By Chiamaka Enendu

Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, has said the trillions of dollars requested by Africa for climate change action is not just a plea for philanthropy.
“This is not charity; it is about justice,” he said at the ongoing United Nations Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.

For the past week, over 60.000 delegates from all over the world have been meeting in Baku to discuss the challenges of climate change and find solutions to address its impacts on people and communities worldwide.

This year alone, Nigeria further experienced the devastating impacts of floods, desertification, and extreme weather events that have upended millions of lives across Nigeria.

“Our people are suffering for emissions they did not create,” Balarabe Lawal said. The global climate negotiations recognize the historic responsibilities of wealthy countries to the changing climate and their obligation to pay the bills.

“Climate change is not just an environmental issue for Africa; it is a developmental crisis.”

The Minister called for $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance, demanding reforms to ensure that financing mechanisms prioritize grants over loans, reducing the burden on developing nations already struggling with debt.

“Developed countries are built on the back of pollution over centuries. Our people have been providing subsidies for centuries and this has come at a cost of our lives and our livelihoods. This should come in the form of public finance. The finance issue is becoming a mirage — the more we talk about it the more it disappears”, he added.

Sierra Leone’s Environment Minister, Jiwoh Abdulai, echoed the concerns raised by his Nigerian counterpart, emphasizing the specific challenges his country faces.

“We are drowning in promises and paperwork,” he stated, criticizing the bureaucratic obstacles that hinder African nations from accessing the limited available funds. “This is a matter of survival for us. We need fairness, not empty rhetoric.”

Likewise, Gambia’s Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources, Honge John, highlighted the unequal distribution of resources.

“Africa accounts for less than 4% of global emissions, yet we bear the heaviest burdens. This is a clear injustice,” he stated.

He proposed a more equitable framework for disbursing funds, arguing that vulnerable nations should not have to compete with larger economies for limited resources.

South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, emphasized Africa’s role as a potential leader in renewable energy development.

“We have the resources, but we lack the financing,” she said, pointing to South Africa’s ambitious solar and wind energy projects plans. She called for partnerships beyond rhetoric to deliver tangible results, underscoring the need for long-term investments in Africa’s green transition.

This story was produced as part of the 2024 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.