AGN Chair backs stronger inclusion of children in global climate negotiations

The Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, has pledged the Group's support for efforts to strengthen the participation of children and young people in global climate change negotiations.

 

He says Africa must be intentional about creating opportunities for children to contribute to climate policy discussions, given their vulnerability to the growing impacts of climate change.

 

Nana Dr. Amoah made the commitment during an engagement with youth and children's representatives at the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.

 

He explained that the initiative to involve children more meaningfully in climate negotiations began at COP28 in Dubai, where discussions were initiated on how to integrate their perspectives into the global climate process.

 

He said the engagement was necessary because children were increasingly exposed to climate hazards, including changing rainfall patterns, rising temperatures and flooding.

 

Studies, he noted, had highlighted the widespread exposure of African children to climate-related hazards, underscoring the urgency of giving them a voice in decisions that would shape their future.

 

“So it tells you that we shouldn't be taking these things for granted,” he stressed.

 

The AGN Chair said the Group considered the initiative important and was committed to supporting ongoing consultations involving the climate conference leadership in Türkiye and Australia to strengthen children's engagement in the negotiations.

 

He recalled the AGN's previous support for efforts to secure language recognising children's participation in the climate process, including dialogues held in Bonn.

 

Nana Dr. Amoah believes Africa's demographic profile makes the issue particularly important, noting that the continent’s median age is approximately 19 years.

 

He identified the Just Transition work programme, the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) agenda and discussions on the COP cover decision as potential avenues for incorporating children's and youth-related concerns into the negotiations.

 

“We need to be very careful and then intentional. Where can we have a conversation of children in this space?” he said, highlighting the need to identify specific negotiation tracks through which their concerns could be advanced.

 

He added that the AGN had assured the young representatives of its commitment to supporting the initiative and working to advance their interests through the negotiations.

 

The engagement was warmly received by the youth representatives, who described the presence and support of the African negotiating bloc as an important source of encouragement.

 

One of the youth leaders expressed appreciation for the AGN Chair's continued commitment to the issue.

 

“I can't tell you how much your support and commitment means - as you said, you have been accompanying this issue from the very start with the expert dialogue, and we hugely appreciate you being here and your words,” the youth leader said.

 

The engagement reinforces growing calls for more inclusive climate governance, with children and young people seeking greater recognition not merely as victims of climate change but as stakeholders whose voices must influence the policies and decisions shaping their future.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh 

UN and global health leaders declare climate change a health pandemic as 2026 temperatures hit record highs

Global climate leaders and meteorological authorities declared on November 9, 2026, that relentless greenhouse gas emissions and an "off-the-charts" El Niño event have officially transformed the climate emergency into a global health crisis of pandemic proportions.

 

Speaking at a joint World Meteorological Organization (WMO) press conference convened during COP31 in Antalya, representatives from the United Nations and global health philanthropies warned that rising temperatures, ocean heating, and unprecedented drought are severely straining health systems, threatening food security, and driving millions of premature deaths worldwide.

 

Scientific evidence delivered by WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo in the State of the Climate Update 2026 confirms that global temperatures have breached critical thresholds.

 

From January to September 2026, the global average temperature stood approximately 1.47 °C above pre-industrial baselines. The update confirms that the past 12 years represent the warmest 12-year period ever recorded, with the past four years—including 2026—ranking as the four hottest years in human history.

 

WMO forecasts indicate that sea-surface temperatures in the Tropical Pacific—the epicenter of El Niño—are expected to reach nearly four times the standard 0.5 °C El Niño threshold between November 2026 and January 2027.

 

Secretary-General Saulo emphasized that because El Niño traditionally exerts its maximum influence on atmospheric temperatures during the year following its initial development, 2027 is projected to break global temperature records once again, following the record set during the 2024 El Niño cycle.

 

Beyond rising air temperatures, ocean heat reached its highest level on record for the tenth consecutive year, while global sea levels hit new highs, compounding storm surge and flooding risks for roughly 900 million residents living along low-lying coastal zones worldwide.

 

Extreme weather events intensified across every region in 2026, including high-mountain disasters in China and Nepal that threatened downstream communities, devastating floods in parts of South America and Africa, and severe droughts across Central America, Asia, and the Pacific.

 

Heat mortality, drought, and maternal vulnerability

 

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, framed the environmental indicators in stark medical terms, warning that climate destruction is directly destabilizing human physiology and national health infrastructures.

