Multinationals Must Pay Climate Tax to Combat Africa’s Climate-Induced Disasters – Benjamin Kalu

Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has called for multinational corporations and billionaires to pay a climate tax, arguing that while Africa contributes minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent disproportionately suffers the effects of climate change caused by emissions from other regions.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu, during the Pan African Parliament’s ongoing special sitting in South Africa, said that Africa is vulnerable to climate disasters despite contributing the least to global warming.

“Africa is disproportionately impacted by climate change despite contributing just 3.8 per cent to the global share of greenhouse gas emissions, in contrast to 23 per cent by China, 19 per cent by the US, and 13 per cent by the European Union,” he said.

Citing recent floods in Borno and Zamfara States that have displaced thousands, Kalu added:

“Climate change undermines Africa’s progress towards sustainable development goals, hindering economic growth and human well-being.”

In support of his argument, Kalu referenced Nobel Prize-winning economist Esther Duflo’s proposal for a global climate tax.

“Duflo suggests that multinational corporations and billionaires should be taxed to fund climate adaptation in the world’s most vulnerable regions,” he added.

According to Kalu, this tax would provide much-needed resources to help African nations cope with climate-related disasters, which continue to wreak havoc on communities and infrastructure.

Also Read: How Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker Plans To Institutionalise Igbo Apprenticeship System

The call for a climate tax comes as Africa struggles to balance its development goals with the increasing frequency of climate-induced disasters.

“In Borno State alone, the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix identified 320,791 individuals in 65,731 households affected by the floods across 19 local government areas. These include 157,274 internally displaced persons and 108 returnees, all severely impacted by the floods,” Kalu stated.

To combat the dual crises of climate change and food insecurity, Kalu urged the implementation of Duflo’s climate tax.

“Duflo’s proposal includes a tax on multinational corporations and billionaires to fund climate adaptation in low-income countries, helping them prepare for and mitigate the impacts of climate disasters.”