations, financial donors, governments in the Global North present climate change solely as a catastrophe. This pessimism is evident in the terms they use – ‘climate emergency’, ‘climate crisis’, ‘climate refugees’.
We are constantly reminded that Africa will be the region hardest hit by climate change. In this discourse, which is reinforced by images of floods, drought and starvation, our peasants, fishermen and villagers are constantly portrayed as victims.
But this rhetoric of catastrophe does nothing to galvanize climate action, and so we need a new scenario. The starting point should be the idea that the climate crisis, despite appearances to the contrary and warnings from activists such as Greta Thunberg, is not solely a horror and nightmare. Like the Covid-19 pandemic, it offers a chance for a global reset that could be of great benefit to Africa.
Such a reset would make it possible to target and scale innovations for adaptation and mitigation, spurring Africa’s economic development. We have everything we need to build the renewable energy sector, starting with wind, hydro, solar and geothermal power plants. We also have the cobalt, graphite, lithium and manganese needed to make electric batteries, and the steel, zinc and aluminum needed to make wind turbines and other low-carbon machinery. Green industries have the potential to create jobs, help businesses grow, boost economies in Africa and save the planet at the same time. However, few are selling the idea.
For example, Japanese automaker Toyota recently announced that it would invest $624 million in India to produce components for electric cars, creating 3,500 jobs. These are the kinds of projects that can and should be popping up in Africa.
Over the past two decades, Africa has attracted just 2% of the billions of dollars of renewable energy investment worldwide, and less than 3% of all jobs created in this growing sector. To boost these numbers, African governments will have to create an investment-friendly climate, negotiate more effectively to attract new firms to the region, and insist that they create local jobs and provide technical assistance for clean energy projects on the continent.
Young Africans demonstrating for change should hold placards calling on governments to provide them with “climate jobs” and “climate opportunities” rather than expecting them to “save the planet”. They should be pushing authorities to attract the massive investments needed to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create the conditions for eco-entrepreneurship to flourish.
A strong green sector can provide Africa with the economic leverage it needs to help more people start living better lives, not just in the economic sense, but also in terms of access to electricity. We will not have to rely on outdated electricity distribution systems owned by states that do not have the financial means or incentive to invest in extending the power grid to every home. Renewable energy offers the continent the opportunity to leapfrog past old systems and embark on new, decentralized ways of providing cheap and reliable electricity to all.
Africa has already made a similar leap in mobile telecommunications. The first mobile call on the continent was made in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1987. And today, Africa is the world’s fastest growing mobile telecommunications market and the world’s second largest mobile market after Asia. In just 35 years, the sector has connected more than half a billion people, created thousands of jobs, and helped successful local companies rise. Thanks to new technologies, cheaper infrastructure and equipment, competitive markets, a favorable regulatory environment, and business models for the mass market, Africa has avoided the difficulties of building fixed line infrastructure.
What mobile technology has done for Africa can be replicated in the climate sector, and we don’t need to wait for the continent’s cash-strapped governments or private sector to find the necessary funds. Instead, we need to push harder for a climate reparations plan.