Our reasoning

Africa is a continent of diversity, energy, innovation, resilience and solutions. These assets are threatened by climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Africa is the continent most vulnerable to climate change, despite accounting for less than 4% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Climate change acts as a threat multiplier for existing challenges, exacerbating food insecurity, water scarcity, health issues, governance challenges and conflicts across the continent.

Hundreds of millions of people are affected. 70 percent of the total African population depends on agriculture, with 95 percent of this food production relying on rainfall. Increasingly uncertain rains and extreme weather conditions have serious consequences for food security, poverty eradication and the achievement and maintenance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Global Harvest Initiative has warned that by 2050 sub-Saharan Africa may only be able to meet 13% of its total food needs if the current rate of change persists.

We believe that Africa has the solutions and resources it needs to face these dire challenges and pave the way for a healthy and regenerative future. Ongoing efforts across the continent to mitigate and adapt to climate change need support to grow.

At the same time, Canada is among the world's largest emitters of GHGs per capita, with the average Canadian emitting 80 times more than the average Tanzanian. With growing awareness of the seriousness of the climate crisis and a growing number of climate refugees, Canadians are becoming aware and committing to individual and collective action. The ACAI increases the participation of
Canadians to local and global climate adaptation and mitigation.