 

He highlighted severe health impacts documented during the northern summer of 2026, where extreme heat waves led to an estimated 50,000 excess deaths across Europe alongside dangerous heat spikes across India, Pakistan, and North America.

 

"The climate crisis is now a global health crisis of pandemic proportions. From toxic pollution to extreme heat, and climate disasters slamming through health systems and infrastructure, the root cause is humanity still burning colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas, and destroying forests," said Stiell.

 

Data presented by Wellcome Director of Climate and Health, Alan Dangour, underscored the systemic scale of mortality and environmental health disruption:

 

Air Pollution and Thermal Mortality: Combined fossil-fuel air pollution and extreme heat currently claim over 3 million lives each year globally.

 

Agricultural and Sanitation Strain: Extreme drought affected nearly 52% of the world's land surface for at least one month in 2025—the second-highest level ever recorded—depleting groundwater reserves and disrupting sanitation and food security.

 

Maternal and Newborn Risks: Citing results from a new global survey of 1,000 maternal health professionals, Stiell and Dangour flagged severe physiological threats to pregnant women and newborns caused by extreme thermal exposure. In response, partners at Pre-COP31 in Fiji launched a global call to action to establish medical guidelines, heat response plans, and surveillance data targeting maternal health.

 

The "electric or shock" economic choice

 

Addressing the structural reforms required to curb the crisis, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary presented national delegations with a clear economic framing: "electric or shock." Stiell argued that accelerating clean electrification represents both an economic imperative and a primary public health intervention, offering relief to health budgets and households burdened by volatile fossil-fuel prices.

 

To address chronic underfunding in public health adaptation, philanthropic organizations reported significant progress under the Climate & Health Funders Coalition, originally established at COP30 in Belém with an initial joint commitment of $300 million across more than 35 funding organizations.

 

First-Year Grant Deployments: Over $225 million has been officially awarded during the coalition's first year of operation, supporting targeted interventions in extreme heat management, air pollution reduction, climate-sensitive infectious disease surveillance, and health data systems.

 

Expanded Capital Commitments: An additional $150 million in new financial pledges was secured from existing and incoming donors over the past year.

 

Preventative Health Dividends: Global health data indicates that clean air initiatives have already prevented over 300,000 deaths annually across at least 77 countries that achieved reductions in fossil-fuel air pollution over the past decade.

 

Despite grim temperature projections, WMO Secretary-General Saulo emphasized that targeted adaptation measures are delivering measurable protections against extreme weather events. A primary success has been the rapid expansion of multi-hazard early warning systems worldwide.

 

Secretary-General Saulo stressed that maintaining and extending these life-saving networks requires continuous investment in global meteorological observation networks, warning that decision-makers "cannot afford to fly blind" as climate impacts accelerate.

 

Closing the joint press conference in Antalya, Wellcome Director Alan Dangour called for a fundamental shift in international climate negotiations, urging governments to evaluate policy progress through human health outcomes rather than abstract environmental targets alone.

 

"We must change course and put the health and wellbeing of people at the heart of our response to climate change – measuring success not through emissions targets or degrees Celsius but by lives saved and health outcomes improved. The state of the climate is now in reality the biggest indicator of the state of human health," said Alan Dangour.

 

As COP31 negotiations proceed under the co-guidance of Türkiye and Australia, delegates face growing pressure from international scientific and health bodies to integrate public health protections, clean energy electrification, and dedicated adaptation funding directly into final international agreements.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh 

COP31: Africa makes progress on adoption of key supplementary priorities on agenda

COP31 must mark the definitive transition from negotiated promises to tangible financial delivery, the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) has urged world leaders in a decisive call as the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) opened in Antalya on Monday.

 

Speaking on behalf of the continent at the opening plenary in Antalya, AGN Chair, Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, emphasized that Africa’s ability to fulfill its climate commitments rests entirely on the immediate mobilization of scaled-up, predictable climate finance.

 

Aligning the African block with the Group of 77 and China, Dr. Amoah declared that an implementation-focused summit must be a summit that delivers on finance, setting a firm tone for the two-week negotiations hosted by Türkiye with Australia presiding over negotiations.

 

Opening the intervention with congratulations to the incoming Turkish Presidency and gratitude to Australia and the outgoing Brazilian Presidency from Belém, the AGN Chair articulated the stark paradox facing the African continent. Africa contributes the least to global greenhouse gas emissions yet suffers disproportionately from climate-induced disruptions.

