Belem, Brazil – ECOSOCC has been at the forefront of multiple high-level activities at the ongoing COP30 meetings highlighting the impact of its work with African civil society in climate policy.
In collaboration with the INCLUDE Knowledge Platform from the Netherlands, the organ has been engaged throughout the first week of the COP on key strategic platforms to bring visibility to the expertise and perspectives of African civil society organizations on the most pertinent themes under discussion at the conference.
Ambassador William Carew and Mr. Kyeretwie Osei, respectively Head of Secretariat and Head of Programs at ECOSOCC, have both featured on strategic panels discussing the impact and contributions of African organizations and experts in formulating solutions to the biggest climate challenges facing the continent and the world.
Speaking on the High-Level Fireside Chat on Climate Transitions, Ambassador Carew underscored the importance of citizen representation in decision-making on climate policy, stressing that any climate transition process that bypasses the active participation of the African citizen will fail to achieve its intended objectives. “A just climate transition needs to be built on African lived reality”, he emphasized.
For his part, Mr. Osei cautioned against an undue focus on resilience as the primary response to climate change on the African continent, noting that while resilience constitutes an essential component of climate response, it should complement, rather than replace, aggressive actions to mitigate climate change and transition to sustainable practices. “A balanced approach that addresses prevention, adaptation, and resilience holistically will be crucial to effectively manage the challenges posed by climate change”, he added.
In addition to contributing to the global climate discourse, ECOSOCC undertook partnership meetings aimed at consolidating support for the ongoing work of the African Civil Society Working Group on Climate Change, whose work was also presented at the COP.
Partnership discussions were held with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the INCLUDE Knowledge Platform and the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA), culminating in the signing of a tripartite letter of intent between ECOSOCC, INCLUDE and ERERA on the sidelines of the conference.
For more information about ECOSOCC programming on climate change, including the work of the ECOSOCC Civil Society Working Group on Climate Change, please visit the ECOSOCC Resource Centre.
