Africa is responsible for less than 4 percent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. Yet its people are already suffering some of the world’s most devastating climate impacts. And as the Global North looks to reduce its addiction to fossil fuels, the minerals required to do so increasingly depend on exploiting natural resources in the Global South, exacerbating a cycle of extraction, environmental devastation, dislocation, and political and social instability. How can these ongoing injustices be stopped and rectified? 

Wanjira Mathai is the vice president and regional director for Africa at the World Resources Institute, and the daughter of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, who empowered more than 4,000 women’s groups to protect and restore their local forests, even in the face of death threats. Wanjira herself has tackled such global issues as landscape restoration, youth leadership and sustainable development. She has focused on the power of emotional intelligence and has repeatedly been named one of the 100 Most Influential African Women.

Join Climate One for an in-depth conversation with Wanjira Mathai.