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决策者 | 学习借鉴亚洲经验,促进非洲绿色发展

CGTN 2022-11-28

Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Erik Solheim is the former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

编者按:“决策者”(Decision Makers)是一个全球平台,供决策者分享他们对影响当今世界之事件的见解。埃里克·索尔海姆是联合国环境规划署前执行主任。文章仅代表作者的观点,而非本台观点。


The global climate talks have returned to Africa this week. Egypt is hosting COP27 in the beautiful Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh. Political leaders, business executives and civil society groups from all corners of the world have gathered to push for more diplomatic efforts, business deals and creating coalitions of the willing to fight global warming.

本周,联合国第27届气候变化大会在埃及美丽的红海度假胜地沙姆沙伊赫开幕。全球各地的政界领导人、企业高管和民间社会团体齐聚一堂,通过外交努力和促成商业协议,达成共同阻止全球变暖的意愿。


Sharm El-Sheikh will put the limelight on those who have contributed the least to the climate crisis while they have suffered the most from it. African emissions account for three to four percent of global emissions worldwide. The U.S. alone, with a quarter of the African population, has polluted the atmosphere many times more.

本届气候变化大会重点关注那些对气候破坏最少却遭受气候危机影响最大的国家。目前,非洲的温室气体排放量只占全球排放量的3%至4%。相比之下,美国人口只有非洲的四分之一,但对大气的污染程度要比后者高出许多倍。


Still Africa will see severe human impacts of the crisis. Both in Somalia and in Sudan I have witnessed how very dry places have become even dryer; exacerbating conflicts and terrorism, along with setting back populations already living on the margins. Mozambique last year had endured a devastating flood. Last week the UN issued a global warning on glaciers with the most beautiful snowcap of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which is near the Kenyan border, will disappear by 2050.

然而,非洲见证了气候危机对人类的严重影响。在索马里和苏丹,我目睹了干旱地区的旱情更加严重,这导致冲突和恐怖主义活动不断加剧,当地贫困人口的生活也变得更加拮据。莫桑比克去年则遭遇了一场毁灭性的洪灾。上周,联合国发布了关于冰川消融的全球性警告,其称位于坦桑尼亚境内、靠近肯尼亚边境的乞力马扎罗山上美丽的积雪将在2050年前消失。


The Sahel region appears headed for a perfect storm of climate change, coinciding with very weak states, rapid population growth patterns, few job opportunities and looming jihadist terrorist forces. Agriculture is already marginal and water is in short supply.

萨赫勒地区或将遭受气候变化的猛烈打击,这个地区的国家经济实力薄弱、人口增长迅速、就业机会匮乏,同时还面临“圣战”恐怖势力的威胁。此外,该地区的农业处于边缘地位,水资源严重短缺。


In Sharm El-Sheikh, Africa will call for climate justice and demand reparations for the harm committed by developed countries. The demands are justified and should receive broad support from the international community. 

在本届联合国气候大会上,非洲国家将呼吁气候正义,并要求发达国家为其造成的影响进行赔偿。这些要求是正当合理的,且应得到国际社会的广泛支持。


Yet, Africa is unlikely to achieve anything but small symbolic gains; if any at all without global cooperation. The West is more preoccupied with the Ukraine crisis. The underlying geopolitical tensions make progress much harder.

然而,如果没有国际合作,非洲难以有所收获。但目前,西方国家较多关注俄乌冲突,这种地缘政治紧张局势使得他们无暇帮助非洲应对气候变化。


This is why Africa can focus on how to learn from Asia and place diplomatic efforts as secondary. While Asia a few decades ago was seen as the epicenter of global poverty, the continent has emerged far ahead of Africa. China has embarked upon the journey of the reform and opening-up in 1978 and made tremendous economic achievements. South Korea and Singapore were once desperately poor countries, but now they are standing at the top of the world. Vietnam, Indonesia, India and many other Asian nations are surging ahead too.

这就是非洲应更多地从亚洲国家学习经验的原因。几十年前,亚洲曾一度被认为是全球贫困的重灾区,而现在亚洲的各项发展指标都远远领先于非洲。自1978年改革开放以来,中国取得了巨大的经济成就。韩国和新加坡也曾面临极度贫困挑战,但现在它们的发展水平处于世界领先的位置。越南、印度尼西亚、印度及许多其他亚洲国家也都在突飞猛进。


The Asian miracle was not based on receiving handouts from the rich, but on developing domestic conditions for growth. Aid played a distant secondary role to good domestic leadership and business investments. Additionally, climate aid, tends to be slow, bureaucratic and providing small money. Not one African nation is receiving foreign aid today that is above five percent of their GDP (gross domestic product).

亚洲奇迹的出现不是靠富裕国家的施舍,而是通过积极发展有利于本国经济增长的基础条件。与良好的国家领导力和商业投资相比,援助仅起到次要的作用。此外,气候援助资金存在一些问题,比如发放速度缓慢、官僚现象严重、资金供给不足等。当前,没有任何一个非洲国家收到的援助资金超过其国内生产总值的5%。


The two biggest developing nations, China and India, see climate change both as a severe global threat and opportunity. China has leapfrogged into electric mobility. China accounts for half the market of electric cars and dominates global production of electric batteries, helping to save the planet while providing jobs and prosperity to the country.

在中国和印度这两个最大的发展中国家看来,气候变化既是严峻的全球挑战,也是个契机。比如,中国大力发展新能源汽车。如今,中国占据全球电动汽车市场的半壁江山,也是全球蓄电池的主要生产国,这既能保护地球环境,又能增加中国国内就业,促进繁荣发展。


In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sees solar energy and green hydrogen as huge economic opportunities. New solar projects are emerging by the day and Indian tycoons have made incredible pledges for a green India based on renewable energy.

