The African civil society organisations have called on a fair and development centered outcome as the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil enters its final days.
In a statement the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance Executive Director Dr. Mithika Mwenda noted that COP30 must deliver decisions that protect vulnerable communities, strengthen resilience, and ensure Africa is not forced to pay for a crisis it did not create.
“Africa did not create the climate crisis. COP30 must ensure Africa does not pay three times: first through climate impacts, second through unfair or underfunded global responses and thirdly through continued exploitative appropriations of Africa’s critical minerals and forest resources for advancing an alien just transition agenda.” the statement read.
PACJA urged for a fair, sequenced or differentiated, and well-financed phaseout roadmap aligned with Africa’s development needs, noting that finance is the centre of gravity at COP30.
According to PACJA, the current draft includes five pathways for delivering Article 9, but only a merged Option 1 and 2 offers clarity, accountability, and real support for African implementation.
They called for the recognition of Africa’s right to transitional energy solutions, including time-bound, Paris-aligned natural gas use demanding a fair and differentiated fossil fuel phaseout that recognises Africa’s development and energy access needs.
Additionally, Dr. Mithika cautioned against global climate policies that could harm African industries, urging swift adoption of the 2026–2030 Response Measures workplan.
This as well as a stronger Just Transition Work Programme supporting skills, jobs, industrial policy, and diversification and guaranteed linkages between JT finance and priorities such as critical minerals, manufacturing, and green industrialisation.
Dr. Mithika emphasized that locally determined solutions especially those led by youth and women must be genuinely supported, not treated as symbolic add-ons.” Strengthening these frontline initiatives is essential to delivering real climate resilience across the continent.” He noted.
