Vice President Harris calls for US$7 billion investment in Africa

LUSAKA, Zambia: US Vice President Kamala Harris is calling for US $7 billion in private sector investments to help Africa prepare for the effects of climate change.

She said Friday at a press conference with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema that the United States is committed to these types of innovative solutions to support climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience.

Harris has unveiled a $7 billion announcement, which is the biggest item on her trip, but more work will be needed to follow through.

African Parks, a nonprofit group, has committed to raising US $1.25 billion over the next seven years in order to expand its conservation program. One Acre Fund is planning to raise $100 million to plant a billion trees by the end of the decade.

The politics of climate change in Africa has less to do with global greenhouse gas emissions than richer corners of the world like the United States. In 2021, 43 per cent of Africans didn't have access to electricity, and recent outages have caused frustration, according to the International Energy Agency.

She was questioned at a press conference in Ghana about how the West can demand that Africa go green and forgo using its natural resources. She was pressed on whether wealthy nations would provide US $100 billion annually to help poor countries cope with climate change, a commitment made under the Paris climate accord.

Harris stated that it is important that as global leaders we speak truth about the disparities that exist in terms of cause and effect and that we address those disparities. She said there were opportunities in the clean energy economy that could help drive growth in Africa.

President Joe Biden has asked the US $11 billion for his proposed budget to meet the commitments in the Paris accord.

Harris said that we are waiting for Congress to do its job.