Addis Ababa, 6 November 2022 – Young African climate activists have issued a blunt warning to ministers and officials meeting for the UN COP27 climate talks in Egypt: “We’ve had enough of your empty promises, inaction and double standards. You need to act as if our house is on fire – because it is.”
Sub-Saharan African countries will go almost $1 trillion into debt over the next ten years, according to one recent report, unless wealthy countries provide enough finance to tackle the climate crisis. That debt will severely restrict the life chances of African children for generations to come.
“The climate crisis threatens our safety, health, education and job prospects. We are being ignored by those who are supposed to look after our interests and excluded from decisions that shape our future,” said Guileda Shafeekath Ashanti, President of the Benin National Association of Children’s Councils.
“Decades of inaction by world leaders, the fossil fuel industry and multilateral agencies have robbed us of our future, along with millions of other African children and young people,” added Eric Njuguna, National Co-Lead for Fridays for Future, Kenya. “We are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis through no fault of our own.
” Fellow Fridays for Future activist Leah Namugerwa, from Uganda, added: “Even the money promised so far by wealthy nations to help Africa deal with the climate emergency is nowhere near enough. Much of the finance that does come is in the form of debt, forcing Africa to pay for a crisis that it didn’t cause. That debt will severely restrict our potential and that of other African children for generations to come.”
The latest call for action comes after the three climate activists made an urgent plea to African government ministers at the recent 9th International Policy Conference (IPC) in Addis Ababa, organised by African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) to highlight the threat that climate change poses to child rights.
“At the IPC we came face to face with a number of African government ministers, senior UN and African Union representatives, and ambassadors from rich countries,” said Eric Njuguna. “We made it clear we expect them to act on their commitments at COP27. If they don’t, they will compromise not only our future rights and wellbeing, but those of billions of young people around the world.”
By 2050, Africa will be home to one billion children and young people. With the right life chances, they could power a social, cultural and economic renaissance across the continent. But ACPF warns that the social and economic burden of climate change could mean a future of poor or no education, ill health, lack of employment, low productivity and negligible growth.
“Climate change threatens children’s rights to life, health, food, water and sanitation,” said Dr Joan Nyanyuki, Executive Director of ACPF. “The climate emergency exposes children – especially girls and young women – to greater discrimination and social exclusion, jeopardises their rights to a decent standard of living and education, and increases their exposure to abuse and exploitation.”
“These young African climate activists take the continent’s leaders to task. They are leading the response to the climate emergency and must be heard at COP27,” she added.
The three young advocates say they are concerned that young people will be sidelined at the talks in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. “There can be no climate justice if children and young people are not heard, if climate finance simply creates more debt, and if women and girls are ignored,” said Leah Namugerwa.
“We’ve heard a lot about youth inclusion and engagement at COP27, but we are sceptical,” added Guileda Shafeekath Ashanti. “We are far from convinced that our voices – the voices of African children and young people – will be heard, let alone acted on. By the time the worst impacts of climate change are felt, many of those attending COP27 will be long gone and our generation will be left to pick up the pieces – so why is no one listening to us?”
ENDS
For further information or to arrange interviews with Dr Joan Nyanyuki, Executive Director of ACPF, please contact Martin Atkin, Communications Consultant (UK) martin@funnelweb.org or Angie Richardson, Communications Consultant (South Africa) angie@thepressoffice.net.
Notes for editors According to recent analysis, 490 million children in 35 sub-Saharan countries are at risk from the worst impacts of climate change, and at least 11 million children across the continent face food insecurity due to extreme weather events including drought and floods.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 35 of the 45 countries globally at the highest climate risk. Chad, Central African Republic, Somalia, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the African countries least capable of adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are home to more than 11 million people, including children, who experience food insecurity caused by drought and flooding. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), by 2100, increased temperatures could increase children’s malnutrition in Western Africa by 37 percent and in Central Africa by 25 percent.
About ACPF
The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) is an independent, not-for-profit Pan-African centre of policy research and advocacy centre on the African child. It was established in 2003 out of concern about the situation of the African child and the need for Africans to recognise their responsibility to collectively ensure the realisation of all rights to all children. More information here.