Post-COP27, Africa Must Forge Its Own Path

Editor’s note: This essay is available in our print issue, Godfathers: An Introduction. Buy the issue here.

Chemical engineer, energy researcher and scholar, Habiba Daggash emphasizes that an African outlook on climate change exists, and continues to evolve. Rather than relying on international forums such as COP which consistently fall prey to the prevailing geopolitics of the day, Daggash argues that African countries should prioritize climate adaptation in national budgets, account for climate change impacts as well as the socioeconomic consequences of climate action in their economic planning, and implement adaptation measures across all sectors of the economy.

In the following conversation, we spoke to Daggash about the need for African governments to prioritize research to understand climate change impacts, invest in early warning systems, implement adaptation measures to limit suffering from climate impacts, invest in capacity-building for policymakers, and secure adequate financing for climate action.