Africa is particularly vulnerable to
climate change. It has been estimated by Greenpeace that over 180 million
people in Sub-Saharan Africa alone could die as a result of climate change by
the end of the century. Other impacts include threats to food production,
particularly in areas with rain-fed agriculture, threats to biodiversity,
rising sea levels and increased droughts.
“No continent has done less than
Africa to cause global warming and no continent has already suffered more,”
said McKibben. “Africa has been a leader in the 350.org campaign since
our first global day of action.”
“Today, 350Africa.org activists
are continuing to grow the climate justice movement in South Africa, Ghana,
Nigeria, Kenya, DRC, and elsewhere. They know that clean energy is a pathway
out of poverty and that clinging to fossil fuels will only hold the continent
back,” he added.
The “Fossil Free campaign,” led
by 350.org,
is demanding that public institutions stop funding the fossil fuel industry,
which is contributing to climate change. A newly launched “Fossil Free Africa”
campaign is also calling on South African banks to stop financing fossil fuel
projects. According to 350.org, Nedbank, Standard Bank and Absa /
Barclays “show a combined 10 billion Rands of direct financing for coal
projects between 2005 and 2013.”
South Africa has great potential to
invest instead in solar energy and other renewable energy projects.
Despite the work of activists
from 350.org and
other global movements, multinational companies and governments remain keen to
exploit newly discovered oil, gas and coal deposits across the continent,
including in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, DRC, Ghana and Niger. Some have labeled
the entry of foreign companies into the resource sector in Africa as a new
“scramble” for the continent.
Globally, according to 350.org,
80% of all known fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground if global
average temperatures are to be kept to a 2 degrees future rise, preventing
catastrophic climate change.
Bill McKibben is one of five
recipients of this year’s Right Livelihood Award. The others are whistleblower
Edward Snowden (USA) and Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger (UK) who share a joint
Honorary Award, human rights activists Asma Jahangir (Pakistan) and Basil
Fernando/ Asian Human Rights Commission (Hong Kong, China).
The Right Livelihood Award ceremony
will start at 4 pm CET on December 1st in
Stockholm, Sweden. Laureates’ speeches are estimated to start at 5 pm CET. The
ceremony will be held in English. A live-stream will be available via www.rightlivelihood.org.
Zahra Moloo
Right Livelihood Award Foundation
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