Among the executive orders that President Trump issued upon assuming office was the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement—a climate pact aimed at limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This move cast doubt on whether other nations would remain committed to their targets and whether the Paris Agreement could withstand the exit of one of the world’s largest polluters.
Climate change is already reshaping the planet, making extreme weather events such as storms more frequent and intense. Droughts, erratic rainfall patterns, and shifting climatic conditions are disrupting food production, economic stability, and public health. Africa, a region already vulnerable to climate shocks, continues to bear the brunt of these changes.
According to the African Development Bank, by September 2024, the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group had paid out $62 million in disaster risk insurance to El Niño-affected countries in Southern Africa, including Malawi ($11.6 million), Mozambique ($5.5 million), Zambia ($13.3 million), and Zimbabwe ($31.8 million). A reminder to adopt climate resilience measures across the continent, and globally.
While the US may be the world’s second-biggest greenhouse gas emitter, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in a recent speech, called for calm as he encouraged countries to prepare stronger national climate plans this year saying:
“A country may step back, but others are already stepping into their place to seize the opportunity, and to reap the massive rewards: stronger economic growth, more jobs, less pollution and far lower health costs, more secure and affordable energy.”
Despite the positivity from Stiell, many of the world’s biggest polluter nations have just missed a UN deadline to set new climate targets known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The deadline for submission was set for Monday, 10th February, 2025. As of Monday morning, many of the world’s biggest polluters – including China, India, and the European Union – had not done so.
The stakes could not be higher. If major economies fail to take decisive action, regions like Africa will continue to experience the devastating consequences of climate inaction. With growing financial losses and an increasing number of climate-related disasters, the world is running out of time to act.
