Over 100 civil societies have decried their alleged exclusion from the African Climate Summit, which President William Ruto will host from September 4 - 6.
In a joint statement read by Mithika Mwenda, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) Executive Director, on Monday, the advocacy groups warned that the meeting set to be held in Nairobi lacked the capacity to come up with relevant solutions to climate change.
PACJA added that the meeting, expected to be attended by over 17 Heads of State, was turning into a conventional gathering whose impacts would not be felt.
Therefore, the groups issued seven demands they argued would steer the discourse on climate change, whose far-reaching impacts were becoming increasingly evident throughout the continent.
Among the seven were to reject false solutions and narratives that undermine African communities' rights such as nuclear energy, ensure that their resolutions are consistent with the principles of climate justice, and reject the promotion of carbon among others.
"We reiterate that climate policies and action measures should not only aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change but also to ensure that they are consistent with the principles of climate justice, human rights, gender equality, and inter-generational equity," the groups demanded.
They also urge the leaders to reject false solutions and narratives that undermine African communities' rights, interests and sovereignty, such as carbon markets, geoengineering, nuclear energy, and the deceitful principle of shared responsibilities.
Mwenda added that the leaders should also reject the promotion of carbon that does not serve the climate justice imperatives for Africa.
Furthermore, he called upon the leaders to address historical injustices and inequalities that have resulted from exploiting fossil fuels in Africa even as they push for the transition to sustainable renewable energy.
"We demand that developed countries fulfil their historical responsibility and provide adequate and predictable finance, technology transfer, and capacity building to support adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage in Africa," Mwendwa highlighted their grievances.
"We call on our leaders to listen to the voices of their people, especially the youth, women, indigenous peoples, smallholder producers, workers, and other vulnerable groups, who are bearing the brunt of the climate impacts," he added.
The groups also offered to support the Kenyan and the African Union in championing the interests of the continent at the two-day summit.
According to the summit organisers, attendees will come up with the Nairobi declaration, which will inform the continent's engagement with other developed countries on matters related to climate change.
In the meeting set to be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), over 20,000 delegates will discuss five key thematic areas: energy transition, green minerals and manufacturing, sustainable agriculture and land use, sustainable infrastructure and natural capital.
