African Civil Society Decries Capture of the Africa Climate Summit by Corporate Interests  

As African leaders gather for the Africa Climate Summit, hundreds of African organisations have expressed concerns about the corporate capture of the event. 

The inaugural summit – held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 4 to 6 September – is billed as a crucial moment for Africa’s collective efforts towards climate action and a low carbon green growth agenda. In theory, it can galvanise meaningful climate action in a continent that suffers the disproportionate impacts of climate change but also has huge potential to realise a just energy transition.  

However, more than 500 African NGOs have written to the event organisers warning of a missed opportunity as African voices risk being drowned out by corporate interests. The coalition called the ‘Real Africa Climate Summit’ have called for a resetting of the agenda to include a greater focus on phasing out fossil fuel expansion and moving away from false climate solutions, such as geoengineering and poorly regulated carbon markets.  

This comes amid increasing demand for land in Africa to significantly expand oil and gas and carbon offsetting projects, which threaten to undermine efforts to combat climate change and promote land rights on the continent. It also follows the research published by RFUK in July 2023 that casts further doubt on the social and environmental integrity of the leading voluntary market offsetting schemes.  

African challenges need African solutions that are founded on the rights of its citizens and communities. That is why RFUK works hand in hand with local civil society organisations and why our campaigns, projects and technologies are aimed at amplifying the voices of marginalised local communities and closing the accountability gap.