 

While African nations have submitted highly ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Dr. Amoah highlighted that the vast majority of this ambition remains locked behind unfulfilled financial pledges. He stressed that African countries cannot carry out climate mitigation and adaptation strategies without the promised means of implementation, transforming climate finance from a secondary discussion item into the essential prerequisite for all global progress in Antalya.

 

"Africa comes to Antalya with one clear message: implementation depends on means of implementation. Our continent contributes the least to this crisis and is among the most exposed to its impacts. African countries have put forward ambitious NDCs and adaptation plans, but most of that ambition depends on finance that has not yet arrived," said Nana Amoah.

 

Adoption of Africa’s priorities in official agenda

 

To ensure that core financial and structural priorities were formally integrated into the COP31 proceedings, the African Group pushed for the inclusion of three key supplementary agenda items. Following intense Head of Delegation negotiations that concluded in the early hours of the opening morning, Dr. Amoah announced that consensus had been reached to adopt these priorities into the official agenda.

 

These are to: operationalize and track progress toward tripling adaptation finance flows to address growing vulnerability across developing states; evaluate the impact of unilateral trade-related climate measures on developing economies, protecting African industrialization under Article 3.5 of the Convention; and conduct a formal assessment of funding necessary and available for the Green Climate Fund ahead of its upcoming third replenishment.

 

The demand for a dedicated dialogue on trade and climate change represents a pivotal issue for African economies. As unilateral trade regulations and carbon border adjustments proliferate globally, Dr. Amoah warned that such measures threaten to shift the financial burden of the green transition onto developing nations, undermining local industrial development in direct contradiction to Article 3.5 of the UNFCCC Convention.

 

Additionally, the AGN Chair underscored the necessity of evaluating the financial requirements of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). As the GCF prepares for its third replenishment cycle, the African Group called on the COP to fulfill existing commitments by assessing the exact scale of resources needed to meet developing countries' actual climate requirements.

 

The position outlined by the AGN Chair reflects a unified stance across the Global South, backed by key negotiating coalitions including the Arab Group, the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC), the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC), and the broader G77 and China alliance chaired by Uruguay.

 

This collective push comes against the backdrop of alarming contractions in global climate finance. Contextual statements delivered on behalf of the G77 and China highlighted that the Global Environment Facility’s ninth replenishment (GEF-9) suffered a 27 percent decline compared to GEF-8, marking its lowest funding level in 16 years.

 

Concurrently, major developed nations have announced reductions that cut their signed GCF contributions for 2024–2027 by half. These declines coincide with massive shortfalls in loss and damage funding, where funding requests exceed available resources by over eightfold.

 

Operationalizing equity and industrial growth

 

For the African Group, the ultimate measure of success at COP31 will be an outcome that balances mitigation ambition with robust financial delivery, equity, and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).

 

Dr. Amoah reiterated that low-carbon and climate-resilient transitions must foster equitable, shared prosperity, providing African nations with the necessary policy space to industrialize, expand energy access, and eradicate poverty. By securing adoption of its agenda items through collaborative Head of Delegation negotiations, the African Group has positioned financial accountability and trade equity at the core of the Antalya summit.

 

As committee sessions and ministerial roundtables begin across the Antalya Expo Centre, the AGN Chair’s call serves as a focal point for developing nations demanding that international climate governance shift permanently from pledge-making to guaranteed delivery.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh  

COP31 opens under Super El Niño threat as developing nations demand urgent action on climate finance

As the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) officially opened in Antalya, Turkey, delegates gathered against the backdrop of escalating extreme weather driven by a climate change-fueled Super El Niño.

 

From crippling water shortages in Southern Africa to glacial collapses in Nepal and deadly heatwaves in Europe, the stark reality of climate disruption hangs heavily over the negotiations.

 

Opening statements from COP leaders and negotiators underscored a shared imperative: COP31 cannot be another conference of unfulfilled pledges. It must serve as a decisive "Implementation COP" that delivers tangible financial mechanisms for developing nations facing the dual pressures of climate vulnerability and crushing sovereign debt.

 

The opening day of negotiations highlighted how intense weather events are already destabilizing economies across the Global South. Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, is experiencing severe weather warps driven by Super El Niño conditions, compounding existing financial strains across the continent.

 

In Ghana, the government statistician has warned the country faces fresh inflationary pressures from an anticipated severe El Niño event, which could push up food prices, increase business operating costs and worsen the financial pressures households face.

 

Reiterating the urgency of the moment, COP31 President of Negotiations, Chris Bowen pointed out that climate impacts are no longer distant projections.

