THE REAL CLIMATE SUMMIT PEOPLE’S DECLARATION!

Context

From the 3rd to 6th September, 2023, we the people of the great lands across Africa, including people from social movements and civil society, trade unions, women, young people, men, people living with disabilities, media organisations, faith-based groups and many others, gathered in Nairobi, Kenya and committed to this declaration on African climate and development priorities and demands.

This People’s assembly is happening concurrently with the first Africa Climate Summit (ACS). The ACS ought to have been the opportunity to put forward a real and progressive stance on African climate action and integrated development in a way that centres African solutions and strategies and breaks from the business as usual of Africa being a pawn in the plans of others. Instead it is a space that has been co-opted and captured by foreign interests and private sector greed who are using the summit to push their dangerous distractions and sell off African lands to the highest bidder in the name of “Green Growth” and carbon markets.

This Declaration outlines what Africa needs to pursue moving forward, it outlines what we as peoples need/commit to strive for, and what we demand our governments to do both domestically and in multilateral spaces such as COP28, IMF-WB meetings etc.

We recognise that if Africa doesn’t have a plan for our own destiny and future, we will continue be the subject of others’ plans, with continued exploitation, extraction and colonisation.

Realities we recognise

Africa is the least responsible for climate change…

contributing less than 4% of annual greenhouse gas emissions currently and less than 1% of cumulative historical emissions), but is the most vulnerable to climate-induced loss and damage to its lands, its crops, its infrastructure, and its peoples.

Africa has faced centuries of oppression….

…. and violation of rights of its people, communities and destruction of our nature and livelihoods, much of which has been done with the motivation of resource theft and extraction.

Africa faces immense climate induced challenges…

in the coming decades: we are already facing increased droughts, floods, famines, and crop failures. Hundreds of million Africans will face climate change induced displacement failing radical change – this will cause unmeasurable loss, suffering, conflict and ultimately societal break down.

We cannot secure climate justice within the boundaries of a broken system…

the existing neoliberal, authoritarian, extractive, neo-colonial, racist, patriarchal systems and societies that close civic space and do not ensure the human rights of all people and communities, particularly those who defend these rights.

We need a reversal of global financial flows…

meaningfully addressing the climate crisis requires reparations and financing in the order of trillions, not the billions which are promised (and remain undelivered); net global financial flows (including all trade, aid, debt, etc.) see flows of over $2 trillion going from Global South to Global North every year – this needs to be reversed as a requisite for real, meaningful, lasting change.

Principles we stand by

System change not climate change

We do not see climate change as a problem in isolation, nor as a simple equation of particles in the atmosphere, but rather as the result of a fundamentally broken system of power, politics, and economics which has put elite interests ahead of the people’s, and allowed the crossing of fundamental natural and social boundaries in the name of profit – this cannot be solved through technology changes alone but requires a fundamental systems change to our societies.

Radical change, not tranquilising gradualism

We cannot afford baby steps and edits around the edges – the scale and speed of change needed is unprecedented and cannot be achieved through incremental changes to fundamentally flawed systems.

Equity and historical responsibility

Rich nations have historical responsibilities for the climate crisis and should fulfil their obligations and fair shares, as per enshrined principles of ‘Common but Differentiated Rights and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC)’, They must reduce their emissions to real zero, but must also provide poorer nations the scale of financial support needed to address the crisis. There needs to be a global convergence of per capita material and energy use to sufficiency levels and well-being for all.

People power and community led solutions

Real solutions to climate change cannot be designed in boardrooms and ivory towers – they must come from genuine consultation with people and communities and must put people-centred (not profit-centred) goals at their core.

Equity, Justice & Equality

within our societies, and in our own movements, as regards gender, race, age, abilities, sexual orientation and any other area that manifest discrimination and abuse.

Human rights and protection of defenders

There can be no climate justice without human rights; we must work to protect people whose rights are being infringed, especially those facing persecution by governments and companies for their defense of communities, lands, and environmental integrity.

Free media and freedom of speech and opposition

Free media and free speech play a critical role in providing the information, oversight, and accountability necessary to root out the injustices of the dominant system – we cannot achieve system change without these fundamental freedoms being protected.

False solutions we reject