On Climate Change, Africa Votes As One Country And One Continent

Ballot Box Counter Photo
Image source: Gainesville

In anticipation of the upcoming meetings to update Kyoto next month in Poznan, Poland, the 53 African nations met recently to develop the Algiers Declaration, stating that they will vote as one bloc during climate change negotiations, reports the Monterey Herald. Forests, renewable energy and deserts are the three major issues that African nations are most concerned about and its felt that voting as one bloc will give them more power during negotiations. Europe is hoping to get in on the action.

While African nations are some of the poorest in the world and tend to emit less carbon dioxide than the rest of the world, they will by and large be among the hardest impacted by projected changes in the climate. Europe is hoping that that the two groups can work together and provided a united front during negotiations. Africa is expected to face severe droughts by 2020 and Europe is pushing for tight reductions of 20% from transportation, energy and industry.

The Kyoto Protocol is set to expire in 2012 and the Poznan meeting will work on drafting language for Kyoto2.0. The final language will be voted on December 2009 in Copenhagen. :Monterey Herald

More on African Nations and Climate Change
Financing Needed But Scarce for Climate Change Adaptation in Africa
Climate Change in Africa May Have Driven Early Human Evolution
The Economist: Africa's Global Warming Challenge
UN Publishes Satellite Atlas of Africa's Changing Environment
Sunspots Linked to Hard Rains in Africa

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