A new report from the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) confronts one of the most urgent questions of our time: how can Africa navigate the global green transition while safeguarding development, ensuring justice, and protecting sovereignty?
The report, Counting the Cost: From Extraction to Green Transition – Tackling the Dealbreakers of Finance, Justice and Development, warns that debt, weak adaptive capacity, and policies like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism could deepen Africa’s vulnerability and economic risks, especially for fossil-fuel-dependent countries. Despite requiring billions annually for energy access and climate commitments, climate finance still relies heavily on loans, risking further debt. However, Africa has opportunities to lead in the green economy if it ensures domestic value addition, embraces green industrialization, and strengthens regional integration.
Emphasizing justice, sovereignty, and resilience, the report argues that Africa must avoid becoming a raw material supplier or carbon sink for the world, instead leveraging its resources to foster prosperity, equity, and sustainable development.
