African stakeholders have adopted a seven-point communiqué calling for urgent and coordinated climate action that aligns ambition with development needs across the continent, ahead of the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.
This was contained in a statement signed by Mr. Ugochukwu Uzuegbu, Communications Officer of the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), and made available to journalists on Saturday in Lagos.
According to the statement, the stakeholders stressed that Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — the central tool under the Paris Agreement — must serve as practical roadmaps for national development.
They urged that future NDCs be ambitious yet feasible, harmonised with national plans, and reflective of Africa’s social and economic realities through inclusive participation.
The communiqué called on African governments to treat the climate crisis as a developmental emergency, defend multilateralism, and use NDCs as platforms for cooperative engagement with global partners under the Paris Agreement, Agenda 2063, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It further urged developed countries to sustain financial, technological, and technical support to help African nations implement their NDCs. Donor institutions, it added, should prioritise bankable, community-led projects capable of attracting private investment.
The communiqué also emphasised the need for the inclusion of gender, youth, and local communities at every stage of NDC design and implementation.
Ms. Gbemisola Akosa, Executive Director of the Center for 21st Century Issues, noted that although 85 per cent of African countries have integrated gender into their NDCs, financing for women-focused climate action remains inadequate.
“We must not only put gender equality in our policies but ensure that implementation delivers real results,” she said.
Mr. Iskander Vernoit, Executive Director of the IMAL Initiative for Climate and Development in Morocco, highlighted the persistent gaps in climate finance and the need for stronger global accountability.
“African governments must protect their citizens even in the absence of sufficient international finance,” he said, calling for legal obligations on wealthy nations to fulfil their climate finance commitments.
Representing African youth, Mr. Samuel Okorie, Advisory Board Member of the UNFCCC Santiago Network, urged governments to partner with youth-led enterprises and integrate innovation into national climate action.
“It’s time to stop being afraid of youth businesses — they can drive Africa’s climate solutions,” Okorie stated.
The communiqué concluded with a united call for African countries to “speak with one voice” at COP30, focusing on the Baku to Belém Roadmap, Article 6 and Carbon Markets, and the Global Goal on Adaptation.
It added that the webinar where the communiqué was adopted was hosted by Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke and attended by over 30 stakeholders from across the continent.
