Africa: It's Time for Rich Polluters to Pay for the Climate Crisis They Created

New York — The world is standing at a critical juncture. Climate change is not just a future threat--it's here, and it's already devastating lives. From record-breaking heat waves to floods and landslides, the planet is sending us clear signals that we cannot afford to ignore.

But for many of us in the Global South, this crisis is not new. It is a daily reality that we have been living with for years, despite contributing almost nothing to the problem.

I am from Uganda, a country that contributes less than 0.02% of global CO2 emissions and ranks as the 36th most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change. I grew up on a farm, and I saw firsthand how changing weather patterns--flooded roads and mudslides--kept me from attending school.

What was once a reliable planting season turned into a guessing game of whether the rains would come at all or whether they'd wash away everything in their path.

Our plantation didn't survive. Neither did many others in my region. And in the end, it wasn't just our farm that was lost--it was our livelihood, our food security, and for me, an entire year of education.

What frustrates me most is that Africa, a continent rich in resources and biodiversity, continues to bear the brunt of a crisis we did not create. Our people are paying with their lives and futures for the emissions and actions of the world's wealthiest.

According to Oxfam, the richest 1% emit as much planet-heating pollution as the poorest two-thirds of humanity and their carbon emissions are enough to cause 1.3 million excess deaths due to heat. The richest continue to be indifferent to the fact that it is the poorest and frontline communities who pay the price.

According to UNICEF, girls worldwide spend 200 million hours every single day collecting water. Think about that for a moment--200 million hours. The climate crisis is making this burden even heavier.

As water sources dry up, girls are forced to walk further and further, giving up education and opportunities to secure the most basic human need. By 2030, water insecurity is expected to displace 700 million people globally--most of them girls and women. This is not just a climate crisis; it's a social justice crisis.

Africa, despite its negligible carbon footprint, is on the frontlines of environmental disasters, while the fossil fuel industry continues to rake in record profits. This system is built on injustice. A system where the few benefit while the rest of us suffer. It's a system where the powerful can pollute, and the poor pay the price.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

In Uganda, we're organizing. I founded Fridays for Future Uganda to demand climate justice and to fight for a sustainable future where communities can thrive, not just survive. And we're not alone. Across the world, movements like Make Rich Polluters Pay are calling for those responsible for the climate crisis--the fossil fuel giants and the ultra-wealthy--to be held accountable.

The solutions are within reach, but it requires the political will to act. Right now, in New York, there's a bill sitting on Governor Kathy Hochul's desk that could set a powerful precedent. The Climate Change Superfund Act would force major fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share for climate damages in the state.

Governor Hochul has the power to sign this into law and ensure that everyday people aren't left footing the bill for the climate crisis. We need similar actions across the globe.

This November, at COP29 in Baku, leaders from the Global North, including the United States, must agree on a new goal for climate finance that includes taxing the ultra-wealthy and fossil fuel companies. Rich countries, whose emissions have fueled the climate crisis, must step up and take the lead. It's time for rich polluters to pay for the destruction they've caused.

We cannot wait any longer. The climate crisis is here. The people who have contributed the least to this crisis are the ones suffering the most. We need to hold those responsible to account and demand that they pay for the loss and damage we are experiencing.

The future we want is equal--one where renewable energy powers our economies, where girls are in classrooms instead of walking miles for water, and where communities in Uganda, New York, and beyond can thrive.

I urge you to take action. There are many ways you can do that. One is to support the Make Rich Polluters Pay campaign by signing the petition and raising your voice. Climate justice isn't just a demand--it's our right. Together, we can build a better, fairer future for everyone.

Cover photo: Azimi Abubakar, 50, a resident of Gasamu, wades through the floodwater in Jakusko LGA of Yobe State, Nigeria, on 01 October 2022.