Baku, Azerbaijan – As COP29 opens in Baku, Greenpeace Africa calls on world leaders to deliver ambitious climate finance to African nations bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. With climate finance to developing countries dwarfed by fossil fuel industry’s profits and subsidies, African communities—who have contributed least to the crisis—are calling for immediate implementation of a Climate Damages Tax on polluters to fund loss and damage reparation.

Murtala Touray, Program Director at Greenpeace Africa, said, “Africa stands at a critical crossroads. Establishing an ambitious New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) is crucial for scaling up climate finance to developing countries, particularly in Africa to tackle the scale of the prevailing crisis. As world leaders discuss, they should bear in mind the devastating droughts in the Horn of Africa and catastrophic flooding in West and Southern Africa that continue to threaten lives, livelihoods, and food security across the continent. Without a scaled-up climate finance that is fit for purpose, most African countries will be unable to deliver on their NDCs”. 

While our continent contributes the least to global emissions, we suffer the most severe consequences of climate change. The time has come for wealthy nations and fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share. We demand the implementation of a Climate Damages Tax on fossil fuel extraction to ensure climate justice for marginalised African communities.

Research shows climate change could cost African economies 15% of GDP by 2030. At the same time, Africa has 40% of global solar potential but receives only 2% of renewable energy investment, while renewable energy projects create 3-5 times more jobs than fossil fuel projects. It stands to reason that more investments should go into the renewable energy sector in Africa.

Fred Njehu, Pan African Political Strategistat Greenpeace Africa, said, 

“African nations possess immense potential to lead the global transition to renewable energy, but this potential is undermined by continued fossil fuel exploitation and inadequate climate finances. The implementation of the COP29 agreement must deliver concrete plans aligned with the 1.5°C goal, specifically on a new collective quantified goal on finance. We refuse to let COP29 become another platform for empty promises, promoting false solutions and greenwashing.”

Greenpeace Africa’s key demands for COP29 include:

• Implementation of a Climate Damages Tax on fossil fuel companies to fund loss and damage reparation
• Significant increase in public climate finance through the NCQG, prioritising African nations’ adaptation and mitigation needs
• Concrete commitments for a rapid and just transition away from fossil fuels
• Strong safeguards against false solutions such as carbon offsets that threaten Africa’s carbon-dense ecosystems
• Recognition and elevation of African voices, including youth activists, indigenous communities, and civil society organisations in addressing the climate crisis.