Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), courtesy of a recently convened webinar titled “The Emission Gaps and the Road to COP 29”, brought together environmental experts, activists, and public interest lawyers to discuss urgent issues surrounding global climate policy, emissions reduction, and the upcoming COP29.
Speakers reviewed the evolution of COP conferences and pointed to critical milestones, such as the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and the Paris Agreement of 2015.
They noted, however, that COP’s current voluntary emission targets – known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – fall short, pushing the world dangerously close to catastrophic temperature increases. Participants critiqued COP’s structure, which continues to benefit wealthy nations and the private sector at the expense of vulnerable communities.
Ruth Nyambura, an African ecofeminist with Ramani Collective, argued that the emissions gap reflects more than just figures; it represents ongoing injustices – wars, inequality, and human rights abuses. She highlighted how the fossil fuel industry and military-industrial complex drive environmental devastation and land dispossession, especially across African nations and the broader Global South.
“For participatory frameworks to ensure these funds serve communities genuinely impacted by climate change and avoiding absorption by elites or corrupt governments. A decentralised approach to climate policy would better meet the real needs of frontline communities.”
Nyambura called for a reevaluation of COP data and narratives to dismantle rather than reinforce colonial power structures while highlighting the limitations of current multilateral structures, prioritising powerful nations and sidelining local voices.
Fadhel Kaboub, an associate professor of economics at Denison University and Senior Advisor with PowerShift Africa, noted that global warming targets would be impossible to achieve under current fossil fuel extraction rates, leaving Africa’s renewable potential largely untapped due to a lack of financing and technology transfer.
Kaboub advocated for climate reparations, structured as grants rather than loans, to address the historical carbon debt owed by industrialised countries.
“These reparations would finance Africa’s self-sufficiency through renewable energy and food sovereignty initiatives. As COP29 approaches, we must center the voices of those most affected by climate injustice, especially in the Global South. African leaders must stand against further fossil fuel exploitation and demand policies that truly transform our continent,” said Kaboub.
Thuli Makama, a public interest attorney and Africa Senior Advisor at Oil Change International, emphasised that the “pipeline of resistance” needed to counter false narratives around climate action that profit corporations while harming vulnerable communities.
Makama encouraged civil society to resist co-optation by COP processes and instead invest in counter-COP forums, which allow for open discussion on the root causes of climate change.
“COP 29 should focus on accountability. The calls include climate finance, technology transfer, and addressing loss and damage – a COP where fossil fuel interests do not dominate and where the voices of impacted communities are prioritised. African leaders should reject fossil fuel expansion and promote biodiversity protection and renewable energy solutions aligned with Africa’s sustainable development,” added Makama.
HOMEF’s Director, Nnimmo Bassey, emphasised that fossil fuel interests remain heavily represented within COP, creating a shield from accountability despite their contribution to the climate crisis.
“The COP process has prioritised market-based solutions that do not address the systemic causes of emissions, such as extractive capitalism and entrenched global power structures. Instead of driving meaningful climate action, these ‘solutions’ are deepening the crisis,” said Bassey.
The dialogue, led by Bassey, called for radical reforms to address COP’s historic failings and the inequalities that persist in climate negotiations.
Panelists agreed on the need for a global resistance movement to unite feminists, labour unions, indigenous communities, and environmental activists to challenge structures perpetuating climate injustice.
