Being Green

In Being Green this week, Glynis Crook speaks to Dr Nicolas Simpson, a postdoctoral research fellow at UCT’s African Climate & Development Initiative, to find out what African countries will be hoping for from the United Nations Climate Conference, Cop26, which gets underway in Glasgow this weekend. The talks are widely seen as a “make-or-break” moment for the planet. It’s hoped that delegates will recommit to net zero fossil fuel emissions by 2050 - as well as big reductions by 2030. Many African leaders and experts have pointed out that while we contribute only a small fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions, the impacts of climate change on the continent are significant, and have highlighted the need for funding for adaptation programmes.