“Defying Injustice in Times of Transition.” This is the message carried by African civil society this Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at the ministerial meeting preceding the COP27 held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. In a press briefing, several African civil society organizations called on African governments, the African Union and the African Group of Negotiators to act in Africa’s interest and push for “real” solutions to the climate crisis to protect the people of Africa and the planet.
In the face of the climate crisis, particularly with regard to its impact on African women and communities, the African Climate Justice Collective (ACJC), along with its local partners in the DRC, CORAP and Toboyi Molili, is calling for concrete and urgent action.
“African peoples continue to be disappointed with the resolutions taken by negotiators at the various COPs and their implementation. It is in this sense that civil society organizations, local communities and indigenous peoples have given voice to the experts through this message. We have formulated key demands,” explains Justin Mubomi, CORAP’s Advocacy Officer.
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African civil society demands
– Provide climate finance and pay the climate debt owed to Africa Develop clear and ambitious commitments in line with the 1.5 degree standard; – Build food sovereignty for the resilience of the African people; – Stop funding false solutions that are a dangerous distraction; – Leave fossil fuels underground and stop gas expansion on the continent; – Transform our energy system for energy justice; – Build peace and end climate hypocrisy; -End waste colonialism and excessive consumption by elites and promote a circular economy; -Respect and enforce people’s rights, including the right to say no to infrastructure and other destructive projects.
Africa must have climate justice
Emmanuel Musuyu, is from CORAP and Toboyi Molili. According to him, African populations are bearing the brunt of climate change. He therefore calls on African leaders to really bring the voice of the continent to the COP27 so that justice is done.
“We hope that our voices will resonate in the corridors of power at the pre-COP ministerial meeting. African people are living the climate crisis now and their demands for climate justice must be brought to the so-called African COP in Egypt this November,” he says.
