At the ongoing UNFCCC SB62 climate negotiations in Bonn, the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) has sounded a resounding alarm on behalf of Africa’s people: Climate justice delayed is climate injustice amplified.
Speaking for millions across the continent, from frontline communities battling floods and droughts to youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, and grassroots civil society, PACJA delivered an unflinching message: the era of hollow pledges must end.
“We remind negotiators and Parties that Africa is not a passive victim of climate breakdown. We are agents of solutions, but without fair, predictable, and grant-based finance, our resilience is under siege,” said the Co-Founder and Chair of Technical and Political Affairs at PACJA, who is also Executive Director of the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access.
Climate Finance: From Rhetoric to Reality
Year after year, African countries shoulder the harshest impacts of a crisis they did least to cause. According to the IPCC, Africa suffered annual climate-related losses of 7 billion dollars between 2010 and 2019. This figure could soar to 50 billion dollars per year by 2040 if global emissions continue on their current path.
Despite this grim forecast, PACJA decried the sluggish pace of negotiations at SB62. A deadlock over the agenda, especially climate finance commitments under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, threatens to keep vulnerable communities trapped in cycles of debt, disaster, and displacement.
“Negotiators must not hide behind procedural excuses. Every delay pushes an African farmer deeper into poverty, or worse, into an early grave,” the Alliance declared.
Loss and Damage: Keep the Promise Alive
The operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, a breakthrough won at previous COPs, risks becoming another hollow promise if rich countries fail to deliver new, additional, and predictable finance. PACJA insists that voluntary pledges alone are insufficient. Communities enduring floods, cyclones, and famine need accessible funding now, not after the next crisis.
A Just and Equitable Energy Transition
PACJA’s call extends to how the global community supports Africa’s energy future. The Alliance rejects energy transition models that repeat the injustices of the fossil fuel era. Africa’s path must respect its right to energy access, industrial growth, and poverty reduction, while ensuring a clear and just roadmap to decarbonization.
“No more one-size-fits-all bans and conditionalities imposed from abroad. Let Africa lead its own just transition, with financing for renewables, grids, skills, and local innovation that benefit people before profits.”
Carbon Markets: Protect People, Not Polluters
The Alliance also raised a red flag about Article 6 carbon markets. Without robust safeguards, African lands and forests risk becoming cheap offsets for polluters elsewhere. This allows industries to avoid real emissions cuts while frontline communities lose rights and livelihoods.
A Call to Action: No Climate Justice Without African Voices
PACJA’s statement is clear. The legitimacy of the UNFCCC process depends on meaningful civil society participation. Africa’s youth, women, and community leaders must have a seat at the decision-making table, not just appear in side events.
In Bonn, PACJA calls on all Parties to break the cycle of mistrust, put good faith above politics, and act with the urgency this crisis demands.
“A delay here is a death sentence somewhere in Africa. The time for polite promises is over. It’s time to deliver.”
About PACJA
The Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) is the continent’s largest coalition of civil society groups advocating for climate justice, equity, and people-centred policy solutions. Learn more at www.pacja.org.
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