Kim Heller

Announcing the United States’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, President Donald Trump was clear that his administration would put an end to the steering of “American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance.”

With global warming reaching boiling point, the 2015 Paris Agreement was a landmark initiative to reduce fossil fuel emissions. There was worldwide support for the Agreement with close to two hundred countries signing and endorsing the pact. The Paris Agreement obligates wealthy governments to financially assist less developed nations severely impacted by climate change despite their minimal carbon emissions. This financial assistance is both required and merited, despite Trump’s sentiments.

The withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the pausing of USAID, and the discontinuation of participation in the United Nation’s Green Climate Fund signal a large-scale disinvestment by the second Trump administration in global climate projects. This should not come as a surprise. During his first term in office as US President, Trump acted similarly. He ruthlessly cut critical climate projects.

Trump’s abandonment of the global climate challenge and the just transition agenda not only weakens the African Continent’s resources to deal with the devastating storm of climate change but also compromises its capacity to reach its just transition objectives.

Trump’s actions also undermine South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Plan (JETP), which prompted a large-scale move away from coal to more sustainable energy sources and systems. Trump’s easy dismissal of the just energy plan makes a mockery of President Cyril Ramaphosa's willing compliance to serve the global energy agenda, even when this came at the expense of ordinary South Africans.

Trump’s obsessive “America First” drive does not pay much consideration to any turbulence that he may be causing outside of the United States. For Trump, the distress caused to the African Continent is little more than an unwelcome wind. His drive to reconfigure the US for ultimate growth and greatness, will not stop or pause to tend to any foreign roadkill. Put differently, climate challenges and commitments in Africa are but a footnote in Donald Trump’s fast and furious executive orders.

Economically, the second Trump term is set to be an era of intensive oil and gas production. In Trump's own words, it is time to “Drill, baby, drill." His current strategy for Africa seems driven more by transactional interests than humanitarian concerns. The Trump administration may have abandoned the climate agenda in Africa with ease but it is unlikely to easily turn its back on major windfalls or golden opportunities.

The mineral wealth of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) would undoubtedly be a treasure for Trump. Exploratory talks, seemingly initiated by DRC President, Félix Tshisekedi, about the prospect of trading a share of the country's mineral resources for US security assistance appear to be underway. Such a deal is certain to excite the enthusiasm of the United States whose appetite for control over such resources is immense. It would also be a winning strategy for the US to counter the influence of other world powers in the DRC and the region.

Trump's exit from climate commitments will resonate through the Continent for a while. Climate recovery plans now face exacerbated funding challenges, and just transition goals are at risk. African nations may have little choice but to delay their move toward renewable energy, and their programmes to address devastating climate change impacts. The crisis nonetheless provides an opportunity for meaningful reconfiguration and collaboration to decisively deal with this key development issue.

There is a pressing need to boost Africa’s climate resilience in light of reduced US funding. Now that Trump has issued Africa with a red card, new partnerships with alternative world powers could lead to greener pastures, in the short term.

Sustainable development cannot be built if Africa continues to outsource this responsibility to others. Until it takes charge of its climate path through domestic, home-grown initiatives, infrastructure, processing and utilisation, the Continent will remain at the mercy of others.

Despite its abundant sustainable energy resources, including significant solar and wind capacity, Africa's economies remain heavily reliant on imported fuels. The potential for harnessing domestic energy resources through effective networks and partnerships remains largely untapped. Nonetheless, there are some positive developments. In Kenya, off-grid solar provision is proving to be extraordinarily successful.

In Rwanda, microgrids in rural areas have demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness. In late 2024, seasoned journalist Bonface Orucho reported in the Mail & Guardian that there were over 114 GW of green hydrogen projects in progress across more than fifty-two sites, including Mauritania, Egypt, Angola, Morocco, and Djibouti. This week, Orucho wrote about a refinery boom, particularly in Nigeria and Senegal, noting how this development "appears to be reshaping West Africa’s energy landscape, boosting local capacity and reducing reliance on imports."

Despite a raft of challenges, there is a real glimmer of hope on the horizon. A recently released report by the African Development Bank projects a 4.1% increase in GDP for the Continent in 2025.

There is a real opportunity for the African Continent to reconfigure the climate and development landscape. With oil reserves in Nigeria and Angola, gas in Mozambique and Algeria, coal in South Africa, and solar power in Morocco, the Continent’s energy security and sovereignty are within reach. Achieving energy security and sovereignty is unlikely without regional integration and cooperation.

With determined leadership, the challenges can be overcome. The Paris Agreement may fall without US support. There is a need for a vigorous and highly resilient Continental pact. One that cannot be broken on the whim or will of a foreign leader or nation.

* Kim Heller is a Political analyst and author of No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.