 

"Whether it be glacial collapse in Nepal, heat deaths in Europe, or an intensifying El Niño. Climate change is here," Bowen declared. "It is not a forecast. It is not a prediction. It is the lived reality for billions of people."

 

Chair of the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) on Climate Change, Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, has emphasized that African nations find themselves on the front lines of a catastrophe they did not create. Per capita climate emissions in Africa remain less than half those of the Global North, yet African countries bear the brunt of severe climate shocks alongside shrinking foreign aid.

 

With global climate projections currently pointing toward a 2.6°C warming trajectory—far off the 1.5°C goal established in Paris—negotiators in Antalya are focusing heavily on turning multilateral agreements into operational reality.

 

Implementation COP

 

COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum framed the central mission of the summit around bridging the gap between diplomatic halls and everyday life. In his opening address, Kurum insisted that COP31 must mark a shift from high-level dialogue to concrete delivery.

 

"We want COP31 to deliver on that call as an Implementation COP," Kurum stated, outlining three core principles: Dialogue, Consensus, and Action. "Our decisions must take shape in a city’s infrastructure, on a farmer’s land and along a factory’s production line. Families must feel their impact in lower energy bills."

 

Kurum drew upon the Turkish cultural concept of İmece—the tradition of collective action where communities share both burden and hope when facing overwhelming tasks. To translate this concept into policy, the Presidency introduced the Climate Implementation Bridge, an initiative designed to connect capital-rich investors and technology providers directly with localized mitigation and adaptation projects.

 

Just energy transition

 

A key structural proposal highlighted during the opening sessions is the 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, which aims to increase electricity's share of global final energy consumption from its current level of roughly one-fifth up to 35% by 2035 through expanded renewables, modernized grids, and energy storage.

 

But a central tension at COP31 revolves around how the global energy transition will be financed in low- and middle-income countries. Statements from negotiator groups made clear that climate action cannot succeed if funding models exacerbate national insolvency.

 

Research cited by the Africa Group of Negotiators reveals a stark systemic imbalance.

 

The AGN Chair warned that requiring developing nations to take on high-interest loans to build clean energy infrastructure creates an inherently unjust framework.

 

"The transition cannot be called 'just' if low-and middle-income countries must mortgage their futures in the process," said Nana Amoah. "For Africa, a just transition isn’t solely a matter of energy. It’s about whether we industrialize, create decent jobs, and expand energy access for the hundreds of millions of Africans still without electricity—all while improving our financial independence."

 

Unlocking accessible finance for vulnerable nations

 

To prevent climate finance promises from faltering, negotiators are calling for structural overhauls to simplify how funds are distributed. Following agreements at COP29 in Baku—which established a goal of at least $300 billion annually by 2035 for developing countries within a broader goal of $1.3 trillion in public and private flows—the focus has shifted to speed and equity.

 

President of Negotiations Chris Bowen highlighted that current finance distribution systems fail those in greatest need, referencing Australia's joint launch of the Access to Finance Statement and Action Plan for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

 

"The countries that need climate finance the most are getting it the least," Bowen observed. "Finance must be disbursed faster. More simply. And more fairly."

 

As negotiations proceed in Antalya across more than 160 agenda items, leaders from across the globe face mounting pressure to operationalize the Just Transition Mechanism, finalize the Adaptation Fund transition, and ensure that climate finance flows reach the communities hit hardest by El Niño and climate instability.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

We are united and ready to fight for Africa’s interests at COP31 – AGN Chair

Nearly 200 countries are converging on Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20 to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, amid mounting pressure on world leaders to ensure that climate finance reaches communities hardest hit by climate change.

 

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), dubbed the “implementation COP,” will focus on translating existing commitments and pledges into tangible climate action to unlock greater resilience, improve health outcomes and create economic opportunities for people.

 

The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) has spent the past week in Antalya coordinating and aligning the continent’s priorities ahead of the negotiations.

 

The preparations have included consultations with UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell and the Chairs of both UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies, providing opportunities to engage on Africa’s priorities ahead of the conference.

 

The Group’s Chair, Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, has acknowledged that securing agreement on the agenda when the conference opens on Monday will not be easy. However, he says Africa is seeking cooperation to ensure that its proposed agenda items are considered and that the necessary finance is made available for implementation.

 

Africa is particularly pushing for a tripling of adaptation finance and the replenishment of the Green Climate Fund.

