African climate groups call for equitable transition away from fossil fuels at COP31

African civil society groups, represented by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), are advocating for a fair and equitable shift away from fossil fuels during the COP31 conference in Antalya, Türkiye. This appeal was made during a high-level dialogue on the roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels. Dr. Mithika Mwenda, PACJA's Executive Director, stressed that the success of this transition should be gauged not only by the dismantling of fossil fuel infrastructure, but also by its impact on energy access, economic transformation, and sustainable development.

The transition roadmap was initially set at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, last year, with the key principle that the shift should foster development, enhance access to affordable modern energy, shield workers and communities, and accommodate varying national development needs. Countries are not required to follow the same path towards the same climate objective. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva highlighted at the COP30 summit that "the world needs a clear roadmap to end its dependence on fossil fuels."

Dr. Mwenda stressed that developed nations should assume the lead in reducing fossil fuel dependence, owing to their historical contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and greater financial and technological resources. He pointed out that Africa's energy transition must facilitate broader economic restructuring and address structural barriers that hinder African countries from pursuing an ambitious yet compatible transition to sustainable energy.

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, echoed the call for a global transition away from fossil fuels, driven by economic, security, and climate imperatives. He emphasized the urgency of accelerating the shift to clean energy to meet climate goals of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, enhancing economic security, and reducing dependency on volatile energy prices.

Simon Stiell, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), expressed optimism that the COP30 presidency for transitioning away from fossil fuels will identify barriers and areas necessitating enhanced international cooperation, positioning it as "a vital tool to accelerate the delivery of clean energy goals and building on past climate initiatives."

He further noted that support requirements for countries lacking grids differ significantly from those whose economies are heavily reliant on oil and gas revenues. Developed countries, development banks, and other partners must coordinate finance, technology, and capacity building around these priorities, according to Stiell.

André Corrêa do Lago, the COP30 president, announced the development and launch of two crucial roadmaps to support the implementation of decisions from the Paris Agreement's Global Stocktake (GST). These roadmaps, he stated, are essential tools for combating climate change, with their primary objective being to support the implementation of consensus decisions from the Paris Agreement's GST.