South Africa pushes climate issues in G20

Dion George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Republic of South Africa has recently underlined that clean air is the new frontier of global cooperation. This has been stressed because the G20's focus on air quality marks a vital step towards protecting health, climate, and sustainable growth.

 

As the Group of 20 leaders assembled in Johannesburg, clean air features on the agenda as a standalone priority for the first time in the forum's history. [The two-day summit was held on November 22-23.] The reality, however, is stark. Outdoor air pollution claims 5.7 million lives each year, and a report released last week highlights the lack of international development finance for clean air. Only US$ 3.7 billion was spent globally in 2023, representing barely 1 per cent of aid, with only a fraction reaching Africa.

 

 

D. George is chairing the G20's environment work stream this year. In this context he has noted that he intends to place air pollution on the agenda and draw the attention of member countries and international organisations. It has been recalled that when Japan held the Presidency in 2019, the focus was on marine plastics. Last year, under Brazil's leadership, the G20 prioritised finance for forests. This year, under the new leadership emphasis would be on the right to breathe clean air with the urgency it deserves.

 

 

This apparently is the first G20 Presidency on African soil -- a fitting setting to confront this crisis. Africa, comparatively, is now recognised by many socio-economists as the fastest urbanising continent on Earth. Consequently, South African Minister has underlined that the choices Africa makes need to revolve around "how we power our homes, move our people, and build our cities so that it will shape health, climate, and economic outcomes for decades to come. The burden of air pollution is already visible in hospital admissions, school absenteeism, and productivity losses across the continent. According to the World Bank, outdoor air pollution causes global economic losses equivalent to nearly 5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) each year. This reality is now apparently reshaping the global debate."

 

 

In May, governments adopted the world's first global goal on air quality at the World Health Organisation's (WHO) World Health Assembly, which aims to reduce deaths caused by poor air by 2040. This has been a good pointer. However, without finance to match such an objective, such commitments risk remaining only as mere words on paper.

 

 

G20 discussions appear to have identified four barriers to cleaner air. The first is limited institutional capacity. The second is inadequate monitoring and data, leaving policymakers and citizens without reliable information. The third is weak cooperation across borders. The fourth is the shortage of finance relative to the scale of the problem.

 

The Clean Air Fund's recent report has underscored such a scenario. In 2023, support for outdoor air quality in sub-Saharan Africa fell by 91 per cent to only US Dollar 11.8 million. Globally, just 1 per cent of aid was spent on clean air, and only 1 per cent of that reached sub-Saharan Africa. Such a scenario has led to D. George's observation that "less than one-10,000th (1/10,000) of global development funding supports clean-air efforts in a regions most in need. That is not only inequitable; it is also economically short-sighted. Clean-air action reduces healthcare costs, boosts productivity, and supports the transition to more resilient economies."

 

 

South Africa's own experience appears to have demonstrated what is possible. We in South Asia could learn from their inter-active engagement.

 

 

They have through the National Air Quality Framework and the National Environmental Management Act, built groundwork for accountability and transparency in monitoring air quality. They have also strengthened coordination between national and municipal governments, introduced targeted interventions in the Highveld and Vaal Triangle, and expanded their air-quality monitoring network so that communities can access real-time data. These measures are supported by their broader Just Energy Transition, which directs investment towards cleaner transport, renewable power, and improved waste management.

 

 

Such a scenario underlines that any progress in this direction requires both political will and predictable finance. Domestic measures alone are not enough. International financial institutions and development banks must also implant clean-air objectives within climate and development portfolios.

 

 

It has been observed by some environmental analysts that air quality needs to be measured carefully. The G20 countries have also underlined the importance of correct data measurement.

 

 

From this point of view expanding reliable air-quality monitoring networks in low-income countries would be one of the smartest investments that the international community can make. Such a measure will not only assist in empowering decision-makers at all levels but also support innovation in clean technologies, and strengthening required accountability.

 

 

In practice, this would mean embedding clean-air objectives at the heart of development finance and prioritising regions that have been left behind - be it Africa or South Asia- - where pollution levels are high but funding remains negligible.

 

 

The developing countries need to understand that clean air is not a tangential issue. It is central to achieving climate goals, health targets, and sustainable growth. The related science in this context is clear. We need to remember that the same pollutants that harm human health also warm the planet. Tackling them together delivers faster and more cost-effective results.

 

 

D. George has, therefore, called for a "collective effort among governments, development partners, and the private sector to ensure that clean air becomes a central measure of success in the global transition. The right to breathe clean air is universal. Delivering it requires fairness, commitment, and finance that match ambition".

 

 

Dr. Richard Munang, the United Nations Environment Africa Regional Climate Change Programme Coordinator and Joy Hyvarinen, the Executive Director of the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD) have also brought forth some important observations regarding Africa and climate change. They have not only underlined that climate change predictions show a very dreary future for Africa -a climate stressed continent- but also underscored that funding for necessary adaptation measures should be on the global agenda.

 

They have recalled that Africa should remember how the severe droughts in the Horn of Africa in 2011 and in the Sahel region in 2012 highlighted Africa's vulnerability. They have also indicated that the threats to people and development might worsen as warming in Africa is projected to be greater than the global annual mean, with an average increase of three to four degrees over the next century.

 

 

Such continental changes could affect the livelihoods of millions and permanently displace many thousands. Agricultural losses have also been forecast that might lead to the loss of between two and seven percent of GDP and, by 2050, average maize, rice and wheat yields will decline by up to five percent, 14 per cent, 22 per cent respectively. These stark statistics are the evidence of a growing realization of what is at stake for that continent.

 

 

Environmental analysts have recently indicated that the key issues that will have to be resolved to give Africa a chance to avert potentially catastrophic climate impacts need to include greater adaptation efforts and they should be supported financially and politically by many different stakeholders in Africa and around the globe. Not only should long-term climate finance from developed countries be accountable and transparent, but it should also be directed as a priority to the most vulnerable developing countries.

 

 

It is now clear that most environmental analysts in Africa back Ecosystems-Based Adaptation Approaches as the first step towards enhancing food security and adapting to climate change. Many of the ecosystem-based practices and technologies that are needed are apparently already in use in the continent and elsewhere. For example, in Uganda, a project promoting agro-forestry and conservation agriculture has resulted in more fertile soils and increased yields. This in turn has reduced time and cost in preparing land for farming- leaving more time available for diversification, for instance, into livestock rearing.

 

 

The project also resulted in lower use of agrochemicals and improved biodiversity. It is estimated that 75,000 people benefited from the project. Around 31,000 tree seedlings have been planted to harness the ecosystem and boost household investment in the short and medium term. The encouragement of chili (capsicum annum) production, is now earning poorer households about US$ 60 per week during the off-peak season and about US$ 240 per week in the peak season. The ability to generate surplus incomes from their agricultural practices has dramatically contributed to the food security of these households. It has also improved efficiency and encouraged better agroforestry practices.

 

 

Effectively meeting the challenge of climate change will require a compromise of monumental proportions by all countries. Communities across the African continent are already building resilience to climate change by stimulating their existing ecosystems. Bringing these isolated success stories to scale and making them the rule rather than the exception could chart a better course not only for the continent but also for South Asia.

 

 

Advancements in satellite imagery analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) now enable us to map hazards, exposures and vulnerabilities more effectively, providing timely and clearer insights into who and what is at risk, and guiding more targeted investments in resilience and disaster preparedness. Leveraging these advances is essential to building resilience and is an imperative to safeguard lives and livelihoods- not only in Africa but also in Asia and the Pacific.

 

 

Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador is an analyst specialised in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance. muhammadzamir0@gmail.com