 

“The agenda items that we have proposed are very important for the survival of our people within the continent and there is no way we’re going to compromise on them,” said the Chair.

 

Nana Amoah has emphasised the need for “one Africa, a united voice and a shared ambition for development” in the climate process, as the continent seeks to advance outcomes that respond to its development aspirations.

 

“We will firmly defend the agenda items we have proposed and work for outcomes that respond to our people’s needs, protect our development aspirations and deliver on climate commitments. Africa’s voice must count, and our priorities must shape the decisions,” Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah stated.

 

The AGN is advocating climate action that supports resilient economies, improves livelihoods and promotes sustainable development, backed by the necessary finance, technology and capacity to deliver meaningful results.

 

Delegates from across the world are arriving in Antalya, representing national negotiating teams, youth groups, Indigenous Peoples, scientists, civil society organisations and the media.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

COP31: African negotiators target tripled adaptation finance and Green Climate Fund replenishment

The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) is placing climate adaptation finance at the forefront of its agenda as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) opens in Antalya, Turkey, on November 9.

 

The AGN views COP31 as a critical foundational stepping stone toward COP32, which will be held in Ethiopia and dubbed the "African COP."

 

“We need to make sure that we lay the building blocks so solidly to be able to go into COP32 with more strength,” said AGN Chair, Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, when he addressed a press briefing in Antalya.

 

According to Dr. Amoah, African countries have spent the 11 years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement building operational structures to support climate action.

 

While nations have successfully negotiated the Global Goal on Adaptation by establishing real frameworks, major questions remain regarding how developing countries will fund and implement their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

 

Although African nations have consistently attempted to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), financial constraints continue to hinder progress across the continent.

 

“Where is the financial ambition to help developing countries implement those commitments in their national adaptation plans?” quizzed Nana Amoah. “This is the backdrop within which we are coming into this COP as Africa.”

 

The financial hurdle persists despite commitments made at COP29, where developed countries agreed to take the lead in mobilizing at least $300 billion annually by 2035. However, there is still no agreed-upon plan with milestones showing how that money will be delivered.

 

For the AGN, COP31 is pivotal for implementing climate finance ambitions. Consequently, the Group is tabling formal requests to triple adaptation finance and secure the replenishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which is critical for action within African countries.

 

“We would have every reason to defend the inclusion of the climate finance work programme agenda item so that we can have space to discuss finance that is credible, finance that is concessional, finance that is grant in nature to support climate action, especially adaptation action in our countries,” said AGN Chair.

 

Alongside core adaptation demands, Africa is focused on driving a just transition mechanism. This framework aims not only to address Africa's energy poverty issues, but also to look at the needs of workers and address the equitable natural resource needs of developing countries.

 

To safeguard future representation, the AGN is also building the capacity of young Africans to be in the negotiation room when current leaders are no longer available.

 

Meanwhile, the AGN has launched its official website to ease access to information on its activities: https://agnonclimatechange.org/

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh  

Kofi Adu Domfeh: A personal journey through climate negotiations – from Lima with hope to Ethiopia with purpose

Your romantic moment can be under siege by the weather. That’s how close the reality of climate change can dawn on you.

 

Sometime ago, my friend Kojo shared the discomfort of the night’s hot breeze disturbing his attempt to get romantically intimate with his partner.

 

“It gets irritating to go skin-to-skin when you and your partner are already drowning in sweat. Even late night cold showers don’t help matters,” he said. “How can you be on heat when you’re already on fire?”

 

Extreme weather adversely impact every facet of life – heavy rains and heat waves are among hazards faced by the ever-growing global population.

 

The realities of climate change, the vulnerabilities of communities on the frontlines, and the growing urgency for decisive action in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns have shaped my experience and defined my journey through the global climate change negotiations.

 

As I find myself in Türkiye most part of November 2026 for COP31-related engagements, ahead of the next United Nations Climate Change Conference in Ethiopia (COP32), I cannot help but reflect on a journey that began more than a decade ago in Lima, Peru. It is a moment of nostalgia, but also one of renewed purpose, reminding me of how far the global climate conversation has travelled and how much more remains to be done.

 

My first encounter with the Conference of the Parties (COP) process was COP20 in Lima, Peru, in 2014. It was an important moment in the evolution of international climate diplomacy. The world was preparing for a new global climate agreement, and the negotiations were increasingly focused on building consensus around a framework that would succeed the Kyoto Protocol.

