Foreword by Mo Ibrahim

Founder and Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF)

Africa's unique climate context: least responsible and resilient due to lower levels of economic development Building developed economies is an emissions-laden process. Due to its lower level of development, Africa is the least responsible for the climate crisis. But this lower level of economic development also means that Africa is the least resilient region to the adverse impacts of the climate crisis. Achieving development goals in Africa, whether the UN's SDGs or the AU's Agenda 2063, will not be possible without a massive increase in energy use and energy access for all on the continent, as is already the case in developed countries. There can be no trade-off between climate and development goals, no saving the planet at the expense of almost one-fifth of its people. But this does not mean Africa will follow the historical carbon-intensive development path seen in the Global North. Africa owns extensive green, blue and mineral wealth, without which the world cannot go green. African countries can leverage these climate assets to simultaneously pursue their own development agendas while also contributing to global climate goals. The African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action has kick-started discussions on reconciling climate and development in Africa. Now we need to see action. A successful COP28 must build on these discussions by addressing three key priorities.