According to African Climate Foundation, if countries like Tanzania, Senegal and South Africa develop their gas fields, as they have expressed the intention of doing, they run the risk of investing billions in projects that will have no customers.
Africa, as The Continent notes, has massive gas reserves with countries like Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt making a lot of money from gas.
The Continent’s Sipho Kings argues that: “With countries committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050, gas is replacing coal in power plants in big polluters like India, China, the EU and the United States. Petrochemical companies support this because it keeps them in business. Their lobby has worked hard to get gas labeled as a “clean” energy source. It isn’t.”
Data shows that global emissions were dominated by Europe and the United States until well into the 20th century. In 1900, for instance, more than 90 per cent of emissions were produced in Europe or the US. By 1950, the two countries accounted for more than 85 per cent of emissions each year. Today, they account for just under one-third of the total global emissions.
The situation has, however, changed significantly in recent decades. In the second half of the 20th century, there has been a worrying rise in emissions in China in particularly and across the world in general.
Asia is currently by far the largest emitter, accounting for at least 53 per cent of global emissions. The most populous country in the world emits nearly 10 billion tonnes each year, more than one-quarter of global emissions.
On the other hand, as Our World in Data observes, North America – where the U.S dominates – is the second largest regional emitter at 18 per cent of global emissions. Europe follows closely with 17 per cent.
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Africa and South America are both fairly small emitters: accounting for three – four per cent of global emissions each. Both have emissions almost equal in size to international aviation and shipping.
Egypt, which will be hosting this year’s United Nations climate conference on November 6, has expressed strong desire to engage in gas production against calls by climate activist there not to do so. Most experts have argued that even as African countries call on the major polluters – U.S., China and Europe – to implement polices that are environmentally sound, it is important that they do the same themselves.
