Africa needs to combat carbon emissions

However the country's emission of greenhouse gases is predicted to increase unless measures are taken to institute systems that enhance low carbon development in key sectors such as energy and agriculture.

Much progress has been made, over a relatively short period of time, on developing an overarching policy for climate change in Tanzania.

The national climate change strategy provides guidance for both the coordination and implementation challenges that confront the country’s response to climate change. In many respects, the trajectory of government’s delivery programme has now been set.

In the same vein, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has challenged Africa to take the lead in implementing strategies to effectively end carbon emissions in the global process of manufacturing goods.

While the continent was the lowest contributor to the total global industrial emissions, it was the most impacted by the effects of air pollution and the 2016 annual meetings are being held under the theme "Energy and climate change."

If the world is to effectively cut emissions to below two per cent as per agreement at the COP21 summit in Paris, France, Africa must take the lead by further reducing its current emissions. If Africa leads the world in this agenda.

The continent had experience the El Niño weather phenomenon after a longer period of time than the current three years. AfDB is doing its part in helping member states build capacity to uphold the Paris agreement on climate change.

There is therefore the need for a gradual transition in implementing the energy mix to enable the continent to move to zero carbon emissions. Africa could not haphazardly move away from energy sources such as coal owing to the commodity's current usefulness in the greater industrial process.

The migration from fossil fuels should be well planned and already the political will of African leaders is bright, so let the continent get it right in moving to the below 2 per cent carbon emissions threshold.

The engagement between African states was critical in meeting solutions to the continent's challenges on climate change. And the people of Africa are a vibrant community with the potential to implement self-generated ideas in eliminating the effects of unfavourable weather patterns.

Africa and Tanzania is no exception to the new front-line of industrialisation and investing in the potential of the continent's community right now could see it as the hub of clean energy solutions.