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2024 Corruption Perceptions Index: Climate funds at risk of theft as Sub-Saharan Africa faces some of the highest levels of corruption

Berlin, 11 February 2025 – Sub-Saharan Africa’s systemic corruption is severely undermining climate action, according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released today by Transparency International. The region has once again registered the lowest average score globally, of 33 out of 100, well below the global average of 43.

African countries desperately need vast amounts of climate finance to implement their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) – the climate action plans submitted to the United Nations (UN). Climate action faces a significant threat from corruption in the region, including through misappropriation, theft and misallocation. This highlights the need for robust mechanisms to ensure that funds allocated to climate projects benefit communities that are desperately dependent on them.

Countries suffering the worst effects of the climate crisis, including Equatorial Guinea (13), Eritrea (13), Somalia (9) and South Sudan (8), also rank among the most corrupt. In Somalia, climate change has wreaked havoc on the country’s agricultural economy and worsened its 30-year-long conflict.

Paul Banoba, Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Advisor of Transparency International said:

“Africa has the highest vulnerability to climate change impact, hosting nine of the ten most critically affected countries globally. Climate change damage costs the continent between US$290 billion and US$440 billion annually. It is critical that all resources mobilised for the climate change response are corruption-proofed through robust anti-corruption systems to shield the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of Africans directly affected by harsh impacts of climate change.”

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA HIGHLIGHTS

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

  • The highest-scoring countries in the region are Seychelles (72), Cabo Verde (62), Botswana (57) and Rwanda (57).
  • Notable improvements include, Cote d’Ivoire (45), up 10 points since 2019, Seychelles (72), up 20 points since 2012, making it the biggest global improver, and Tanzania (41), up 10 points since 2014.
  • The sharpest declines were seen in Lesotho (37), down 12 points since 2014, and Eswatini (27), down 16 points since 2014. Gabon and Liberia (both 27) fell 10 points since 2014.

CORRUPTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE

  • In Eswatini (27), unauthorised expenditure in the national budget by various ministries, combined with inaction from the Anti-Corruption Commission continue to undermine the fight against corruption. With temperatures rising by more than three degrees since 1950, droughts are becoming more severe, leaving 25 per cent of the population with limited access to food and water.
  • South Africa (41), the first country to sign a just energy transition partnership deal, will host the G20 Leaders’ Summit this year. However, the ex-CEO of Eskom alleges around a billion rand (more than US$56 million) is stolen each month from Eskom, the state-owned energy provider, casting doubt over the resilience of the government against climate corruption.

Despite the negative outlook, some countries have made remarkable progress by investing in anti-corruption.

  • Seychelles (72) has prosecuted high-profile corruption cases and strengthened information exchange among relevant law enforcement institutions. These efforts earned the country a removal from the EU black list of non-compliance. The Seychelles has been praised for its innovative approach to reducing emissions, including its circular economy activities and increased civic participation.

Maíra Martini, Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International said:

“Urgent action is needed worldwide to root out corruption that undermines climate action through theft, misuse of funds, and undue influence. Governments and multilateral organisations must embed anti-corruption measures in climate efforts to protect funding and rebuild trust. Only by tackling corruption head-on can we unlock the full power of climate action and accelerate the fight for our planet, our future.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

The media page includes the CPI 2024 report, as well as the full dataset and methodology, global press release and additional analysis for Sub-Saharan Africa East in English and French. See here: CPI Media Page.

INTERVIEW REQUESTS

In case of country-specific queries, please contact Transparency International’s national chapters. In case of queries about regional and global findings, please contact the Transparency International Secretariat at [email protected] or [email protected].

ABOUT THE CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX

Since its inception in 1995, the Corruption Perceptions Index has become the leading global indicator of public sector corruption. The index scores 180 countries and territories around the world based on perceptions of public sector corruption, using data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies, think tanks and others. The scores reflect the views of experts and business people, not the public.

The process for calculating the CPI is regularly reviewed to make sure it is as robust and coherent as possible, most recently by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in 2017. All the CPI scores since 2012 are comparable from one year to the next. For more information, see this article: The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated.