Kigali — Rwanda could become the first African country to adopt an international treaty aimed at phasing out fossil fuels, the campaigners behind the initiative say.
The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, launched by a coalition of activists, scientists, and nations, aims to complement the Paris Agreement, which they say primarily focuses on emissions reduction but does not directly address the extraction of fossil fuels.
Talks are already underway with the country's environment ministry, and advocates are hopeful that Rwanda will become the first signatory in Africa.
"The Paris Agreement focuses on emissions reduction and does not address the extraction of fossil fuels."Seble Samuel, head of Africa campaigns and advocacy at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
"We took inspiration from Rwanda's history in championing multilateral environmental agreements," Seble Samuel, head of Africa campaigns and advocacy at the treaty coalition, told SciDev.Net.
"We hope Rwanda will continue this leadership by becoming the first African nation to join the treaty bloc," she said.
While Rwanda is not a major fossil fuel producer, it is currently exploring the use of methane gas from Lake Kivu for cooking, industrial use, and vehicles.
If Rwanda adopts the treaty, it would signal a commitment to investing in renewable energy.
The treaty has already garnered support from 13 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Colombia, Fiji, Nauru, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Additionally, more than 2,500 civil society organizations and 77 world leaders and Nobel laureates have endorsed the treaty, signaling a growing global consensus on the need for stronger measures against climate change.
Paris Agreement
Samuel emphasized the need for a new international accord to complement the Paris Agreement to ensure global average temperatures don't rise by more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.
"The Paris Agreement focuses on emissions reduction and does not address the extraction of fossil fuels," he told SciDev.Net.
"It, therefore, must be complemented by a new international agreement that facilitates an equitable phase-out of all fossil fuels and propels a global and equitable energy transition for all."
The treaty has found support from various organizations across Africa, including Power Shift Africa, a climate and energy think tank that coordinates over 1,000 civil society organizations.
Dean Bhebhe, campaign lead at Power Shift Africa and coordinator of the Don't Gas Africa campaign, emphasized the dire need for a global governance mechanism to manage the phase-out of fossil fuels, particularly in regions most affected by climate change.
Despite years of investing in fossil fuels, 600 million people in Africa lack energy access, and warned that the number is projected to rise to 720 million by 2030 if the current trajectory continues, he said.
Bhebhe also emphasized the need for a global governance mechanism to manage fossil fuel phase-out and transition to renewable energy, particularly for countries most impacted by climate change.
"We need a greater global governance to manage fossil fuel phase out," he said.
"We need a forum to negotiate production phase out in line with the capacity countries have to transition their economies and the historical responsibility for emissions."
Scientists at the Stockholm Environment Institute, as leading authors of the 2023 Production Gap report, also emphasized the need for a global governance mechanism to manage fossil fuel phase-out and transition to renewable energy.
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"Governments, in the aggregate, still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C," notes the report.
"The persistence of the global production gap puts a well-managed and equitable energy transition at risk," the report says.
Rwanda is seen as a potential pioneer in Africa for adopting the treaty.
The country has already shown leadership in addressing the plastics crisis and in 2008 banned single use plastic bags. It has ambitious targets to achieve 60 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net's Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
