Climate justice organisations and groups in Africa have launched a platform dubbed “Africa Vuka #Road2COP” to highlight climate stories, campaigns and calls for climate solutions on the road to COP27 in Egypt.
The platform will showcase a variety of campaigns from across the continent advocating for real climate justice and a fossil-free Africa through several stops, which will culminate in arrival at the location of the climate talks in Egypt. CSOs and groups across the region are invited to submit their stories and contribute to the platform.
In the lead up to the COP, communities across Africa demand that the summit prioritises a Loss and Damage finance mechanism that adequately addresses the needs and priorities of climate-vulnerable countries.
Among key campaigns that will feature on Afrika Vuka Road to COP is the Stop East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Stop EACOP) campaign, which has received regional and global attention over calls by climate activists to halt the project citing threats to people, nature and climate.
Landry Ninteretse, Regional Director, 350Africa.org, said: “Afrika Vuka Road to COP is an opportunity to spotlight the stories of Africans, how we are affected by climate change, stories of resistance and success stories of communities leading climate solutions. This is a chance to bring the African voice to COP and urge world’s leaders to address the three big components of the climate crisis: adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage.
“At COP, we anticipate that nations across the globe will shun fossil fuels, invest heavily in renewable energy solutions and commit funds to helping the nations most affected by climate change to build resilience to the climate crisis. Without concrete actions to address these pressing issues, COP27 would be just another shameful summit.”
Omar Elmawi, Coordinator, Stop EACOP Coalition, said: “We are putting the spotlight on campaigns against all, and especially, huge fossil fuel projects such as the planned East African Crude Oil Pipeline because it is unacceptable to even consider such projects when rapid and deep emission cuts are needed to avoid catastrophic climate impacts. We want this message to be heard as we head to COP and commitments to be made to halt such projects and instead have finances channeled into a just transition to community-led renewable energy.”
Portia Adu Mensah of Renewable Energy for Communities campaign said: “At the upcoming UN climate talks, it is crucial that governments across the world, especially those in the Global North with historically high greenhouse gas emissions, take real action towards lowering greenhouse gas emissions. It is also crucial that African countries scale up clean energy for the sake of our planet and humanity.
“In Ghana, we have been calling on the government to scale up renewable energy to at least 30% of the country’s energy mix by the year 2030. We not only need to break free from fossil fuels, but also need to lead in ensuring small scale, off grid community friendly renewable energy is accessible to all.”
