When Senegalese President Macky Sall convened an Africa Climate Adaptation Summit in Rotterdam last month, the idea was to bring together countries that need help adapting to a warming planet with industrialized nations whose emissions are to blame. Only the African leaders showed up.
The sole officials to attend from rich nations, which have prospered for nearly two centuries at the Earth’s expense, were Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, the French development minister, and Frans Timmermans, the European Commission climate chief. Even Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, the country hosting the meeting, only made it for the photo op.
Backed by the United Nations, the Rotterdam gathering was meant to prepare the ground for the latest round of international climate talks, known as COP27, taking place in Egypt next month. Hosted by an African country, this year’s negotiations are set to focus on demands by developing nations — who contributed little to historical emissions of planet-warming gases — for financing to help them cope with worsening storms, droughts and floods.
If the leadup is anything to go by, however, it’s the widening chasm in policy approach that’s likely to be on display.
