Abstract
Climate change is widely acknowledged to be an unavoidable reality on a global scale. While it cannot be avoided entirely, it is widely acknowledged that global efforts can mitigate the effects and contribute to resilience building in all states. Following the assessment of the predicted climatic impacts, the international climate regime implemented mitigation and adaptation mechanisms to assist developing countries. These include a variety of climate-funding mechanisms aimed at assisting developing countries in developing resilience and adaptation to climate impacts. Although these mechanisms provide assistance in the future, they lack strict mechanisms for dealing with state responsibility and accountability for past harm.
This minor dissertation highlights the effects of climate change in African countries with emphasis on mitigation and adaptation efforts. These are analysed to determine their impact on encouraging state responsibility and, potentially, a reparation plan. Despite the fact that climate change is a global problem, Africa is one of the most affected regions. As a result, inequalities in climate impacts are deeply rooted in historical greenhouse emissions. Inequalities arise not only from the contribution of environmental harm caused by industrially developed countries in the North, but also from developing countries in the South. Africa is disadvantaged because it suffers the most from climate change, despite producing the fewest emissions.
This dissertation further focuses on the shortcomings of the international climate regime mechanisms. Although there are mitigation and adaptation efforts, as well as provisions for loss and damage caused by climate change, these efforts are lacking. It is argued that past mistakes have an impact on both the present and the future, and thus should not be dealt with solely through forward-thinking measures. The study concludes by recognising that reparations are a means of encouraging state responsibility and accountability for past wrongs, as well as bridging the gap between the rich and the poor in order to promote human rights.