The climate crisis is a threat multiplier that’s already worsening global poverty, undermining food systems, and exposing people to deadly extreme weather events. Last week we joined people around the world in the Global Climate Strike and were part of a movement calling on world and business leaders to take urgent and widespread action to stop funding fossil fuels, cut carbon emissions, and invest in a just transition. Stop climate change. It’s the drumbeat refrain that different African climate activists movements have been sounding since 2018 when Greta Thunberg set up camp outside Swedish Parliament.
Several youths all over the world in multiple cities were on streets, demanding for their leaders to pay more attention to worsening the climate catastrophe, with devastating consequences for human rights. There are many policy makers in many positions of power around the world, who are doing very little to avert this climate disaster or reneging on existing promises. They focus on the profits earned from the fossil fuel industry and forget the people who are paying dearly for mistakes they never contributed to. Climate activists at AGAPE earth coalition equally marched on the streets in different African cities including Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda. Despite the risks that we are faced with as African climate activists, our voices echoed loud enough to reach several media platforms.
Our emphasis was on creating awareness about the need for adaptation finance which will be used to create resilience amongst the people on the African continent, with advocacy of a safe environment and a just transition for all. These funds must be invested in ensuring access to renewable energy by all African families by 2025, modernisation of agricultural systems to provide more jobs for the youth and alleviate poverty. The climate crisis with its rising cost of living cannot be normalized.Therefore, we demanded that governments and corporations needed to act now, if they are to protect our communities.
We asked for meaningful climate action to address environmental challenges that threaten our continent’s future. Our social media storms circulated widely based on that narrative. We had an urgency and determination to make every individual realize the gravity of the climate crisis and its disproportionate impact in the African countries. We used the media as a global table to contribute our innovative solutions, fresh ideas with the aim to create a more sustainable future.Climate justice became the key for us. We wanted commitments that not only mitigate climate change but also address the social and economic disparities that exist within and among African nations. It was also crucial that the Global Climate Strike focused on empowering these communities and ensuring that they are not left behind.
Our commitment as AGAPE earth coalition to unite African climate activists is growing by the day, and we are even more convinced that together we will bring change to Africa. We are standing on the shoulders of those early visionaries that knew climate change was possible and started these conversations 30 years ago. We will not be silent.
