By Obiabin Onukwugha
More than 500 African civil society organisations, attending the Real Africa People’s Climate Summit, have issued seven demands on their governments and wealthy nations as the African Climate Summit kicks off in Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 3.
The demands were raised during a march to raise awareness on the challenges Africa is facing with climate change, as part of activities leading to the summit.
The Real Africa People’s Climate Summit is a key part for the upcoming wave of global mobilisations and will include the March to #EndFossilFuels fast, fast, forever in New York City on 17th September 2023 as world leaders attend the United Nations Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit.
The CSOs are demanding for justice, decolonisation of the continent’s economic systems and repayment of climate debt.
They are also demanding for an end to energy capture, an immediate stop to fossil fuel projects and rejection of false solutions in a move that is set to put the plight of over 900 million people in the global spotlight.
Specifically, the CSO’s demand include: Decolonise the Economy and Development, Repay Climate Debt and Deliver the Money, No False Solutions.
Statistics show that Africa has been thrust into a never-ending cycle of poverty, hunger, undue exposure to climate-induced disasters, and ever-dwindling investment in adaption and mitigation measures due to climate change.
Speaking on behalf of the Real Africa People’s Climate Summit, Hardi Yakubu, from Africans Rising, stated that Africans were tired of leaders and governments paying endless lip service to Africa on the impact of climate change on its people.
“We demand for a decolonisation of Africa’s economy and development agenda, a repayment of climate debt and delivery of much-needed money to Africa for Climate Adaptation and losses and damages, as well as real solutions to this gripping problem the continent faces,” Hardi Yakubu said.
Lorraine Chiponda from the Africa Movements Building Space said, “It is a serious indictment on world leaders and corporations that African people continue to disproportionately experience the devastating impacts of climate change for no fault of their own.”
Chiponda said, between 600-900 million African people were facing systemic food and water shortages, debilitating poverty, and lack of access to energy or clean energy, thus forcing them to escape from their homes and migrate from their countries due to climate change.
The environmentalist also stated that Non-African led solutions to tackling climate change halfway through the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) – and 10 years since the launch of Africa’s development blueprint – Agenda 2063 – have sparked major concerns among climate stakeholders on the continent.
“Further, climate induced disasters are increasing both the cost of borrowing and exacerbating the risk of debt crises. Most countries have no option other than borrowing to deal with the recovery and reconstruction costs whenever disasters hit”, Chiponda noted.
Dean Bhebhe from the Don’t Gas Africa Campaign, also noted that public services such as education and healthcare are chronically underfunded as unsustainable debt drives austerity.
“Unsustainable debt levels that many countries face today also mean less fiscal space and to invest in adaptation and mitigation as well as address losses and damages already being experienced. By putting African people in the driving seat of the climate and development action agenda, the Real Africa People’s Climate Summit believe this is an opportunity to centre people’s voices, needs, well-being and the earth’s welfare in the climate change action and development discourse”, Bhebhe stated.
Joab Okanda from Christian Aid stated that, “Amid the spin and rhetoric on offer this week at the Africa Climate Summit, there is no escaping the hard reality: climate change is tearing us all apart and real solutions lie with communities on the frontline of the climate crisis. Clearly, African clear leaders face a clear choice.
Maimoni Ubrei-Joe of Friends of the Earth Africa and Environmental Rights Action (FoEA/ERA), also stated that this is time for African leaders to take concrete people-led and centered actions towards renewable energy future for the African people.
Ubrei-Joe said: “They can stay on the path of dangerous destructions advanced by corporates and western consultancies, where structural traps continue to be laid against Africa’s development. Or they can choose the path of the people marching on the streets of Nairobi for a renewed climate and development vision for African people’s dignity.
“Africa is ready to rise but only once government leaders have the courage to stop the capture by the fossil fuel industry and foreign interests of our government agencies, processes, and energy systems to serve their interest and not the interests of African people.”
