African Ministers Unite at AMCEN 20 to Demand Climate Justice and Concrete Action Ahead of COP30
Nairobi, Kenya — The 20th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) recently wrapped up in Nairobi, gathering ministers and representatives from 53 African countries. The message was clear and urgent: Africa must receive equitable climate finance, and COP30 must deliver binding commitments to address the continent’s growing climate crisis.
Despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa continues to bear a disproportionate burden from climate change impacts — from devastating droughts and floods to rising food insecurity and loss of biodiversity. Against this backdrop, AMCEN 20 became a platform for African leaders to call for a fair share of international climate finance, technology transfers, and a just transition to sustainable development.
Key Wins: Tackling Plastic Pollution and Protecting Vital Ecosystems
Among the key outcomes, ministers pledged support for a robust Global Plastics Treaty aimed at addressing pollution across the entire lifecycle of plastics. This commitment aligns with the continent’s increasing focus on circular economy principles and sustainable chemical management, which aim to reduce plastic production and ensure polluters are held accountable for environmental damage.
Greenpeace Africa welcomed this focus, highlighting the growing momentum to reduce plastic pollution. “African countries are stepping up to champion a treaty that makes polluters pay,” said Hellen Kahaso Dena, Greenpeace’s Pan-Africa Plastic Project Lead. She cautioned, however, against reliance on false solutions like carbon credits and waste-to-energy incineration, which often serve as greenwashing tactics while perpetuating harmful practices such as open burning — practices that disproportionately affect vulnerable African communities.
Beyond plastics, ministers committed to protecting critical ecosystems like wetlands, emphasizing enhanced governance and direct support for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), who are frontline stewards of Africa’s forests and biodiversity.
Missed Opportunities: Accountability and Indigenous Inclusion
Yet, the declaration stopped short of demanding direct corporate accountability for climate damages. Key mechanisms such as fossil fuel company taxation, polluter-pays principles, or mandatory compensation schemes were notably absent, raising concerns among environmental advocates.
“While the declaration calls for enhanced governance and finance, it avoids holding polluters to account — effectively letting corporations off the hook while placing the burden on African governments,” said Esther Syombua, Regional Coordinator at Greenpeace Africa.
The declaration also failed to meaningfully include IPLCs in decision-making processes or provide them with adequate funding and legal recognition, despite their crucial role in forest protection. This omission threatens to undermine conservation efforts and community resilience across the continent.
Climate Finance: A Call for Equity and Urgency
At the heart of AMCEN 20 was an impassioned plea for equitable climate finance. African ministers emphasized that while the continent’s contribution to global emissions is minimal, its climate adaptation costs are among the highest globally — estimated at $845 billion from 2020 to 2035.
“We need increased public financing, grants, and concessional funding, not loans that deepen debt distress,” noted ministers, reiterating calls to reform international financial institutions to align better with Africa’s development priorities.
Richard Muyungi, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators, stressed the urgency ahead of COP30: “Finance must be prioritized. We want progress on the Baku to Belém roadmap and operationalization of the $1.3 trillion target. Adaptation finance and technology transfer must be linked clearly to implementation.”
He also underscored the importance of a just transition that is equitable, gender-sensitive, and youth-responsive. “Clean cooking solutions and energy access for the 600 million Africans currently without power must be embedded within this framework, with a target to reach at least 300 million people,” Muyungi added.
Voices from the Continent: Unity and Climate Justice
Jacques Assahoré Konan, Minister of Environment of Côte d’Ivoire, captured the collective sentiment: “Success for Africa at COP30 will be measured by our ability to speak with a united and ambitious voice, secure concrete commitments for adaptation and loss and damage, and guarantee direct access to climate finance for vulnerable countries. We want Africa to be recognized as a provider of nature-based and innovative solutions for a low-carbon future.”
Christopher B. Kabah, Director of Planning & Policy at Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency, echoed these calls for unity and action. “COP30 must move beyond symbolism to deliver meaningful, results-driven negotiations that meet Africa’s urgent climate needs,” he said. Kabah urged that indigenous knowledge systems, which have long helped communities adapt to environmental changes, be integrated into national adaptation strategies.
He added, “Developed countries must show accountability by cutting emissions and supporting vulnerable nations with the technology and resources needed to respond effectively.”
Rejecting False Solutions: A Stand Against Solar Geoengineering
A particularly notable outcome of AMCEN 20 was the continent’s strong rejection of dangerous solar geoengineering technologies, which some global actors have promoted as quick fixes for climate change. African ministers sent a powerful message that such extreme and risky approaches have no place in genuine climate solutions.
Dean Bhekumuzi, Just Transitions Lead at Power Shift Africa, applauded this principled stance. “Solar geoengineering is a dangerous distraction from confronting the root causes of climate collapse. Africa’s leadership is a beacon for principled, equitable climate action.”
African youth groups also voiced support for the rejection of geoengineering. Amos Nkpeebo of Ghana’s FIDEP Foundation said, “Our futures depend on investing in real, proven solutions like community-owned solar power and agroecology. We call on leaders to scale up community-driven resilience strategies that protect our future.”
Looking Ahead
The outcomes of AMCEN 20 will shape Africa’s positions at upcoming international forums, including the next rounds of negotiations on plastics, climate at COP30, and the United Nations Environment Assembly.
Greenpeace Africa and civil society partners remain committed to working with governments to translate declarations into concrete, time-bound actions that prioritize equity, community rights, and ecological integrity.
As the world prepares for COP30, Africa’s leaders stand united in demanding a fair and inclusive climate agenda — one that values the continent’s contributions, protects its people, and holds polluters accountable for their role in the climate crisis.
