COP30 Africa’s 7-Point Climate Action Plan Unveiled

By: Abudu Olalekan

COP30’s coming up fast. And Africa? Yeah, Africa’s not just sitting around waiting for handouts. Nope. Over 30 stakeholders just dropped a seven-point battle cry. A communiqué that basically says, “Enough talk. Time to link climate action with real development. Like, yesterday.” This ain’t just some wishlist. It’s a demand.

The crew behind this? The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP). They hosted a workshop in Lagos – October 31, 2025. Smart move. Because let’s be real: the climate crisis is hitting Africa hard. Floods, droughts, you name it. And the old way? Treating climate and development as separate? That’s failed. So this communiqué is all about making Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – those fancy Paris Agreement pledges – into actual, on-the-ground development roadmaps.

So what’s the seven-point plan? Glad you asked. First off, African governments gotta treat this like the emergency it is. No more half-baked efforts. States, private sector, communities? All hands on deck. Second, defend multilateralism. ’Cause some big polluters are trying to duck their historical responsibility. Not cool. Third, use NDCs as a launchpad for teamwork. Work with developed partners under the Paris deal, Agenda 2063, and the SDGs.

But here’s the kicker. Point four? Money. And lots of it. Grants. Concessions. Tech support. From rich countries. Because let’s be honest, Africa didn’t cause this mess. But we’re paying the price. Point five? Bankable, community-led projects. No more top-down nonsense. Fund local ideas. Help them scale. Point six? Inclusion. Real talk. Gender, youth, communities? They gotta be at the table. Not just decoration. And point seven? Unity. Africa’s speaking with one voice at COP30. No more splintering.

Now, the experts? They didn’t hold back. Gbemisola Akosa, from Nigeria’s Centre for 21st Century Issues, dropped truth bombs on gender. “Look,” she said, “85% of African countries say they’ve got gender in their NDCs. But is it working? Nah. We need real action. Gender-responsive plans. Data. Money. ’Cause right now? Climate finance for women? Pathetic.”

Then there’s Iskander Vernoit from Morocco’s IMAL Initiative. He called out the finance sham. “COP29 was a joke,” he said. “Rich countries promised $100 billion? Still waiting. And now they’re slacking on the $100 billion-a-year goal. Meanwhile, Africa’s stuck footing the bill for disasters we didn’t cause. It’s unjust. But here’s the thing – even without their cash, our governments have a duty to protect their people. Now. Not later.”

Samuel Okorie, repping youth via the Santiago Network, was fired up too. “Youth aren’t just tokens!” he yelled. “We’re innovators. Investors. We’ve got ideas that can actually move the needle. But are we in the room? Rarely. That’s gotta change. Partner with us. For real. Not just for Instagram photos.”

But here’s the scary part. The clock’s ticking. The UNFCCC’s latest report? Only 64 countries have submitted new or updated NDCs. And just 13 of those are African. That’s… not great. Gaps in governance? Check. Finance? Huge. Whole-of-society approach? Missing. SPP’s own scoping paper called it out: “Reframe NDCs into actual development plans, people!”

So what’s next? COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Africa’s negotiators – the AGN – are prepping hard. Unified. Focused. Priority areas? The Baku to Belém Roadmap. Article 6 and carbon markets. The Global Goal on Adaptation. And yeah, that finance justice thing.

This communiqué? It’s the cheat sheet. The advisory. The battle plan. For negotiators. For observers. For anyone who gives a damn about Africa’s future. Because if we don’t get this right? The whole world pays.