From October 7 to 10, 2024, over 100 participants from 21 African countries gathered for the African People’s Counter COP (APCC) in Senegal, denouncing global inaction on climate change and calling for urgent reforms.
Organized by the African Climate Justice Collective (ACJC), the APCC aimed to provide a platform for African voices, long marginalized from international climate negotiations, to demand justice and solutions tailored to the continent’s specific needs.
Participants at the APCC, representing grassroots movements, civil society organizations, and climate experts, issued a strong declaration condemning the domination of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC Conference of Parties) by Global North countries and corporations.
These entities, the declaration claims, continue to exploit Africa’s resources while failing to address the climate crisis that disproportionately affects the continent.
The declaration emphasizes the urgent need for climate justice, holding Global North nations accountable for their historical contributions to climate change.
The APCC calls for the cessation of fossil fuel extraction across Africa, citing the devastating environmental impacts of projects like the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas field, which threatens the livelihoods of local fishing communities in Senegal and Mauritania.
“Fossil fuel exploration must be halted immediately,” the declaration reads, urging a transition to renewable energy that is people-centered and ecosystem-friendly.
In addition to calling for reparations for climate damage, the APCC highlights the need for structural economic reforms, including higher taxes on transnational corporations operating in Africa.
The APCC also focused on promoting African-led climate solutions. Themes discussed included food sovereignty, the push for renewable energy, and resistance to “false solutions” like carbon offsetting and geo-engineering. Participants emphasized traditional knowledge and community-based resilience strategies as key to surviving and mitigating climate change impacts.
“The African people face the brunt of climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions,” the declaration states. The APCC urged African governments to take a stand at the upcoming COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to assert African interests and reject exploitative practices.
The African People’s Declaration was endorsed by a coalition of 10 organizations, led by notable figures such as Melody Enyinnaya of Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF), Anthony Akpan of Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE), Elvira Jordan of Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) and CODAF, and Ubrel Joe Jeru of CODAF, alongside representatives from Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternative (GAIA), Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev) Nigeria, Center for Earth Works (CFEW), Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Green Knowledge Foundation (GKF), Policy Alert, and Lekeh Development Foundation (LDF).
As the 29th Session of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties approaches in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11-22, 2024, the African People’s Declaration serves as a powerful statement of solidarity and resistance against climate change and systemic oppression.
