Critiquing Eurocentric Views on Ethical and Sustainability Practices and Adaptability in Africa: An Examination of Adaptation Financing in Developing Countries

Industrialization driven by capitalist corporations and multinationals prior to and during the twentieth century, with a focus on profit maximization has disrupted the natural order, leading to unpredictable climate changes. These industrial activities significantly impacted the global climate, resulting in detrimental effects on human populations. Consequently, the concepts of climate change, adaptation, and mitigation have Western origins. International agreements and treaties, such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, were introduced to address these issues. There is growing recognition that wealthy nations, responsible for much of the twentieth-century industrialization, have contributed significantly to climate change, often referred to as the Anthropocene. The consequences of this industrialization fall disproportionately on poorer, developing countries. As a result, international treaties and organizations, often influenced by Eurocentric nations, were established to provide financial assistance to developing countries to help them mitigate the negative effects of climate change and adapt to green initiatives. This chapter, through an exploration of relevant climate-related laws and policies, reports from reputable academic and multinational organizations, and credible online sources, concludes that communities affected by climate change and mineral extraction in developing countries rarely benefit positively from financial assistance intended for mitigation and adaptation. In countries like Nigeria, the implementation of such assistance is vulnerable to mismanagement, misappropriation, and corruption. Therefore, this study recommends that interventions should be directed through community leaders and informal community-based structures. These entities are more directly impacted by the negative effects of climate change and should oversee the implementation of financial assistance projects that are significant to their communities. This approach would better support their efforts to adapt to or mitigate the negative consequences of climate change and environmental alteration.