Africa: Climate Change: Key issues on the road to Copenhagen

African peoples’ high vulnerability to climate change stems partly from historical global inequities that have left them ill-equipped to cope with the climate extremes they are already experiencing and the food security, water scarcity, and climate-induced migration crises that these extremes exacerbate. This year’s negotiations toward a post-2012 climate agreement must recognise African countries’ need for technological and financial support to pursue low-carbon development that will reduce poverty and strengthen their resilience to the impacts of climate change.