Africa has much to offer the world in the battle against climate change, but fellow leaders at the Paris climate talks must also be prepared to do their bit

The term “glacial pace” takes on real and literal meaning with climate change. The disappearance of our glaciers may have hastened dramatically, but our efforts to stop them doing so have moved at a truly glacial pace. This has to change, right now.

Since the Kyoto protocol came into being, we have failed miserably to protect our planet. Current trajectories show the world is on track towards a temperature rise of about 3°C by 2100. Climate talks in Paris this month are our last chance to turn the tide.

We have long known that Africa, which causes the least environmental damage, suffers the most from the harm others cause. The World Meteorological Organisation recorded more than 1,300 climate-related natural disasters in Africa from 1970 to 2012, which claimed 700,000 lives and caused economic damage worth $26.6bn (£17.6bn).

A decade ago, at COP 11 in Montreal in 2005, Africa had no common position and no common negotiators. This year, at COP 21, it has a Conference of African Heads of State on Climate Change; it has an expert team of about 200 climate negotiators; it has a clearly outlined position on the negotiations; and it has a well-articulated collective work programme to support low-carbon and climate-resilient development on the continent.

So Africa means business on climate change. It comes to Paris not just with hope, but with something to offer. It brings three big “gives” to the rest of the world, and three big “asks”.

First, Africa gives its own commitment – and the cast-iron evidence – that it will join the rest of the world in taking climate change seriously. Forty-seven out of 53 countries in Africa had already completed their “intended nationally determined contributions” by the 1 October deadline. Each national plan states what the country can do, from tiny Comoros committing to cutting emissions by 85% in 15 years, to Ethiopia announcing plans to cut its emissions growth by 64% in the same period. African countries have demonstrated greater ambition in cutting their emissions than the high-emitting nations.

Second, Africa makes the gift – to itself and the world – of its enormous renewable energy resources. That potential is breathtaking: the continent can source an additional 10 terawatts of solar energy, 1,300 gigawatts of wind power, and 15GW of geothermal potential. That power, if used to the full and responsibly managed, will not just solve Africa’s own energy problems but also those of other countries near and far.

Third, Africa gives to the world a share of the gigantic atmospheric vacuum cleaners that are its natural tropical forests. It has an estimated 650m hectares (1.605bn acres) of untouched forest, almost a fifth of the world’s stock. These carbon sinks can suck in 1.2bn tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – about half the carbon dioxide emissions from all the homes in the US. And they can do this, even under the threat of deforestation and forest degradation. If we can preserve our forest, for instance in the Congo basin, we can absorb more of our own and the world’s carbon dioxide.

But Africa, of course, seeks support in kind from the world. It brings three “asks” to COP21, all of which are aimed at completing the circle of giving.

First, Africa asks for adequate finance – at least $11bn a year – to help it adapt to climate change. Only 4% of the world’s total adaptation finance ends up in sub-Saharan Africa, a situation that demands immediate reform. Africa, which is already short-changed on climate change, must not be short-changed on climate finance. Communities that have contributed the least to climate change should not be the ones picking up the tab when Mother Earth fights back. As we write, southern and eastern Africa are suffering floods and droughts respectively, brought about by the worst El Niño – warm winds blowing off warm waters – in decades.

Second, Africa asks the world to join it in investing at least $55bn a year in its energy sector up to 2030. Why? Mainly because this would bring full energy access to more than 600 million Africans who do not have that today. Patchy energy means patchy business, patchy health and patchy education. It means diminished life. The lack of energy has put the brakes on Africa’s development.

Why should the rest of the world buy into this? Because, by developing clean energy in Africa, we will collectively remove billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases from the air. And because – given the returns on renewable energy – we will collectively unlock millions of dollars in new business opportunities. Witness the solar power project in Ouarzazate in Morocco which has generated 500MW and cut an annual 760,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The third and last ask is that the countries of the world reassess the demands they are making of one another. Limiting the global temperature rise to 2°C is not enough: we stand with the International Panel on Climate Change in wanting a revised target of 1.5 degrees.

The continent of proverbs reminds us that “in moments of crisis, the wise build bridges”. We are indeed in a crisis, and Africa is asking the rest of the world to join us in building bridges to a safer world. So let’s be wise in Paris.

Akinwumi Adesina is the president of the African Development Bank