ABOUT

Africa played host to the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022.

After many decades of denial and arguments, it has become clear that “Science has established beyond doubt that the window for climate action is closing rapidly”, says the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and that concerted efforts by governments, the private, non-profit, academic and research institutions plus the public will be required to stop the further degradation of the world in which we live.

Africa is at the centre of the climate change impact and agenda, as the Continent has become the worst affected by the negative implications of climate change – from devastating flooding and typhoons in Mozambique and other parts of South-Eastern Africa, record drought in the Eastern and the Horn of Africa, to falling agricultural production for most of the locally grown produce in most of the countries in the Continent.

Added to these highly disruptive issues, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine-Russian War and conflicts and wars in many African countries have brought devastating negative impacts on the Content’s ability to feed itself, take care of its sick and vulnerable populations and to grow its economic prospects – away from dependence on richer First World countries, that are also in the middle of their own economic, political and social challenges. 

In the face of the deep challenges that Africa faces – including how to feed, provide housing and other basic services to its projected 2.5 billion people by 2050, all the stakeholders in Africa have an obligation to be part of the solutions to Africa’s sustainability agenda – without any action on our part, the climate crisis will obliterate the Continent.

The Africa Sustainability Symposium is the first conference dedicated to the sustainability agenda across Africa.

It brings together the key stakeholders in the private sector, government ministries and agencies; NGOs and development organisations; academic and research institutions; suppliers of various technologies and the general public to define the sustainability agenda in Africa.