African minsters at COP20Npush back against broken promises

African ministers address the Press at COP29 in Baku. [Courtesy]

The African ministers at COP29 made it clear that their countries are paying the price for a climate crisis they did not cause. The costs are rising, both financially and in terms of human suffering.

African nations are shouldering a heavy burden due to the global climate crisis. Sub-Saharan Africa spends between $30 billion and $50 billion annually on climate adaptation, equivalent to 2-3 percent of its GDP, while also losing an additional 2-5 percent of GDP due to climate-related damages. This is a harsh reality for the continent. Lives are disrupted, livelihoods destroyed, and economies strained by a crisis that the ministers noted African nations did not create.