Africa Is on the Frontline of Climate Change

Libreville, the Gabonese capital, is hosting the African Climate Week until September 2. The UN event brings together African political leaders to discuss the threats and opportunities of climate change on the continent. It is an important step before the COP27, which will take place next November in Egypt.

Although Africa is responsible for only about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is on the front line of the consequences of global warming. Based on an assessment of local impacts and countries' adaptive capacities, the Henley & Partners index gives an average climate resilience score of 27 for the continent as a whole - a particularly low level compared to the rest of the world. As our map shows, the Sahel countries are the most vulnerable.

While Africa is among the regions most at risk from climate change, it has vast renewable energy potential - particularly in solar, wind, hydro and geothermal power generation, but also in green hydrogen. The ability to harness these sustainable resources and efforts to restore ecosystems are solutions that will enable African countries to meet the climate challenges of this century.