A new report by Transparency International, released on February 11, 2025, highlights the devastating impact of systemic corruption on climate action in sub-Saharan Africa. Titled 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index: Corruption is Playing a Devastating Role in the Climate Crisis, the report reveals how weak anti-corruption measures are hindering efforts to combat climate change.
Sub-Saharan African nations urgently need substantial climate finance to implement their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) climate action plans submitted to the United Nations. However, misappropriation, theft, and misallocation of climate funds are threatening these efforts.
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks 180 countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), shows that corruption is a global challenge obstructing effective climate action.
The highest-scoring sub-Saharan African countries were Seychelles (72), Cabo Verde (62), Botswana (57), and Rwanda (57). Ivory Coast and Tanzania showed significant progress, with Ivory Coast gaining 10 points since 2019 and Tanzania gaining 10 since 2014. However, Lesotho dropped by 12 points since 2014, and Eswatini fell by 16 points.
The report also found that countries most affected by climate change such as Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Somalia, and South Sudan ranked among the most corrupt. In Somalia, decades of conflict have been worsened by climate change, which has devastated agriculture and pushed the country further into crisis.
In Libya, corruption and weak governance have worsened the impacts of extreme weather. The September 10, 2023 collapse of two dams in Derna during Hurricane Daniel, which led to a devastating loss of life, was linked to corruption and infrastructure failures.
Eswatini faces rising climate risks but continues to struggle with governance failures, unauthorized government spending, and an ineffective Anti-Corruption Commission. South Africa, the first nation to sign a just energy transition partnership, will host the G20 Leaders’ Summit this year, but corruption concerns remain a significant challenge.
The report emphasizes that corruption weakens governance, undermines law enforcement, and diverts critical climate funds. In nations with high corruption levels, environmental decision-making often lacks transparency, leading to unfair policies and environmental degradation. Transparency International calls for urgent reforms to strengthen anti-corruption measures and ensure that climate finance reaches the communities most at risk.