印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪认为太阳能和绿色氢能对印度来说是巨大的经济机遇。随着新的太阳能项目不断涌现,印度商界大亨表示将会大力发展可再生能源,推动印度绿色发展。


Accordingly, Africa can jump ahead over old technologies in finance, IT and green energy. The continent has become a pioneer of digital finance through Kenya's M-Pesa. Solar energy opportunities are abundant. A continent, where most people are not linked to the grid can develop village- or company-size solar, harvesting the most reliable African resource: the sun. Solar is the cheapest energy on the continent, but upfront costs are prohibitive for the poor. Pay-as-you-go schemes integrating renewable and information high technology are solutions. Nearly all Africans have a mobile phone.

因此,非洲或可摆脱老旧的金融、信息和绿色能源技术的束缚,并在肯尼亚移动支付巨头M-Pesa的引领下,成为数字金融界的领跑者。太阳能行业也孕育着众多机会。


在非洲,虽然大多数非洲人民没有电力网络,但却能够以村庄或公司为单位建设太阳能发电设施,充分利用太阳能这一可靠能源。太阳能是非洲大陆上最廉价的能源,但前期建设成本或使贫困者望而却步。鉴于手机在非洲几乎人手一部,结合可再生能源和信息高科技的即付即用系统有望解决上述问题。


Asian investments, particularly from China, can play a major role. China has helped African connectivity through green railroads from Djibouti to Addis Ababa and from Mombasa to Nairobi. I traveled in high comfort through magnificent landscapes while sitting in Chinese-built coaches on Chinese-built tracks. Trams in Addis Ababa and light rail in Kano, Nigeria are other impressive projects. President Xi Jinping's decision to halt all Chinese overseas coal investment was a significant factor. Beijing has also designated the Belt and Road Initiative as a major vehicle for solar, wind, hydro and green hydrogen investments. Chinese high tech companies such as Huawei and Tencent can help Africa integrate renewable and information technology.

来自亚洲,特别是来自中国的投资,发挥着重要作用。中国援建的亚吉铁路和蒙内铁路极大提升了非洲的互联互通水平。我曾十分舒适地乘坐这趟列车在轨道上飞驰,并欣赏着沿途壮丽的风景。亚的斯亚贝巴的有轨电车和尼日利亚卡诺市的轻轨等都是中国援建的重大项目。中国国家主席习近平做出的关于不再新建境外煤电项目的决定非常重要,因为这促使“一带一路”倡议重点关注太阳能、风能、水电和绿色氢能等方面的投资。华为和腾讯等中国高科技企业将帮助非洲实现可再生能源与信息技术的融合发展。


Meanwhile, M Auto from Chennai, India is one of the largest electric vehicle companies in Africa opening up factories in Togo, Benin and other places soon.

与此同时,总部位于印度金奈的“M汽车”公司是非洲最大的电动汽车生产商之一,已经在多哥、贝宁等地建设生产基地,不久将在更多地方建立工厂。


There are amazing conservation stories from African countries as well. Botswana and Kenya have benefitted economically from protecting their national parks. Land-locked Rwanda supports increasing the gorilla population by creating a tourist economy and encouraging the locals to become the gorillas' frontline defenders.

非洲大陆也涌现出了许多了不起的环保事迹。博茨瓦纳和肯尼亚国家公园的生态保护工作带来了显著的经济回报。内陆国家卢旺达通过发展当地旅游经济,鼓励当地居民成为一线动物保护人员等举措,成功地大幅增加了大猩猩种群数量。


In regards to nature conservation, Africa can learn more from Asia. China is the world's biggest tree planter and has succeeded with its conservation of giant pandas. The major rainforest nation Indonesia last year achieved record-low deforestation. Indonesian companies including RGE, one of the world's largest paper and palm oil companies, has supported a deforestation-free value chain.

在自然保护方面,非洲可以向亚洲学习更多经验。中国是迄今为止世界上植树造林面积最大的国家,也在保护大熊猫方面有着非常成功的经验。热带雨林大国印度尼西亚去年的森林砍伐量创下历史最低水平。如今,包括全球最大的造纸和棕榈油企业新加坡金鹰集团(RGE)在内的许多企业纷纷建立无毁林供应链。


Africa can review how Asia drove development through good policies and private investment. Asian countries offer a role model for rapid growth and offer Africa chances to partner up with Asian governments and companies amid the green transformation. 

非洲可以学习亚洲如何通过高效的政策和私营部门投资推动本地发展。亚洲国家不仅成为了非洲经济增长领域的榜样,也为非洲提供了与亚洲各国政府和公司合作的机会,共同推动非洲大陆的绿色转型。


In the 21st century, Africa has become the fastest growing continent in population. Meanwhile, rapid green economic development is very visible. This will move much faster if Africa moves from 54 separate markets to one huge unified market. Therefore, the entire world should support African economic integration.

非洲已是21世纪人口增长最快的大洲。同时,非洲绿色经济的快速发展也清晰可见。如果非洲54个独立的市场能够融合成为统一的大市场,则非洲经济的绿色发展将会进一步加快。因此,全世界应一道支持非洲经济一体化。


The African green transformation can be supercharged by learning lessons from the Asian success story and by forming deeper partnerships and investments with Asia.

通过学习借鉴亚洲的成功经验,加强与亚洲国家的伙伴关系和投资合作,非洲的绿色转型将会迎来崭新篇章。


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