Trump comes to 'haunt African leaders' at the Climate Summit

Martin Oduor

November 15, 2016 11:34 AM

African leaders attending the climate summit worried about impact of global warming, after the republican candidate, Donald Trump elected the 45th president of the United States.

African leaders attending the 22nd conference of the parties, (COP) to the United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCC) also known as COP22 , are especially worried about the impact of global warming.

This is after the republican candidate, Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States. Trump has categorically stated that he does not believe in climate change and has even pledged to tear up the Paris climate agreement.

President Uhuru Kenyatta today flew to Marakech, morocco to join close to 40 heads of state and government at the Africa action summit that will be held on the sidelines of COP22.

The climate conference will focus among other things the implementations of the Paris agreement on climate change which Kenya is a signatory.

In an energy speech he gave while campaigning, Trump vowed to cancel the Paris agreement which more than 195 countries signed and pledged to reduce carbon emissions in a landmark agreement last year.

Trump has called climate change a ‘hoax’ and expressed commitment to reopen coal mines in states like Pennsylvania, Indiana and West Virgina. Coal is one of the worst pollutants in the atmosphere and when released in the air, damages the Ozone layer which is responsible in preventing harmful Ultra Violent sun rays (UV) from penetrating to the earth surface.

The United States and China are some of the most polluting countries in the world, they release the highest amount of carbon emissions and greenhouse gases increasing the world’s temperature.

The African continent is the least pollutant continent in the world but is expected to suffer extreme climatical conditions i.e. Floods, famine etc. should carbon emissions continue unabated.

Africa is currently battling with droughts especially after the El Nino phenomenon, Kenya is not spared either and is currently facing drought, ravaging parts of the country. Some leaders from the affected counties have even called on the government to declare the drought a national emergency.

Martin Oduor