Carbon emitting levels on the continent of Africa are on the rise.
In just nine years, between 2010 and 2019, Africa became a net carbon source, from being a net carbon sink.
This is according to new findings of a study conducted by the Futures Ecosystems for Africa programme, based at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.
Overall, it is estimated that Africa is a source of 4.5 petagrams, or 4.5 billion metric tons, of carbon dioxide equivalents per year.
Until now, Africa has been producing about 4% of the anthropogenic greenhouse gasses (GHG) of the global output.
The continent has also been offering climate services to the globe, largely through the intact ecosystems in the tropics which have been sequestering more GHG’s than were released through anthropogenic activities.
The research now outlines how in the past nine years, Africa has moved from being a net carbon sink (anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases) to a net carbon source (anything that releases more carbon into the atmosphere than it absorbs).
Professor Sally Archibald, Principal Investigator at the Future Ecosystems for Africa Program, and Professor in the Wits School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences at Wits University said
“in terms of global numbers this means Africa still hovers around 4% of fossil fuel emissions, but actually emits nearly 40% of the global emissions from land use, and is now, for the first time, contributing 3-5% of the growing amount of GHGs in the atmosphere.”
Researchers have attributed the rise of greenhouse gases, to fossil fuel burning, methane emissions from livestock, and soil carbon losses and nitrous oxide emissions as land is converted for agricultural use.
Dr Yolandi Ernst, researcher at the Wits Global Change Institute and the lead author of the study, says land use changes are game changers.
“Natural ecosystems continue to act as carbon sinks across the region and are taking up about 30% of what is being emitted to the atmosphere through human activities. Greater swaths of land than ever before are being used for agriculture, and livestock numbers are increasing, with the net result being that these changes in land use have affected Africa’s role in the global carbon cycle” she said.
Overall, the study found that Africa was a source of 4.5 petagrams, or 4.5 billion metric tons, of carbon dioxide equivalents per year, with land use emissions still being higher than fossil fuel emissions, although both are growing rapidly.
In the last year, the total anthropogenic emissions (emissions resulting from human activity), including trade, livestock and fuel burning were estimated at 1.2 petagams of carbon per year.
Moderate climate conditions and high productivity of the tropical forests helped natural ecosystems to take up about 0.6 petagrams of carbon per year, leaving approximately 0.6 petagrams of carbon as the net flux, released into the atmosphere.
Ernst said the information from this study on Africa’s carbon budget is key to identifying which aspects of the greenhouse gas cycle are most important to be managed in the quest to achieve net zero, and possibly restore the continent’s role as a carbon sink.
Some lower hanging fruits
“Investing in carbon-neutral energy sources could reduce about 30% of Africa’s anthropogenic emissions, but novel ways to manage landscapes for livelihoods and carbon storage would be needed to slow the emissions from agriculture and land use” says Ernst.
“As demand for food production increases, we need a focus on climate-smart agricultural practices on the continent, as well as a focus on investments that address socio-economic challenges in nature-preserving ways across Africa.”
Picture: Green.org (Jenks 2026)
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