Despite being the least responsible region for carbon emissions worldwide, Africa is indecorously positioned to suffer the most from global warming.
For the last two decades, the continent has contributed only between 3.4 percent and 3.8 percent to the planet’s greenhouse gas outpours; China, the United States, and countries in the European Union account for 23 percent, 19 percent, and 13 percent, respectively.
Since pre-industrial times—between 1850 and 1900—Africa’s climate has warmed more than the global average. The region’s sea levels are similarly rising faster, contributing to an upwards frequency and severity of coastal flooding outbreaks.
Per the United Nations, Africa’s temperature will be substantially higher than the global average. Countries falling within 15 degrees of the equator are expected to experience much hotter nights, as well as prolonged and more frequent heat waves.
Taking cognizance of the fact that climate change is pretty much a placeholder for dystopia, world leaders adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015 to committedly tame it below 2° C. Activated in November 2016, the agreement represents the interests of about 195 countries, including almost every nation in Africa—except Angola, South Sudan and Eritrea.
