Developed nations urged to deliver climate justice funding

The annual and preparatory United Nations Bonn Climate Change Conference concluded last week in Germany, with African delegations demanding that climate justice be placed firmly at the top of the agenda during the upcoming Climate Summit, COP30, to be held in Belém, Brazil, at the end of this year.

“As we move from Bonn to Belém, we urge all Parties to reject false solutions and recommit to a multilateral system rooted in climate justice. Africa’s needs, voices, and solutions must be central to global climate action,” declared the African delegation in a statement.

They emphasised that the outcomes of the conference must reflect the lived realities, aspirations, and urgent needs of Africa, which remains the world’s most climate-vulnerable continent. “In this regard, Africa’s voice must shape the direction of global climate discussions and action,” read a statement from the Nairobi-based Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).

The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), speaking on behalf of a broad coalition of civil society organisations, grassroots movements, women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and frontline communities across Africa, reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the imperatives of climate justice. The statement was signed by the organisation’s Executive Director, Dr Mithika Mwenda.

Mithika added that “the road to COP30 must be one of justice, not delay. Let the outcomes of this process reflect not only what science demands, but what justice requires.”

The African team further asserted that this year’s Bonn talks must address the long-standing and urgent issue of financing climate action in order to help reverse the adverse consequences being faced by the continent—consequences which are disproportionate, considering Africa contributes the least to global emissions. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Africa experienced annual losses of Sh906 billion ($7 billion) due to climate change between 2010 and 2019. “If this continues without effective interventions, the figure could rise to Sh6.4 trillion ($50 billion) by 2040. This could cause a two to four per cent reduction in Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth per year by 2040,” the report states.

The group urged developed nations, who are responsible for the majority of global emissions—to urgently provide finance that is specifically dedicated to adaptation, loss, and damage, in order to support poorer countries in preparing for future displacements, livelihood disruptions, and other losses.

The Bonn Conference serves as the formal negotiation platform for parties ahead of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP30, scheduled to take place in November this year in Brazil. It allows nations and other stakeholders to revisit unresolved issues from previous COPs and lay the groundwork for decisions to be negotiated and adopted at the upcoming summit.

This year’s Bonn Conference was held with heightened significance, primarily because, for the first time, the United States did not attend, following President Triumph’s Executive Order withdrawing America from all global climate change negotiations. The conference, which concluded on Thursday, was seen as a key test of the multilateral climate regime’s capacity to rebuild trust and deliver tangible progress.

The central demands from African negotiators, under the umbrella of PACJA,  focused on the fulfilment of commitments by developed nations — notably predictable, needs-based, grant-funded adaptation finance and a clear roadmap towards achieving the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). They stressed this roadmap must reflect Africa’s realities and support community-led solutions.

The delegation called for an energy transition that does not mirror the injustices of the fossil fuel era, insisting on Africa’s right to energy access, industrial development, and value addition. They also urged full implementation of the Glasgow and Sharm el-Sheikh loss and damage mandates, and demanded accessible finance for communities already suffering from displacement and economic losses.

African negotiators highlighted the need for climate finance goals that reflect the true cost of climate action in the Global South. Investments, they said, must prioritise renewables, infrastructure, and decentralised systems that directly benefit people.

A key concern was the inclusion of civil society in climate talks — not as bystanders, but as active participants in shaping fair, transparent, and accountable decisions.