African Climate Summit Demands a Slice of All Western Movements of Goods or Money • Watts Up With That?
Essay by Eric Worrall
But we should look on this demand as an investment opportunity.
Africa proposes global carbon taxes to fight climate change
By Wedaeli Chibelushi & Mercy Juma
BBC News, London & Nairobi
African leaders have proposed a global carbon tax regime in a joint declaration.
The Nairobi Declaration capped the three-day Africa Climate Summit in Kenya’s capital.
The document, released on Wednesday, demanded that major polluters commit more resources to help poorer nations.
African heads of state said they will use it as the basis of their negotiating position at November’s COP28 summit.
…
The Nairobi Declaration urged world leaders “to rally behind the proposal for a global carbon taxation regime including a carbon tax on fossil fuel trade, maritime transport and aviation, that may also be augmented by a global financial transaction tax“.
Human rights activist Graça Machel told the BBC the declaration was “a huge step forward”.
“Africa is a player, the world cannot go without having Africa at the centre,” she said.
“Africa is not here to be helped. Africa is here to offer opportunities to offer investment, to offer solutions.“
…
Where are we supposed to get the capital for investment in Africa, if Africa has already taxed all our money?
This demand for handouts is shameful. It is like being approached in the street by a stumbling drunk who begs money for food. We all know exactly how that money would be spent, if we were foolish enough to agree to the absurd demand for cash.
If Africans need more money for development or weather resilience projects, they could start by arresting their corrupt Wabenzi kleptocratic rulers, and extracting a few Swiss bank account numbers from them.
Related
