In a recent op-ed published by TIME magazine, Chair of Global Peace, Mrs. Graça Machel, commented on the state of the world’s climate and its ramifications for the African continent.
Mrs. Machel was named by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres as an SDG Advocate along with many distinguished figures such as Ghanaian President H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Jack Ma and Forest Whitaker. Mrs. Machel highlighted the plight of developing nations who have to combat the devastating effects of climate change and the natural disasters that follow. Her article came days after Hurricane Dorian, which was registered as a category 5 storm devastating much of the Bahamas and displacing thousands of residents. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stressed the importance of the impending effects of climate change by listing Dorian as “Category Hell”.
Mrs. Machel also mentions cyclones Idai and Kenneth, which impacted her home country of Mozambique and claimed the lives of over 600 people. Neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Malawi also experienced the devastation. African nations affected by climate change are faced with the challenge of having not just of rebuilding after these disasters but of preparing for the future as global temperatures rise, giving way to more frequent and powerful natural disasters. Another key issue identified by Mrs. Machel lies in economic investment into Africa’s coal industry and the reliance on Africa for fossil fuels as a means for energy. To keep global temperature rise within 1.5°C, the world must stop investing in fossil fuels. Mrs. Machel concludes by noting that “Africa can be the launchpad for a green-energy revolution that can inspire the world”.
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