More than 100 delegates from 20 African countries at the African People’s Counter-COP (APCC) in Benin have declared Africa’s climate fight a demand for justice, calling for an end to extractivism and the adoption of Africa-led climate policies.
Organised by the African Climate Justice Collective (ACJC), the gathering issued a challenge to the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) framework, stating that it has been influenced by Global North-led capitalist interests which have marginalised African perspectives in decision-making processes.
“The climate crisis ravaging Africa is not our fault; it is a debt owed by the Global North,” stated ACJC Coordinator Rumbidzai Mphalo.
She said Africa continues to endure climate disruption despite contributing minimally to global carbon emissions.
The declaration issued by the APCC outlines nine key demands:
1.Climate reparations as grants and not loans,
2.Complete halt to fossil fuel exploration,
3.Rejection of carbon trading and geoengineering schemes,
4.Enforcement of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC),
5.Reform of climate finance structures,
6.Support for food sovereignty through agroecology,
7.Zero-waste policies to stop waste dumping in Africa,
8.Community-owned renewable energy systems and
9.Protection measures for climate refugees.
With COP30 scheduled for Belém, Brazil, the ACJC is urging African governments to adopt the Declaration as a guiding document for continental negotiation strategy and assert Africa’s climate sovereignty on the global stage.
