The industrial revolution that shaped the west hundreds of years ago is finally making its way in force to the African continent. Rural African economies, once based entirely on the labor of individuals, are leveraging the tools and machines that have been part of the western ecosystem for multiple decades to increase productivity and efficiency. But in spite of this progress, there are a few core issues that are preventing these economies from achieving major material wealth, including governmental corruption and lack of infrastructure. Additionally, and perhaps most critically, Africa is being held to impossible external expectations with regard to climate goals. As vast portions of the continent set to work industrializing, their earning potential will be inhibited by the emissions standards that are set by more advanced western economies. And these standards cannot be applied to nations whose economies are still shaking off the dust of pre-industrialism.

The industrialization of western nations in the 18th and 19th centuries was characterized by the gradual, and then rapid, addition of machines to the production floor. Factory workers were no longer required in such large numbers, as the majority of rote labor was outsourced to these new machines. Machines were more efficient, faster, never got tired, and always hit their deadlines. They required an upfront cost and continual maintenance, but with proper energy sources and capital they were far more productive than their human counterparts. Plus, they could perfectly replicate their actions, resulting in mass-produced reliability for consumers — a major cost-saver for businesses. Cheap, fast, quality goods became the norm.

But for the African continent, which has been hindered by, among other factors, colonization and civil wars, this equation is currently flipped. Though Africa is making progress on the path to industrialization, a lack of secure energy sources and stable systems means relying on old modes of production, producing goods at a lower rate and with inconsistent quality. In other words, buying, maintaining, and powering machines remains prohibitively expensive for most businesses, while traditional workers, who have very little leverage in unstable economies, continue to be a cheaper option. The status quo will remain, with consistency and quality often at stake, as long as Africans in rural communities do not have access to reliable energy.

To ensure Africa’s inclusion in visions for the future without limiting its potential, says Ghana’s former Finance Minister Charles Adu Boahen, Africans should embrace the African Continental Free Trade Area, or AfCFTA. AfCFTA squares the paradox of rapid industrialization and adherence to global climate goals by encouraging innovation — predicting that Africa can’t participate right away in global goals, but can eventually given the right conditions. In the short term, AfCFTA breaks down the barriers that currently inhibit trade and movement between African nations, eliminates burdensome tariffs, and turns the focus on Africa’s economic prowess inward. It also builds up energy and systems infrastructures, so that the promises of industrialization in a late-blooming market can still be kept.

As AfCFTA transforms the continent into the world’s largest free trade area, empowering millions of African citizens, it cannot coexist with global goals to reduce emissions to zero by 2030. Leaving aside business, rural communities’ access to electricity (and by extension, light) translates to greater educational opportunities for kids and adults alike, fewer accidents at home, lower crime rates, and safer travel opportunities. Between the provision of stable energy sources and the implementation of AfCFTA, millions stand to be lifted out of poverty. Keeping citizens literally in the dark does not move the needle in the right direction. While Africa pursues wealth-building goals for its citizens, it must be circumspect about agreeing to pacts that don’t allow it to catch up to its western neighbors. Reaching zero emissions by 2030 is unrealistic and hampers the progress of the very people the initiative purports to help.

For now, Africans should focus on the implementation of AfCFTA. This initiative will open up an intra-African market to 1.3 billion people, whose first choice of trade partner will be their neighboring country, not Europe or the United States. Africa is rich in resources, like solar power and lithium batteries. Creating a free trade area within its own borders will leverage the power of these resources to build wealth within the continent — in fact, AfCFTA is expected to lift overall GDP on the continent to approximately $3.4 trillion USD. But the prerequisite for this kind of explosive growth is a simple one: Africa must turn inward and look to achieve its own goals before it can participate in anything beyond its borders. Once the continent has caught up, then climate change can be addressed, peer to peer.