U.S. President Joe Biden wants the United States to take back up the mantle of global climate leadership. But that won’t be fully possible until his administration prioritizes critical partners: African nations. Africa’s urban centers are swelling, threatening more emissions, and half of the global population growth over the next two decades is expected to occur in the continent. It must be a global priority to strike a balance between this ongoing development and its climate impact. And with Washington’s help, the sustainability strides made in Africa over the next decade can serve as models for countries worldwide.
The Biden administration has an incredible opportunity to both cement its status as a leader on climate change and promote expansive green development across Africa. The United States can support its African partners by mobilizing U.S. development capital for local funds and prioritizing investments that help African economies become more resilient against climate change. In doing so, Washington must be careful not to charge into the continent on its own but to take a multilateral approach and engage with African governments, especially the larger economies of Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Ivory Coast, to combat one of the greatest challenges facing the continent today. Each of these countries is a key anchor for the sub-regions of West, East, and southern Africa: Nigeria, for instance, will drive Africa’s population growth over the next several decades, and South Africa has the continent’s largest carbon emission footprint and a long history of fossil fuel dependency.
