Ayambe Zero

Climate change poses significant threat to African marine & freshwater fisheries.

Fisheries provide the main source of protein for approximately 200 million young people in Africa & support the livelihoods of 12.3 million people.

At 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming, marine fish catch potential decreases 3-41% relative to 1986-2005 levels with highest decreases in tropical countries.

Under 1.7 degrees Celsius global warming, reduced fish harvests could leave 1.2-70 million people in Africa vulnerable to iron deficiencies, up to 188 million for vitamin A deficiencies, and 285 million for vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids by 2050.

For inland fisheries, 55-68% of commercially harvested fish species are vulnerable to extinction under 2.5 degrees global warming by 2071-2100

Source: IPCC

Did you know that since 1750 (beginning of the industrial revolution) the world has emitted about 1.5 trillion tons of carbon emissions?

Last year's emissions of 40.8 billion tons are equivalent to roughly 2.7% of the entire emissions since 1750.

The US is responsible for about 25% or a quarter of all emissions since 1750 followed by the EU at 22% and China at 13%.

However in recent years, China is the world's top annual emitter responsible for about 27% of all global carbon dioxide emissions and 15% of global methane emissions in 2019 alone.

Source: Our world in data, McKinsey

Overall, greenhouse gas emissions reached 40.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (all greenhouse gases standardized as one) in 2021.

To put that into perspective, about 29.2 trillion trees planted on 40 billion acres of land would be required to completely absorb just last year's emissions.

However, the reality is that earth has about 3 trillion trees with only 36.8 billion acres of inhabitable land.

This means that we require about 10 times the total number of trees currently available in the world to completely absorb last year's emissions.

The graph below shows CO2 emissions from energy combustion and industrial processes from 1900 - 2021.

We need to act to now.



Sources: IEA, IEE