 

For me, Lima was more than an international conference. It was an opportunity to witness first-hand the complexities of climate diplomacy, the competing interests of nations and the determination of vulnerable countries to ensure that their voices were not lost in the global conversation.

 

At a time I was top of my journalism career after winner of the African Climate Change and Environmental Reporting Awards (ACCER), I was enthusiastic and energetic in joining a ‘cult’ to up the narrative of Africa's vulnerability to the climate phenomenon.

 

The crazy marketplace of ideas

 

Lima was an introduction to the realities of climate negotiations, what I later termed ‘a crazy marketplace of ideas’ – the long hours of deliberations, the difficult compromises, the diplomatic engagements and the persistent struggle to ensure that the concerns of developing countries, particularly those in Africa, received the attention they deserved.

 

The momentum from Lima would lead to another defining moment in France the following year.

 

Being part of the process at COP21 in Paris in 2015 remains one of the most memorable experiences of my engagement with climate change advocacy and reporting.

 

The adoption of the Paris Agreement was a historic milestone. After years of difficult negotiations, countries finally reached a landmark agreement to collectively address the climate crisis, committing to efforts to limit global warming to well below 2°C, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

 

I witnessed the excitement, relief and sense of achievement that accompanied the agreement. For many who had followed the negotiations and advocated for stronger climate commitments, Paris represented a breakthrough in global cooperation.

 

Yet, even then, there was an underlying question: how would the commitments made in conference halls translate into meaningful action on the ground?

 

That question has remained central to my work over the years.

 

My engagement with the climate agenda has evolved beyond attending international conferences. Through years of working with the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), I have had the opportunity to engage with a network of African civil society organisations, climate advocates, researchers, activists and community voices committed to advancing climate justice.

 

PACJA has been particularly instrumental in strengthening my appreciation of the African climate narrative and the importance of collective advocacy.

 

Africa contributes relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet its communities remain among the most exposed to the devastating consequences of climate change. From prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall patterns to flooding, food insecurity, coastal erosion and the growing threats to livelihoods, the impacts are increasingly visible.

 

I've always shared my field reporting encounter with Nina Bawa, a farmer at Atebubu Amantin in Ghana's Bono East Region, who struggled to harvest groundnuts because the rains had failed her. The challenge of not benefiting from her toil of tilling the land means her family's livelihood could be impacted adversely.

 

For a journalist and climate advocate, these are not simply statistics to be discussed at international conferences. They represent the lived experiences of farmers losing their crops, fishing communities struggling with declining catches, women and young people facing livelihood uncertainties, and vulnerable households whose resilience is continually tested.

 

This reality has reinforced my conviction that climate negotiations must remain connected to the people they are intended to serve.

 

My more recent engagement with the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) has offered another important dimension to this journey. It has deepened my understanding of the technical and diplomatic processes through which Africa seeks to advance its collective interests in global climate negotiations.

 

The AGN's work is critical in ensuring that Africa speaks with a stronger, coordinated voice on issues of climate finance, adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, technology transfer and a just transition.

 

It is also a reminder that Africa must not merely participate in shaping the global climate agenda; it must actively influence it.

 

"For our countries, the negotiations are therefore not merely about text, paragraphs or procedural decisions," said AGN Chair, Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah. "They are about our people, our economies and our development prospects".

 

Türkiye: A moment of reflection and renewed commitment

 

Being in Türkiye at this point in the climate journey offers an opportunity to reflect on the momentum built since those early negotiations in Lima and the historic breakthrough in Paris.

 

There is something particularly nostalgic about revisiting the journey from COP20 to the present, especially considering the years spent working alongside climate justice advocates through PACJA and my evolving engagement with the African Group of Negotiators.

 

The global climate conversation has changed considerably. We have moved from the intense debates about securing a universal agreement to the more demanding task of implementing commitments, mobilising climate finance, strengthening adaptation and ensuring that countries and communities can withstand the growing impacts of climate change.

 

However, the gap between commitments and implementation remains a major concern.

 

For Africa, the urgency is even greater. Communities facing climate-induced displacement, declining agricultural productivity, water stress and extreme weather events cannot afford endless cycles of promises and delayed action.

 

Will Ethiopia deliver action?

 

As Africa look towards COP32 in Ethiopia in 2027, I hope the conference will provide an important opportunity to advance Africa's climate priorities and strengthen the continent's influence in shaping solutions that respond to its unique vulnerabilities and development aspirations.

