Dateline: Copenhagen

How is this woman being affected by climate change?

Ethiopia is emerging as an African leader in addressing climate change. Last week, the government announced a two-month nationwide effort to gather observations and opinions regarding climate change from the Ethiopian public. Climate change forums will be held throughout the country from September 29 to November 28, allowing people to outline local challenges and propose solutions. The government plans to use the information as input to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s approach to climate change seems to be popular among African leaders. Zenawi has observed that Ethiopia “[does] not have to do what the industrialized countries did to the environment as they industrialized. We do have coal and we are beginning to use it in our cement factories but there would have to be balances. We can be carbon neutral.”  Zenawi was recently appointed to represent the African Union at the Copenhagen conference and has threatened a walk-out by African leaders unless industrialized countries take fiscal responsibility for the effects of climate change in Africa.

The United Nations Development Programme has linked climate change to severe droughts in Ethiopia and to consequent malnutrition in children born during these events. According to the agency, the average Ethiopian emits 0.1 tons of carbon dioxide annually, whereas the average Canadian emits 20 tons. Put differently, the average dishwasher in Europe releases the same amount of carbon dioxide in one year as three Ethiopians.

There are widening calls for wealthy countries to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with many critics emphasizing the “moral obligation” that rich nations have to finance mitigation and adaptation in less-developed countries (those countries that were least responsible for causing the problem but that will be among the most severely affected). In January, Zenawi observed that, “[Africa’s] contribution to global warming is negligible. The impact it has on us is far from negligible.” Financing mitigation and adaptation have become heated topics in the lead-up to Copenhagen, but progress has been perilously slow.

The COP 15 commences on December 7—nine days after the Ethiopian public forums conclude. Will the country’s delegates be able to make use of the information obtained so soon after it is collected? And are petitions the most effective method of gathering the information? Despite these uncertainties, domestic action to mitigate climate change and educate the public will aid in Ethiopia’s adaptation and development. Enlisting public opinion will increase involvement and interest at the local level and promote action from the bottom up. Instead of waiting for governments to battle out their political agendas at Copenhagen, Ethiopia is correct to promote mitigation and adaptation at all levels.