Decarbonization has evolved from being a simple verb to a global movement. Carbon emissions (global warming) have contributed immensely to the daily threats to survival, as it has become almost inevitable in our day-to-day activities like cooking, industrialization, transportation and many others.
In this context, decarbonization is the removal of excess carbon from the atmosphere to ensure air purity and protection of ozone layers. Nations, private and public institutions, individuals and governments have made a collective effort to ensure that the earth is as carbon-free as possible. This has caused them to develop projects and implement policies that could facilitate the decarbonization process in the world today. Several billion have been invested into these projects, and Africa has been one of the core targets of these developments.
It’s no news that Africa, despite the gross exploitation, is yet to recover from the repercussions. Therefore, it is safe to call Africa a developing continent. Africa’s process of industrialization is slow, making it lag in the global development process – still using outdated and heavy-carbon machinery for productivity. Despite Africa’s heavy utilization of carbon-emitting technology, it’s only responsible for 4% of the global carbon contribution. This implies that most of our planet’s carbon is from the global north. Yet, Africa is compelled to embrace energy transition at a very unhealthy rate.
Attaining carbon-free development and industrialization is still possible for Africa because it’s still at the grassroots of its civilization, unlike the western world, which has reversed from its goals and reverted to carbon-emitting facilities. Countries like China and the UK built their nation using carbon-emitting facilities and will find it difficult to adjust their industries to exclude carbon emissions. An instance is the UK announcing the need to use coal for the next 30 years; this is the frame some African nations give themselves to run on 100% renewable energy.
This raises several questions about why Africa is compelled to transit by all means if the significant contributors are still in the practice activities causing global decadence. Is Africa just a pawn in the hands of the global north? Or is our carbon different from theirs? The amount of pressure placed on Africa is high. Instead, this same pressure should be applied to figuring out ways the western world can adapt to new sources of industrialization.
Africa needs to evolve and be at pace with the global development process because of its lacking at several levels of development (fundamental survival amenities). But the global north needs to stop the regression from being on the same page. Global decadence harms all regions, like lakes in Africa drying up and the northern pole melting away. Plants, animals, and humans are also exposed to various life risks leading to death. Ensuring a safe and healthy environment is everyone’s responsibility.