 

Ethiopia, as an African host, presents an opportunity to bring the climate conversation closer to the realities of the continent. It should be a moment to demonstrate that Africa is not simply seeking solidarity or support, but is also bringing ideas, innovation, indigenous knowledge and practical solutions to the global climate challenge.

 

Looking back, I am grateful for the opportunities to witness and contribute to different chapters of the global climate negotiations.

 

From Lima to Paris, through the years of engagement with PACJA and now the African Group of Negotiators, the experience has strengthened my commitment to amplifying Africa's voice in the climate conversation.

 

As a journalist, my responsibility has always been to connect policy to people, negotiations to realities, and commitments to accountability. I have sought to contribute to an African narrative that does not portray the continent merely as a victim of climate change, but recognises its people as active participants in developing solutions and shaping a more sustainable future.

 

I remain hopeful that the years of engagement, advocacy, reporting and contribution to this collective African effort will yield the desired impact.

 

But that impact must be measured beyond the number of conferences attended, declarations adopted or commitments announced.

 

It must be seen in the resilience of our communities, the protection of livelihoods, improved access to climate finance, stronger adaptation systems and the ability of vulnerable populations to live with dignity despite the growing threats of climate change.

 

Ultimately, the true success of the climate negotiations will not be determined by what happens within the conference halls, but by what changes in the lives of people outside them.

 

That is the journey I hope we are still making – from talks to action, from promises to delivery, and from global commitments to tangible climate justice for Africa.

Africa demands debt relief and direct finance at COP31 Climate Summit

The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) has noted that the world’s transition away from fossil fuels cannot be called "just" if low- and middle-income nations must mortgage their economic futures to achieve it.

 

Addressing delegates at the opening AGN plenary session at the 31^st UN Climate Summit (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Simon Stiell, declared that COP31 must mark a decisive pivot from commitment to execution.

 

Stiell emphasized that the summit must turn existing international pledges into concrete action, lay the foundation for the second Global Stocktake (GST 2), and establish operational mechanisms to triple global climate finance.

 

However, for African negotiators representing 54 nations on the front lines of severe climate shocks, the debate over scaling finance is inseparable from an escalating sovereign debt crisis that threatens to choke off the continent's economic development.

 

The macroeconomic reality confronting sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly precarious. While African nations account for less than half the per capita greenhouse gas emissions of the Global North, the region is experiencing severe weather disruptions, exacerbated by a climate change-fueled Super El Niño.

 

At the same time, shrinking foreign aid and mounting sovereign debt obligations are severely curtailing domestic policy space.

 

According to research presented by Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Chair of the Africa Group of Negotiators, more than two-thirds of low-income countries are either already unable to meet their sovereign debt obligations or sit at high risk of debt distress.

 

Rather than receiving concessional grant funding to build climate resilience, developing nations face international climate finance flows that predominantly increase their debt loads. Roughly two-thirds of all self-described climate finance provided by Global North nations consists of loans.

 

This structural imbalance creates a destructive cycle. The top third most climate-vulnerable countries now spend an average of nearly two-thirds of their annual revenues servicing sovereign debt – spending, on average, 25 times more on debt servicing than on climate action. With borrowing costs for African nations averaging 13 percent, sovereign debt service has become the primary barrier to clean energy transitions and climate adaptation.

 

The macroeconomic crisis translates directly into governance bottlenecks across sub-Saharan Africa, where governments are forced to choose between basic civic services and debt compliance.

 

Country-level evidence submitted to the AGN plenary highlights how sovereign debt disincentivizes clean energy deployment and disrupts local administration.

 

In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, fossil fuels comprised almost 90 percent of export value in 2024. Despite legacy oil and gas extraction projects continuing to plague local communities, geopolitical conflict in the Middle East drove up global petroleum prices. Rather than providing capital for clean energy reinvestment, mounting debt burdens have disincentivized Nigeria's transition away from fossil fuel exports.

 

As AGN Chair Antwi-Boasiako Amoah stressed during the plenary, African populations will not tolerate diplomatic climate agreements that require sacrificing foundational domestic development—including healthcare systems, primary schools, municipal infrastructure, and local roads—to solve a global climate crisis to which Africa barely contributed.

 

African nations arrive at COP31 having demonstrated substantial climate ambition within their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Sub-Saharan Africa holds the world’s largest concentration of renewable energy targets embedded within national climate plans. However, up to 90 percent of that planned ambition remains contingent on international financial support that remains unsecured.

