African civil society organisations and climate experts have called on leaders for interventions to end the ongoing armed conflicts, increase development finance and enhance food sovereignty on the continent.
Meeting under the support of the African Movement Building Space, they demanded urgent action to deliver adaptation action, economic and gender justice as well as inclusion.
In a statement, the organisations argue that until and unless the continent’s multiple structural challenges are dealt with, climate justice in Africa will remain a pipe dream.
They want African leaders to urgently address development finance, food sovereignty, energy poverty, gender justice and inclusion to empower all among other issues.
Founder and director of Power Shift Africa Mohamed Adow said the enormity of Africa’s plight demands urgency and decisive action.
"Africa finds itself in a frightful place in 2024, owing to the triple challenges of climate change, energy poverty and underdevelopment. These crises have been complicated by violence and the threat of new conflict that has gripped the continent for months now," he said.
Adow said the situation could tip over if no urgent interventions are made to protect vulnerable populations.
He however noted that there is hope for the continent this year as governments are starting to appreciate the role of renewable energy in powering development.
"There is growing investment in projects that bridge the energy gap. This trajectory must be maintained to fuel Africa’s ‘just transition’ to socioeconomic prosperity," Adow said.
Other demands include freedom of movement, democracy, rule of law and tax policy reforms.
They say these challenges have complicated the fight against the effects of climate change, consigning millions of Africans to suffering.
Campaigns Lead Don’t Gas Africa Dean Bhebhe emphasised the immediate halt to the current planned extraction and production of fossil fuels in Africa.
With its unparalleled solar and wind resources, he said, Africa can fulfil its energy needs through renewable sources that are sustainable, community-focused and environmentally friendly.
"We oppose the existing energy paradigm that perpetuates inequality, an energy system where only a few people own and operate the energy infrastructure and any system that systematically excludes significant portions of the population, especially those in impoverished and rural areas," Bhebhe said.
They further observed that the existing structures have not only made it difficult for Africa to develop but also plunged the continent into the current debt crisis.
The actors have insisted that no single country in Africa can transform on its own and governments must stop talking about African unity and start implementing it.
Member of Africa’s Independent Experts Group on Just Transition and Development Fadhel Kaboub said it is time to get radical.
He said African leaders must think and act radically about every major challenge our continent is facing.
"Radical in the literal sense of the term, means going to the roots of the continent’s problems. Otherwise, our policy action would be superficial and would reproduce the status quo which is dangerous politically, economically, socially and ecologically," he said.
Climate Justice Coordinator FEMNET Anne Tek said the current economic crisis in Africa has worsened the existing inequalities facing women.
For decades, she said African women, feminists and young girls have remained unrecognised in their contributions to revolutions, economic development, equitable share of resources and access to land.
"Today, African governments are implementing austerity measures, for instance, at the expense of investment in vital public services such as health, education and social protection, with serious gender impacts. This has complicated the realisation of women’s and girls’ rights," Tek said.