By Habitat Media Reporter
Antalya, Türkiye. Africa is demanding greater control over decisions and financing for its climate transition, warning that global commitments will fail to deliver justice unless funding reaches vulnerable communities without increasing the continent’s debt burden.
The call was made during discussions convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) at the Africa Pavilion during the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, where policymakers and climate experts challenged the fairness of existing climate financing arrangements.
The discussions focused on the implementation of the just transition mechanism agreed in Belém, Brazil, questioning who should finance Africa’s transition to a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy and who should determine its priorities.
Africa contributes less than four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions but faces some of the most severe climate impacts. The continent requires an estimated US$277 billion annually to implement its climate plans, yet only about 11 per cent of that amount is currently being met.
Furthermore, only US$3 to US$4 of every US$100 in global climate finance reaches Africa, raising concerns about the continent’s ability to finance its development while responding to climate change.
ECA Research Officer for Energy Systems, Financing and Just Transitions, Mekalia Aklilu, said climate financing must be predictable, adequate and accessible without worsening Africa’s debt situation.
She noted that Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 86 per cent of the world’s population without electricity, highlighting the importance of ensuring that the transition addresses basic development needs.
“Africa contributes less than 4 per cent of global emissions, yet it carries some of the heaviest climate costs,” she said, arguing that a just transition must deliver reliable and affordable energy while allowing communities to participate in decisions affecting them.
Fatima Denton, Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics, said Africa was facing a double burden because it bears the consequences of climate change while having to borrow money to address them.
Wanjira Mathai, Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute, called for decisions and financing to be brought closer to communities, arguing that vulnerable populations must define what a just transition means.
“You cannot transition from energy access you do not have,” she said, warning that decisions made far from affected communities often fail to address their actual needs.
Jean-Paul Adam, Director of Policy, Monitoring and Advocacy at the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, said the continent needed economic transformation rather than simply an energy transition.
He argued that Africa must move beyond exporting raw materials to developing industries that add value locally, create jobs and retain more economic benefits within communities.
Participants cited experiences from Seychelles, Burkina Faso and Uganda, where financing and accountability mechanisms have been established to give communities greater access to resources and oversight of climate-related investments.
South Africa’s experience with the Just Energy Transition Partnership also demonstrated the importance of tracking climate financing, matching investments with identified needs and ensuring that workers, small businesses and farmers participate in decision-making.
Meanwhile, ECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete warned that Africa must address the gap between announcing climate initiatives and implementing them.
Speaking at a separate COP31 session on delivering presidential climate initiatives, Gatete said sustained financing, clear institutional responsibilities and transparent reporting were essential to ensuring that commitments translate into tangible results.
He noted that climate-related impacts cost some African countries between two and five per cent of their gross domestic product, while others spend up to nine per cent of their national budgets responding to extreme weather events.
Gatete identified three priorities: strengthening institutional ownership beyond individual COP presidencies, securing adequate financing and establishing transparent systems for measuring and reporting progress.
He cited a 2025 assessment by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, which examined 203 cooperative climate initiatives and found that only 28 per cent had dedicated budgets.
Looking towards COP32 in Ethiopia, he highlighted the Climate Implementation Bridge, an initiative under the COP31 Presidency intended to help countries translate climate and development commitments into projects capable of attracting investment.
Ethiopia is among the initiative’s first five pilot countries.
ECA Director of Climate Change, Food Security and Natural Resources, Cosmas Ochieng, said the commission would convene a post-COP31 review in December, followed by a meeting in March bringing together African finance, economic planning and environment ministers, global climate funds and development banks.