President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has accused Europe of “brazen double standards” towards Africa in its climate and energy policies.
He criticized Europe for resuming the usage of coal-fired power plants in the wake of the energy crisis brought on by the conflict in Ukraine while admonishing African countries to stop using fossil fuels.
“We will not accept one rule for them and another rule for us,” Museveni wrote in a blog published Wednesday that coincides with the UN’s COP27 climate summit taking place in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
“Europe’s failure to meet its climate goals should not be Africa’s problem,” he added.
Museveni made his remarks following concerns from African leaders at COP27 about the harm that climate change is already causing on the continent.
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Recall that In February, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a warning that the effects of global warming would cause tens of millions of Africans to experience drought, diseases, and emigration in the future.
According to the UN, wealthy countries only contributed $83 billion of the $100 billion they had promised to give developing countries each year starting in 2020 to assist them to create resilience and greener economies.
Africa has the smallest carbon footprint of any continent, contributing only 3% of the world’s CO2 emissions.
“We will not allow African progress to be the victim of Europe’s failure to meet its own climate goals,” he said. “It is morally bankrupt for Europeans to expect to take Africa’s fossil fuels for their own energy production but refuse to countenance African use of those same fuels for theirs,”.
Story was adapted from africanews.
