Our continent bears the heaviest burden of climate impacts yet Africa remains one of the smallest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. The inequity is undeniable and the urgency is absolute.
As an African youth climate action network, we stood in solidarity with the African Group of Negotiators and trade unions at the ongoing 2nd AGN Strategic meetings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania focused on the second Africa climate summit and COP30 respectively, recognizing the critical role they play in shaping the continent’s collective voice in global climate forums. But solidarity must be matched with ambition.
During our Chairperson Michael Kakande’s submission and speech, he called for a united, uncompromising African position that prioritizes climate justice, equitable financing and a just transition that leaves no worker, community or country behind.
He highlighted and demanded that the Second Africa Climate Summit and COP30 deliver:
1. Beyond pledges, Africa needs accessible, predictable and adequate climate finance. This includes a fully funded Loss and Damage Fund, debt relief for climate-vulnerable nations and grant-based support instead of loans that deepen economic dependency.
2. As the world shifts from fossil fuels to renewable energy, Africa’s transition must be people-centered. Workers (majority youth) in extractive and energy industries must be reskilled, protected and engaged in decision-making. Communities must benefit from the green economy, not be displaced by it.
3. Global financing and political will must match Africa’s urgent need for adaptation. He demanded increased funding for climate-resilient agriculture, water security, disaster preparedness and ecosystem restoration.
4. Youth and civil society must be recognized as equal stakeholders in negotiations, with guaranteed access to decision-making spaces at national, regional and international levels.
5. National climate commitments must be transparent, inclusive and regularly monitored ensuring that promises translate into tangible progress for communities.
Our generation refuses to inherit a broken system. We envision an Africa where renewable energy powers our homes and industries, where climate-resilient food systems end hunger, where our workers thrive in new green economies and where every young person sees climate action as a path to dignity and opportunity.
Resilient40 called upon the African Group of Negotiators and trade unions to defend Africa’s right to development in a climate-constrained world, to reject false solutions that exploit our resources without benefiting our people, and to negotiate from a position of unity and moral authority.
History will remember whether Africa’s leaders stood firm for their people in this decisive decade. We, the youth, are ready to partner with you, challenge you and hold you accountable not out of opposition, but out of love for our continent and belief in its limitless potential.
The future is African, but only if it is just, equitable and sustainable. Let us rise together to make it so.
