By Faridat Salifu
The Africa Green Economy and Sustainability Institute (AGESI) has tasked African environment ministers to adopt a new, 40-year blueprint for environmental leadership rooted in homegrown innovation and sovereignty.
The call came Thursday as the 20th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-20) continued in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where ministers and delegates are marking four decades of continental environmental governance.
In a policy submission circulated at the conference, AGESI argued that past models dependent on external aid have failed to insulate Africa from worsening climate shocks, biodiversity collapse, and pollution.
The blueprint urges a decisive pivot toward self-determined action, regional coalitions, and sustainable economic reforms designed and led by Africans.
AGESI challenged ministers to convert their resolutions into a unified implementation plan and avoid repeating cycles of non-delivery.
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Central to its proposal is the creation of national green growth coalitions—cross-sectoral task forces uniting environment, finance, trade, and development ministries to fast-track policy action.
The framework specifically supports the domestic execution of multilateral agreements like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the emerging global plastics treaty, and African drought response protocols.
AGESI also called for a “Green AfCFTA,” urging member states to use the African Continental Free Trade Area to unlock a regional market for climate-smart agriculture, clean energy technologies, and green entrepreneurship—without tariff barriers.
The institute emphasized that Africa must shift from fragmented climate finance efforts to a unified continental voice demanding direct access to global climate funds.
At the same time, AGESI recommended self-financing mechanisms including sovereign green bonds and voluntary carbon markets to reinforce financial independence.
To sustain this transformation, AGESI proposed the launch of national “Capacity Unleashed” programs to cultivate African climate scientists, negotiators, and innovators capable of driving sustainable development from within.
The institute stated it was not offering external advice but standing as a local implementation partner, with its new continental office inaugurated in Nigeria earlier this year.
AGESI pledged support to help ministers translate AMCEN-20 declarations into bankable, trackable programs that deliver measurable environmental and economic impact.
