The discussions on climate action and the necessity of cleaner energy sources have been recurrent. Millions of dollars have been put into the organization of forums, conferences, workshops, and other conventions to discuss the necessary steps in protecting our environment from the detriments of climate change. One such Forum is the just concluded UNFCCC COP 27 (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Conference of Parties, 27th Edition) conference that gathered delegates from all nations to discuss necessary actions and implement policies to ensure the world meets its climate action goals.
Despite the commendable efforts of global institutions, governments, and individuals, several parties think that these discussions are not implemented on the grassroots levels, and only the elite of societies have the power to make decisions that affect everybody in general. A case in point is Africa, a developing continent, where most of its inhabitants depend on industrial activities that are carbon emitting for survival; the people in local communities are ignorant of the effects of climate change. Even when educated, some disregard it because there are no alternate means of survival, making the change processes ineffective.
It is applaudable to find organizations committed to effecting the desired changes in these communities. Ecochampions, The Eureka Initiative, Chanja Datti, and a few others have committed to grassroots mobilization, but that isn’t enough given the population of African countries. The government and global institutions have significant roles to play in desensitizing these communities, but this responsibility for environmental protection is not to rest solely on their shoulders. All hands must be on deck, and everyone must be a unit of change in their environment. With better cooperation, soon enough, the climate and energy goals will be more of our reality than speculation.
What steps do we need to take to ensure sensitization at all levels?
- Child Education: It is often said that habits impact people as children grow to become inseparable characters. Educating children on the necessity of protecting the environment and the essence of recycling will contribute to long-term goals and help create an excellent background for sustainable growth. This could be incorporated into their school syllabus and practised during extracurricular activities.
- Human Empowerment: One of the significant problems of decarbonizing rural communities is the absence of suitable and affordable alternatives. Residents of rural communities do not have the financial capabilities to afford clean and renewable energy products. These people depend on firewood cooking, intensive carbon-emitting machinery, fossil fuel, and others to generate electricity and manage their businesses, despite being the most exposed to risks. Adequate support from the government, institutions, and private companies in providing healthier alternatives like cooking gas and more will hasten the actualization of our decarbonization goals.
- Management control: One of the faults in sensitization is the lack of proper management. To maximize the productivity of the climate change campaigns and energy transition efforts in rural terrains, there is a need to monitor the acceptance of climate change education and the progress of the communities where they are.
Although rural communities are the worst hit, it is important to understand that the effect of climate change is no respecter of social class. As such, teaching and imbibing environmental protection practices in all communities should be embraced to accelerate the energy transition and net-zero targets.