EcoNile Joins Pan-African Leaders in Addis Ababa to Advocate for Climate Justice
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – Representing EcoNile for Environmental Sustainability, Secretary-General Shihab Osman participated in a series of high-level meetings convened by the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA). Held on the margins of the 36th African Union Summit in February 2023, these gatherings united over 100 representatives from civil society, academia, and local communities to solidify Africa’s unified stance on the global climate crisis.
Strategic Focus of the Addis Ababa Meetings
The PACJA sessions included a coordination meeting for national representatives (February 10–12), the PACJA General Assembly (February 15), and expanded multi‑stakeholder consultations (February 15–16). These meetings centered on several key objectives:
01.
Drawing lessons from COP27 by reviewing outcomes from the Sharm El Sheikh summit and assessing PACJA’s performance over the past year.
02.
•Preparing for COP28 through unified African messaging and strategies to secure ambitious climate commitments in Dubai.
03.
•Restructuring leadership by electing a new Governing Council under the theme “Accountability and Performance Assessment.”
04.
•Evaluating performance of the Secretariat and the wider Alliance for 2022, documenting achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.
Key Outcomes and Recommendations
The discussions in Addis Ababa produced several important recommendations aimed at strengthening Africa’s climate justice agenda:
•Call for an African People’s Summit on Climate Action to develop community driven strategies, hold major polluters accountable, and accelerate a just transition across the continent.
•Rejection of Sultan Al Jaber’s appointment as COP28 President due to concerns over fossil fuel industry influence on global climate negotiations.
• Strengthening African negotiators’ capacity through increased technical and financial support, protection from political pressures, and empowerment of young negotiators.
•Supporting scientific research by establishing an African Climate Research Fund to enhance evidence based policymaking at national and regional levels..
Key Messages from the Gathering
• Africa bears the greatest burden:
PACJA Executive Director Dr. Mithika Mwenda emphasized that Africa suffers the most from climate impacts despite contributing the least to global emissions.
• Amplifying community voices:
Participants stressed the importance of centering local communities in climate decision making, especially as climate impacts threaten millions of livelihoods.
• Advancing a just energy transition:
The meetings highlighted the need to place renewable energy at the core of Africa’s development pathway, ensuring climate action aligns with social and economic priorities.
Strengthening Africa’s Collective Climate Voice
The 2023 PACJA meetings marked a significant step toward unifying African climate positions and strengthening the continent’s influence in global negotiations. With representation from EcoNile through Mr. Shihab Osman, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to advancing climate justice and supporting the most vulnerable communities across Africa.