COP: We must call out beggars and joyriders

For Brazil, hosting the 2025 climate conference is no ordinary event. It marks a hugely important step in the fight to save the endangered Amazon rainforest.  

Ms Adele Santelli, my Brazilian friend and environmental reporter, has told me countless breath-taking stories about the Amazon, and I’m truly anxious about its future. For the wider world, however, focus is on the Paris Agreement. A decade after its historic adoption by 195 nations, global leaders are under pressure to turn long-standing promises into progress.

Brazil is hosting COP30 at a politically-charged moment when former cantankerous President Jair Bolsonaro, faces a 27-year jail term over a coup attempt. Yet amid the political tempest, a calm President Lula da Silva is making a strong showing at the UN forum.

Hopes are high and the choice of Belém on the Guajará Bay to host the talks couldn’t be more symbolic. Kenya’s delegation, led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, made its presence strongly felt during last week’s COP entry meeting, calling for clear timelines and a just framework to phase out fossil fuels.

However, even as some nations push for substance, others simply see the forum as a fundraising carnival. Many bigshots from the Global South believe every COP is a chance make money. Africa is especially guilty of this ‘cash-cow’ mentality. It’s no wonder that Mr Donald Trump has little regard for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The US leader calls it a con job.

Many African leaders have signaled their intention to use COP30 to lash out at the West over unfulfilled funding pledges of USD13.3 trillion. Instead of first exploring a homegrown climate-financing mechanism under the African Union, they’ve gleefully flown to Belém with the begging bowl in hand. We shouldn’t pull the ‘parasite’ card again and again. We can start small by testing our own funding mechanisms with the resources we have. For once, I agree with Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu when she says a specialised fund can fully support Africa-led solutions. Accountability and self-drive are key. That’s why President William Ruto’s optimism is refreshing. The chief hustler argues that Africa, holding between 30 and 40 per cent of the world’s critical green-energy minerals, can seize the moment by investing in climate education and removing up to 300 million tonnes of CO₂ annually through nature-based solutions.

Africa can power its green growth and meet its decarbonisation goals. But our twisted version of Pan-Africanism keeps us waiting for ‘manna’ from above. We turn the US and Europe into punching bags as we chase cash for self-aggrandisement. Old habits die hard!

A Transparency International report lays bare the rot. Cameroon, Ghana, Zambia and Zimbabwe were among countries flagged for risking misuse of funds meant for initiatives like REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). If we can’t manage the little we get, how can we demand more? Africa needs between $100 billion and $359 billion annually for climate adaptation. The gap is huge, but the greater deficit lies in leadership and integrity. Populism and hubris won’t help. African leaders must stop turning red whenever the graft subject is broached if potential funders are to trust us.

Take this to the bank. Africa must prove its worth through ideas, innovation and discipline, not delegation size or grandstanding. In past summits, some delegates showed up with mistresses and powerful joyriders in tow. I witnessed the shame firsthand in Marrakech, Madrid, Glasgow and Dubai. Belém is no exception. Whatever we do, we must remember that the odds are huge. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that by mid-century, a billion people will face water shortages and hunger, 600 million of them in Africa. Drought, famine and poverty will fuel unrest, migration and armed conflict. Sudan and eastern Congo are a worrying proof. Importantly, let Africa handle so-called empty funding promises maturely. We must stop turning COPs into a begging, joyriding and shopping circus. History will judge us harshly.

The writer is a communications practitioner. X:@markoloo