The UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) has ended with a minimum agreement on a new public climate finance goal of $300 billion USD against a need of 1.3 trillion for climate-vulnerable communities globally.
Fred Njehu, Pan-African Political Strategist, Greenpeace Africa, stated:
“The Global North’s offer again isn’t just inadequate – it’s an insult to every African already suffering from climate disasters. This isn’t climate finance – it’s climate colonialism. While our continent burns, floods, and starves from a crisis we didn’t create, wealthy nations offer pennies while pocketing billions in fossil fuel profits.
“This finance deal is a masterclass in historical injustice. It betrays climate justice and mocks the polluter pays principle. The same nations who built their wealth on fossil fuels to prosperity now expect us to shoulder the devastating costs of their actions with pocket change.
“The Global North’s hollow promises won’t feed those displaced by drought or rebuild communities destroyed by floods. But Africa’s spirit remains unbroken. We will carry our demands for climate justice to Belem, insisting that polluters finally pay their fair share for the destruction they’ve caused.”
In response to the agreement on Article 6, which provides for carbon markets trading, Dr. Lamfu Yengong, Greenpeace Africa’s Forest Campaigner and an expert on Africa’s coveted Congo Basin said:
“The carbon market mechanisms agreed in Baku are nothing but a neo-colonial scheme dressed up as climate action. Our forests and lands are being eyed as convenient carbon dumps while fossil fuel companies continue their destructive business as usual.
“We refuse to let Africa’s natural heritage become a cheap offset playground for polluters from the Global North. These carbon markets are designed to let wealthy nations and corporations buy their way out of real emissions cuts while turning our communities into carbon accounting projects. We will continue to stand up and fight back against them.
“The path to COP30 in Belem must recognise that real climate action means keeping fossil fuels in the ground and supporting Africa’s sustainable development – not creating new markets for pollution permits. Our forests are our life, not their offset opportunity.”
Jasper Inventor, Head of COP29 Greenpeace Delegation in Baku said: “The agreed finance goal is woefully inadequate and overshadowed by the level of despair and scale of action needed. The best and worst of multilateralism saw isolated blockers and difficult talks stymie change before a deal was brokered at the death knell.”
“Our true opponents are the fossil fuel merchants of despair and reckless nature destroyers who hide snugly behind every government’s low climate ambition. Their lobbyists must be disallowed, and leaders need to summon the courage to get on the right side of history.”
“People are fed up, and disillusioned, but we’ll persist and resist because this is a fight for our future! We will not give up. As we look to COP30 in Belem, we must hold on to hope – hope that is firmly anchored on people demanding climate ambition.”