UNU-INRA director urges Africa to define its own green path
Fatima Denton, director of UNU-INRA, argues that African nations must define their own green transition paths rather than following Western-centric net-zero narratives. She emphasizes that development needs, such as energy access and job creation, must be prioritized alongside environmental goals.
Why it matters
This perspective highlights the tension between global climate policy and the economic development requirements of emerging economies in Africa.
--> Fatima Denton, director of the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), said during a lecture in Accra, Ghana, that African countries should independently define their path toward a green transformation, taking into account the continent's development needs. MyJoyOnline reports .
Speaking at the eighth Kwapong Lecture Series, co-organized by UNU-INRA and the University of Ghana, Denton stressed that the green transition cannot be reduced solely to achieving net-zero emissions. According to her, around 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity, so the continent needs to simultaneously expand energy access, create jobs, and ensure economic development.
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