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Data: How much do rich nations owe Africa for climate damage?

Summary

A new Action Aid report estimates that wealthy nations owe African countries $36 trillion in climate reparations—more than 50 times the continent’s total external debt of $646 billion. The report, released during an African Union summit, calculates climate debt based on historical emissions and their economic benefits to polluting nations. African countries, highly vulnerable to climate disasters such as floods and droughts, are forced to spend more on debt repayments than on public services like health and education. Additionally, the report criticizes the global credit rating system, which leads to higher borrowing costs for African nations, exacerbating their financial strain. With the African Union declaring 2025 as the year of “Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations,” demands for climate debt relief and compensation are expected to intensify.

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