Africa’s call for equitable solutions

Women, youth and other vulnerable groups often have the least adaptive capacity to climate related risks, yet make up most of Africa’s population. Inclusive, equitable solutions that build this capacity are critical for realising a just transition that leaves no one behind.

Africa is leading the world forward on a just transition

Historically, the response towards climate change has focused on mitigating the impacts of fossil fuel energy to decarbonise countries and economies. However, emerging economies recognise that just development must adopt a dual lens and ensure a transition to a net zero economy benefits at the household level to ensure no one is left behind. To this end, one of the outcomes of the African Climate Summit held in Kenya this year was the Nairobi Declaration, an eleven-point call to action proclaiming African States’ unified stance on climate action ahead of COP28.

The global transition to a net zero economy is one of the most significant economic shifts to face the world. Because this has not been done before, there is no body of knowledge or past experience that can be drawn on to ensure this transition is done in a just manner. South Africa recognised the difficulty of moving away from a carbon intensive economy plagued by high levels of unemployment and the potential job losses in coal mining brought about by an energy transition. To address this, the country became a world leader by creating the Framework for a Just Transition, which helps South Africa plan its transition more effectively and provides a blueprint for global adoption. This framework articulates a shared vision, with principles like distributive justice and restorative justice. Distributive justice ensures equitable skill development and opportunities for impacted groups, while restorative justice focuses on remedying historical environmental damages and encouraging inclusive economic growth. The framework guides the transition along with well-defined policies and governance arrangements to effectively implement these transformative changes.

Building on the recognition of the need for a just transition, an outcome from COP27 was the establishment of the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan which is a work programme on just transition pathways, and which was set up for COP28 to define the scope of this work. The co-lead negotiator for the Group of 77 of developing nations in this work programme is an African country, namely South Africa. At the point of writing, a draft text around this had been put forward which still has a few brackets, talks to “just transitions” in the plural but which currently recognises the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances which is important for developing nations. 

When discussing a just transition in Africa, women cannot be left out of the conversation. Women constitute more than half of the population and play a pivotal role across African societies. Their responsibilities often span household energy, food, water, and caregiving for the young and elderly, making them crucial yet often overlooked contributors to the economy. The impact-multiplying power of empowering women with the right resources is evident in their ability to enhance community resilience. For instance, in agriculture and food security, women’s access to advanced farming methods secures food supplies against climate challenges. Furthermore, as primary caregivers, their involvement in disaster preparedness and response training ensures families and entire communities are better prepared and more resilient in facing natural disasters and emergencies.

Investing in women empowerment and gender equality in order to involve women in climate action will likely mean that climate change solutions work better, as they will take into account the lived experiences of those who are impacted by climate change. These realities are essential for capacity building, i.e. climate adaptation or response plans, and for improving environmental conservation (for which women are at the forefront) and alleviating poverty.

In the lead up to COP28, the COP Presidency spoke about the ambition of this COP to shed greater focus on women in the climate narrative, with an Arab women leadership summit being held by the Arab International Women’s Forum and Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy. The intention is to explore the critical relationship between gender equality and climate action and bring together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, including researchers, activists, policymakers and representatives from civil society organisations, to discuss the intersectionality of gender and climate change.

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