By Obiabin Onukwugha
Environmentalists have expressed the fear of imminent catastrophic temperature increases across the globe due to the lack of a decisive climate action to avert.
They expressed this fear, Thursday, November 7 at a webinar titled: The Emission Gaps and the Road to Conference Of Parties (COP29), preparatory to the global conference at Adjerbbatan.
The webinar brought together environmental experts, activists, and public interest lawyers to discuss urgent issues surrounding global climate policy, emissions reduction, and the upcoming COP29.
The webinar, led by HOMEF’s Director, Nnimmo Bassey, called for radical reforms to address COP’s historic failures and the inequalities that persist in climate negotiations.
Speakers at the event reviewed the evolution of COP conferences and pointed to critical milestones, such as the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and the Paris Agreement of 2015.
They noted that COP’s current voluntary emission targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) fall short, pushing the world dangerously close to catastrophic temperature increases.
Participants also critiqued COP’s structure, which they observed have continued to benefit wealthy nations and the private sector at the expense of vulnerable communities.
Panelists agreed on the need for a global resistance movement to unite feminists, labor unions, indigenous communities, and environmental activists to challenge structures perpetuating climate injustice.
Ruth Nyambura, an African ecofeminist with Ramani Collective, argued that the emissions gap reflects more than just figures, arguing that it represents ongoing injustices—wars, inequality, and human rights abuses.
She highlighted how the fossil fuel industry and military-industrial complex drive environmental devastation and land dispossession, especially across African nations and the broader Global South.
She suggested: “A decentralized approach to climate policy would better meet the real needs of frontline communities.”
Calling for a reevaluation of COP data and narratives to dismantle rather than reinforce colonial power structures, Nyambura highlighted the limitations of current multilateral structures, prioritizing powerful nations and sidelining local voices.
Fadhel Kaboub, an Associate Professor of Economics at Denison University and Senior Advisor with PowerShift Africa, noted that global warming targets would be impossible to achieve under current fossil fuel extraction rates, leaving Africa’s renewable potential largely untapped due to a lack of financing and technology transfer.
Kaboub advocated for climate reparations, structured as grants rather than loans, to address the historical carbon debt owed by industrialized countries.
He said, “These reparations would finance Africa’s self-sufficiency through renewable energy and food sovereignty initiatives. As COP 29 approaches, we must center the voices of those most affected by climate injustice, especially in the Global South. African leaders must stand against further fossil fuel exploitation and demand policies that truly transform our continent.”
Thuli Makama, a public interest attorney and Africa Senior Advisor at Oil Change International, expressed the need for “pipeline of resistance” to counter false narratives around climate action that profit corporations while harming vulnerable communities.
Makama encouraged civil societies to resist co-optation by COP processes and instead invest in counter-COP forums, which allow for open discussion on the root causes of climate change.
He stated: “COP 29 should focus on accountability. The calls include climate finance, technology transfer, and addressing loss and damage, a COP where fossil fuel interests do not dominate and where the voices of impacted communities are prioritized.”
He appealed to African leaders to reject fossil fuel expansion and promote biodiversity protection and renewable energy solutions aligned with Africa’s sustainable development.
On his part, Nnimmo Bassey posited that fossil fuel interests remain heavily represented within COP, creating a shield from accountability despite their contribution to the climate crisis.
“The COP process has prioritized market-based solutions that do not address the systemic causes of emissions, such as extractive capitalism and entrenched global power structures,” he posited further, stating, “Instead of driving meaningful climate action, these ‘solutions’ are deepening the crisis.”