If we didn’t fancy the flimsy, DRC would be $100b richer from Baku

If the managers of Africa’s bigger economies had the courage of Rwanda and Ethiopia, we would be doing better things than consuming interesting foreign news that we don’t derive much value from.

Alas, Rwanda and Ethiopia are not yet the most influential countries in Africa, so the one and a half billion people on the continent aren’t paying much attention to what is happening in those two countries.

It is not the courage of rolling up your sleeves and challenging a stronger opponent to a fight that we need! No, it is the courage to choose to think for yourself when a pompous bully offers you some sweets in exchange for your children’s nutritious, organic food. The sweets will at ‘best’ stunt your children’s growth and ultimately compromise their health.

When Rwanda said No to second hand clothes’ trade other Africans applauded, because they know this is a sure way to kill local textile industry and to ensure that secondary industries like design and fashion just don’t get born or even conceived.

But we stopped at applauding Rwanda and did not have the courage to do the same. Then the other day, Rwanda was reported to be banning registration of motorcycles that are fuel-powered.

Given that the two wheelers are becoming a key form of passenger transport and therefore covering for Africa’s inability to foster decent transport forms and the requisite infrastructure, it takes a really resolute government to take such a bold step.

Ethiopia did something bigger this year – by slapping a ban on the public importation of fuel vehicles. The total ban covers diplomatic vehicles as well.

Logically, you would expect Rwanda and Ethiopia to get standing ovation at the big Climate Conference of Parties for 198 countries that is under way in Azerbaijan. Fat chance.

We heard that the COP this time will focus on climate finance for developing countries. Since the first thing to know about climate change is how global warming is majorly literally fuelled by burning fossil fuel, we hope at the end of the conference most funds pledged will be for promoting the greening of transport in poor regions like Africa.

Read: New climate finance goal must have adaptation target

But more important is the pledges becoming real and do not end up as mere statements for grand standing made without a dose of sincerity.

As COP-29 gets under way, a little dreaming should not be offensive. Just imagine Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Kenya caucusing before COP and taking a unified stand on climate financing for Africa!

The Democratic Republic of Congo should ideally take the lead since it has the lung (the rainforests) absorbs a significant amount of the world’s emissions (up to 4 percent!) But let us be kind and not cajole DRC into shouting louder than its currently choked voice cannot reach.

And ironically – please don’t fall off your chair at this — the same Congo that absorbs all that amount of emissions by others also holds over 60 percent of the world’s cobalt reserves which is essential for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicle batteries that mankind currently looks to for saving the planet from vehicular emissions. To this add huge amounts of copper, Lithium and tantalum which are essentials for greening technology.

DRC should therefore ideally occupy the highest seat at COP equivalent to permanent membership on the UN security council that is held by the world’s biggest polluters.

The very least COP-29 should do is offer at least $100 billion to DRC before it even asks. This figure is not out of the blue – it has been the annual commitment for climate financing at previous COPs though only a tiny fraction ever materialises.

This time in Azerbaijan an even higher figure – there have even been whispers of a trillion dollars – could be pledged. May it not end up as mere posturing. To prevent that, can Africa’s big boys in Abuja, Pretoria, Cairo and Nairobi rise and say something!