South Africa has voiced concerns about the potential impact of Donald Trump’s recent election as the next U.S. president on global climate change negotiations, Environment Minister Dion George said on Friday.
Trump’s victory, along with the recent collapse of Germany’s coalition government, has added uncertainty to the upcoming COP29 climate talks, which are critical in advancing efforts to combat global warming—a driver of severe hurricanes, floods, and heatwaves around the world.
“We are concerned about the U.S. because we’re uncertain about how they’ll approach COP,” Minister George told Reuters, noting Trump’s previous statements on pulling out of the Paris Agreement. “While Trump had pledged to withdraw from the agreement, it’s unclear what actions he’ll actually take,” he added.
The possibility of Trump’s administration, known for skepticism about climate change, taking a leading role has sparked fears that it could discourage developing countries from pursuing ambitious climate goals. These countries argue that wealthier nations should contribute more to climate financing.
As one of the top 15 greenhouse gas emitters globally and responsible for 30% of Africa’s emissions, South Africa recently secured $11.6 billion, primarily in loans, from wealthy nations to transition from coal to renewable energy. This funding model is seen as a potential blueprint for other developing nations, who have long argued that the $100 billion climate finance target set by developed countries is insufficient.
“We need a new, more substantial target,” said George, expressing concern about changing political dynamics in developed countries that may affect their willingness to finance climate efforts.
In response to Germany’s political challenges, George noted reassurances from German climate official Jennifer Morgan that Europe’s stance at COP29 would remain unaffected. “Germany and the European Union are committed to their climate objectives and will approach COP as ‘Team Europe,'” he said.
