Africa is already experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, resulting in large-scale disruptions to people’s lives and livelihoods. Direct negative impacts include water stress, reduced food production, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and lower economic growth—all exacerbating human migration, food scarcity, and regional instability.
Although the continent has the world's lowest greenhouse gas emissions per capita, it suffers from the outsized negative impacts of climate change. Urgent action on climate policies and investments is crucial to tackling this global challenge, and leaders have an opportunity to leverage new forms of finance, including climate finance, to promote green growth and low-carbon development outcomes.
In addition, accelerating climate change adaptation, especially in agriculture, advancing energy transition, and expanding climate resilient urban infrastructure will support Africa's growing industries and cities and make domestic food systems more reliable.
