The Executive Director, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), Dr Mithika Mwenda, has emphasised the importance of a just transition rooted in equity and justice.
Dr Mwenda, who made the submission during a Non-state Actors meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, stated that the importance highlights the role of civil society and solidarity among various groups, including indigenous people, women, youth, and faith leaders.
Described as a strategic ignition point for the upcoming Africa Climate Summit, the gathering, held from May 15 to 16, 2025, was themed “Accelerating Mobilisation and Action Towards the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS-II)”.
Mwenda stressed the need for the African Climate Summit to reflect the needs of Africans rather than external financiers’ interests, advocating for the summit to be a People’s Summit rather than focused on carbon markets.
He listed five key objectives for the summit to include:
- Centre adaptation, loss and damage, and just transition as non-negotiables.
- Demand a new financing pact that is predictable, accessible, and aligned with local priorities, rejecting loans as solutions.
- Unify African non-state actors to create a powerful constituency at negotiation tables, emphasising the importance of unity over fragmentation.
- Build connections across movements related to climate, debt, economic justice, gender, and food sovereignty.
- Engage meaningfully with institutions like the African Union and the UN as equal partners.
Mwenda further called for a roadmap for ACS-II that reflects African realities, insisting on climate action that prioritises energy for people and community resilience over profit.
He urged participants to leave with actionable plans, mechanisms, and a commitment to unity in action.