 

To bridge this gap, the African Group of Negotiators has organized its negotiating agenda around three core demands: Predictable, substantial climate capital that reflects the true magnitude of NDC implementation costs across African economies; A decisive shift away from sovereign loans toward grant-based and concessional finance that does not worsen fiscal distress; and Channelling climate funds directly through African financial institutions, national entities, and regional development mechanisms to ensure localized governance and rapid deployment.

 

For African negotiators, the outcome at COP31 transcends energy metrics.

 

As Chair Antwi-Boasiako Amoah has noted, a just energy transition is fundamentally about whether Africa can industrialize, create decent employment, and extend electricity access to the hundreds of millions of citizens currently without power.

 

With Ethiopia designated to host COP32, the African Group has signaled that sovereign debt relief and non-debt climate finance will remain the central test of international climate justice.

by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Climate diplomacy meets frontline reality: AGN opens COP31 strategy session amid urgent El Niño warnings

As the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) opens a crucial two-day strategy meeting in Antalya, Türkiye, to prepare for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), the urgency of their negotiations is underscored by alarming real-world climate advisories emerging across the African continent.

 

Convening from November 1 to 2, the negotiating body seeks to unify Africa's voice ahead of global climate talks, a task rendered vital by newly confirmed meteorological data indicating severe climate shocks ahead.

 

Concurrently, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has issued an urgent advisory confirming that a very strong El Niño event is developing in the Pacific Ocean and will heavily influence West African weather into the first half of 2027.

 

The convergence of high-level climate diplomacy in Türkiye and frontline weather advisories in Ghana highlights an imperative message for COP31: international climate governance must deliver concrete, actionable outcomes that build resilience and safeguard vulnerable communities against devastating climate impacts.

 

The AGN plays a central role in coordinating the positions of African nations and representing the continent’s common interests within the United Nations climate process.

 

The strategy meeting in Antalya brings negotiators together to consolidate preparations, strengthen continental coordination, and ensure a unified stance at COP31 and subsequent international forums.

 

Opening the session, AGN Chair Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah stressed that unity, cooperation, and collective commitment are essential to elevating Africa’s voice on the global stage. He commended members for their steadfast dedication despite demanding schedules and competing professional responsibilities.

 

"The spirit of teamwork demonstrated by members will be crucial in ensuring a coordinated approach to the negotiations and securing outcomes that reflect Africa’s priorities and development needs," emphasized Dr. Amoah, urging negotiators to maintain their shared sense of purpose.

 

The Antalya consultations aim to reinforce the group’s collective climate diplomacy and build institutional capacity to secure international agreements focused on adaptation funding, developmental equity, and robust support for climate-vulnerable populations.

 

The Looming Climate Shock: GMet Confirms Intensifying El Niño

 

While diplomatic strategies take shape in Türkiye, operational advisories from West Africa illustrate the escalating environmental pressures facing African nations.

 

In an official advisory issued on October 29, 2026, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) confirmed that a very strong El Niño event is intensifying in the Pacific Ocean.

 

Joint observations from GMet and leading international climate centers—including the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)—indicate that the event will peak between now and January 2027 before gradually weakening through the first half of 2027.

 

Historical experience demonstrates Ghana’s high vulnerability to El Niño-induced rainfall variability. Previous very strong events in 1982/83, 1997/98, and 2015/16, as well as the moderate event of 2023/24, severely impacted key economic and social sectors across the country:

 

Agricultural Production: Severe rainfall deficits disrupted planting cycles, reduced crop yields, and threatened food security.

 

Water Resources and Hydroelectric Power: Extended dry spells depleted reservoir levels, constraining water availability and hydroelectric power generation.

 

Public Health: Extended heat and dry dust transport created environmental conditions conducive to disease outbreaks.

 

The GMet advisory for 2027 underscores that the consequences of extreme weather fall most heavily on vulnerable populations. Protecting these communities requires translating meteorological forecasts into targeted mitigation measures across key sectors, including health, water resources, the agricultural sector and food security.

 

The parallel developments in Antalya and West Africa illustrate why global climate negotiations cannot take place in a vacuum.

 

As AGN negotiators work to shape Africa's strategic stance ahead of COP31, the realities on the ground in Ghana demonstrate that climate policy must ultimately serve to shield vulnerable communities from environmental disaster.

 

By coupling strong, unified diplomatic advocacy with robust local disaster preparedness, African nations can better protect lives, safeguard food and energy systems, and build enduring resilience against an increasingly volatile climate.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh