Africa urges urgent action on climate crisis

African leaders, policymakers and climate experts have called for urgent, homegrown solutions to tackle the escalating impacts of climate change, warning that continued delays could severely harm vulnerable communities across the continent.

From rising temperatures and prolonged droughts to devastating floods, climate shocks are worsening food insecurity, displacing populations and damaging critical infrastructure. Without swift and coordinated action, leaders cautioned, climate change risks reversing development gains, slowing economic growth and placing immense pressure on food systems, water resources and livelihoods.

Push for local solutions

The calls were made in Nairobi during a high-level conference on states’ obligations in addressing climate change, held in the wake of a landmark advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice.

Issued on July 23, 2025, the opinion affirmed that countries have binding legal responsibilities to protect the climate system and could face consequences for climate-related harm. Experts at the three-day meeting said the ruling could reshape how governments integrate climate risks into national planning, public finance and infrastructure.

Climate obligations ‘binding’

Korir Sing’Oei said the ICJ opinion marks a shift from voluntary climate commitments to enforceable legal obligations with potential economic and legal consequences.

He stressed that countries must implement their commitments holistically, including through Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.

Sing’Oei added that Kenya, along with Rwanda, played a key role in bringing the issue before the court to address what he described as selective implementation of climate obligations by developed nations.

Global responsibility and financing concerns

Participants warned that withdrawal by major economies from global commitments could weaken climate financing for developing nations. However, experts said the ICJ opinion makes clear that countries remain bound by international climate responsibilities regardless of such moves.

George Wamukoya of the African Group of Negotiators said no country can evade accountability simply by exiting multilateral agreements, adding that legal avenues could still be pursued for climate-related harm.

Africa contributes less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions but bears a disproportionate burden of climate impacts, often while managing high debt and limited resources.

Focus on practical action

The conference highlighted locally driven solutions such as climate-smart agriculture to stabilise food production, landscape restoration to strengthen water security, and investment in renewable energy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Eliane Ubalijoro of the Center for International Forestry Research said climate change is not just an environmental or legal issue, but fundamentally a human and development challenge.

She emphasised the need to align science, law and policy to translate commitments into tangible action and deliver real solutions for communities most at risk.