2021-11-10 12:09:29

This Will Set Africa on Fire: Nnimmo Bassey of Nigeria Blasts Progress of U.N. Climate Summit Talks

Today a draft agreement at COP26 was released, calling on nations to accelerate the phasing out of coal and fossil fuel subsidies and make pledges to cut emissions by the end of 2022.

The draft also urges wealthy nations to “urgently scale-up” financial support for developing countries to help them adapt to the climate crisis. This comes as a new report by the group Climate Action Tracker estimates world temperatures are on track to rise by 2.4 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels based on current pledges to cut emissions — far higher than the 1.5 degree goal set in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

To discuss the latest developments at COP26, we speak with Nigerian environmental activist and poet Nnimmo Bassey. “There’s no force behind what’s being proposed,” says Bassey, who adds that the current trajectory of negotiations will have devastating effects on Africa.

“That means setting the continent on fire. It is just sacrificing the continent.” Bassey also discusses the role of China in Africa and the impact of the climate crisis on the continent. He has attended climate summits for years but says this may be his last one.

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. 

On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode?  Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change. 

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.

Africa Amy Goodman COP26 Democracy Now! Emissions Free Speech TV Nigeria Nnimo Bassey

Environment

The Rick Smith Show

The Rick Smith Show | Insurance Companies Believe in Climate Change

The Rick Smith Show | Insurance Companies Believe in Climate Change

BreakThrough News

BreakThrough News | Billions to Bomb, but not to Fight Fires

BreakThrough News | Billions to Bomb, but not to Fight Fires

The Randi Rhodes' Show

The Randi Rhodes Show | Trump Bullies the World and American Citizens

The Randi Rhodes Show | Trump Bullies the World and American Citizens

Better Worlds Ahead: Realizing Our Brighter Climate Futures

Better Worlds Ahead: Realizing Our Brighter Climate Futures

Related

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Federal Workers Fight Back!

Democracy Now! | Federal Workers Fight Back!

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | USAID Shutdown? Elon Musk Claims Trump Agreed to Dismantle Agency

Democracy Now! | USAID Shutdown? Elon Musk Claims Trump Agreed to Dismantle Agency

BreakThrough News

BreakThrough News | Niger and the Pan-African Revolution

BreakThrough News | Niger and the Pan-African Revolution

The Thom Hartmann Program

The Thom Hartmann Program | Does the Left Needs its own Media Ecosystem?

The Thom Hartmann Program | Does the Left Needs its own Media Ecosystem?

Proud Partners