350 Africa Responds to US Withdrawal from the Just Energy Transition Partnership

The United States has announced its withdrawal from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with South Africa, signaling a troubling retreat from global climate leadership and an abandonment of vital financial commitments to the world’s most climate-impacted nations.

South Africa, the first country to secure a JETP agreement, was set to receive over $1.5 billion in financial support from the US to transition from coal to renewable energy; however, their exit now leaves a significant funding gap.

This decision follows a troubling pattern of the United States rolling back its climate commitments, including its earlier announcement to exit the Paris Agreement.

The US’s pullback from the JETP marks a dangerous precedent, particularly as the world faces an escalating climate crisis and growing inequality.

“By withdrawing from the JETP, the United States is abandoning its responsibility to support countries like South Africa, which are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will now face an even steeper climb in achieving its clean energy commitments,” said Landry Ninteretse, 350Africa’s Regional Director. “This is a regressive step, and a betrayal of the trust placed in wealthy nations to honor their financial obligations towards the global transition to clean energy. The US must recognize that climate justice requires concrete, sustained support for developing nations, not retreat from multilateral commitments.”

350Africa calls on South Africa and its remaining international partners to ensure the momentum of the energy transition is not stalled.

South Africa’s commitment to a clean and equitable energy future is more important than ever, and efforts must be made to secure alternative sources of funding to fill the gap left by the US’s retreat.

Tshepo Peele, South Africa Team Lead, said “while the US withdrawal from JETP certainly impacts the financial framework for South Africa’s energy transition, the urgency of a just, renewable-powered future remains unchanged. South Africa must continue to honor its climate commitments, and this moment should push the government to accelerate its plans for a green economy, moving away from coal and scaling up renewables.

“With South Africa hosting the G20 this year, it presents a crucial opportunity to strengthen the country's climate leadership, advocate for increased international support, and prioritize forging new, stronger partnerships with countries and institutions committed to ensuring a just and equitable energy transition.”

 

 

Climate Action: Over 90% of countries fail to submit new NDCs by deadline

As the official deadline passes for countries to submit their revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, only 13 of the 195 parties have done so.

 

Alarmingly, this group includes just five developed countries, which are required to lead the way on climate action. 

 

Under the Paris Agreement, every country must update its national climate action plan every five years. These NDC plans outline how nations intend to reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

 

This year’s submissions should extend their new NDCs to 2030 and outline new objectives for the period up to 2035, setting the tone for a decisive decade of climate action.

 

The countries that submitted their NDCs on time include Andorra, Brazil, Ecuador, the Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Singapore, St. Lucia, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, Uruguay, the USA, and Zimbabwe.

 

Among the developed countries yet to submit their NDCs is the European Union, which has indicated it will not do so until September, just weeks before COP30 in Brazil.

 

“We expect countries to submit NDCs that will collectively deliver 1.5°C alignment and climate justice before COP 30. It’s now or never for the planet,” stated Fernanda Carvalho, WWF Head of Policy for Climate and Energy.

 

Climate Action Network has called on developed and rich countries to urgently submit their NDCs in line with 1.5°C pathways and for them to be grounded in climate justice.

 

“It’s shocking that only 13 out of 195 countries have updated their NDCs, with the majority of rich nations not submitting on deadline, exposing the alarming lack of political will for ambition under the Paris Agreement,” said Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of CAN International.

 

“We recognise that developing countries would need robust, grants-based public funding to deliver real additional climate ambition. Bold targets alone won’t cut it; NDCs must be backed by the resources needed to make them a reality. For COP30 to be a true turning point in climate action, this new round of NDCs must restore confidence and drive a transformative and just transition - one that leaves no one behind,” he stated.

 

As CAN has previously outlined in its Guidelines and its letter to the Troika, for the NDCs to be truly transformative they must:

 

-      Include ambitious commitments in the energy sector as part of countries’ plans to transition away from fossil fuels, halting the destruction of ecosystems, and other plans for vulnerable sectors.

 

-      Enable a just transition for communities and workers, with robust social protections.

 

-      Prioritise equity and transparency, ensuring climate plans are developed inclusively with civil society and local stakeholders.

 

According to David Knecht, climate expert at Fastenaktion Switzerland, “the next NDCs must catalyse community-driven development. At the same time, the NDCs 3.0 need to include concrete fossil fuel phaseout plans, as agreed upon in Dubai, and we expect developed countries to lead on this, as well as on providing direly needed grant-based finance for the global transition. To signal to the world what is needed, countries must speed-up and present soonest NDCs that set the highest expectations.”

 

 

Kofi Adu Domfeh: Radio’s commanding power in climate change mitigation and adaptation

A severe storm strikes, bringing with it torrential rains, deafening thunder, and blinding lightning. The downpour is wreaking havoc on the community, with roofs being ripped off houses, streets transforming into rivers, and worst of all, people losing their lives in the raging floodwaters.

 

Yet another day, the sunrise brings a fleeting sense of serenity, offering a brief respite from the sweltering heat. However, this tranquility is short-lived, as the sun's intense rays soon begin to scorch the skin, penetrating deep beneath the surface.

 

This is the climate reality.

 

In Ghana today, the rains are coming at unexpected periods, the sun hits harder than it should have; the least of the rains causes flooding and livelihoods are impacted in diverse ways.

 

This situation cannot be different from other parts of the world.

 

People are experiencing changing times for real, and indeed everybody seems to be talking about the severity of the change in weather patterns.

 

Yet the climate change agenda is not a top priority in the media – reports are often limited to government policy papers and other scientific stuff.

 

But the media, especially radio, can play a central role in the global drive to mitigate climate change as well as support adaptation mechanisms.

 

Radio and Climate Change

 

Radio is a powerful broadcast medium in impacting farming practices of the local people, through the production of climate-related programs.

 

By broadcasting in the local language, for instance, a radio station is helping the communities to be weather-aware, while managing problems with sea erosion, soil management, crop diversification and best adaptation mechanisms.

 

Access to radio can reduce the farmer-extension service ratio and enhance agricultural practices.

 

It is therefore heartwarming that 2025 World Radio Day is dedicated to “Radio and Climate Change” to support radio stations in their journalistic coverage of this issue.

 

Proper communication of climate events is becoming increasingly important in the wake of the continuous increase of negative climatic effects that plague the planet, such as the confirmation that 2024 has been the warmest year on record.

 

Broadcasters are expected to prioritize the quality and diversity of information sources, as they play a critical role in addressing climate-related issues. “This includes dismantling climate skeptics' arguments, investigating greenwashing, understanding ecological economics, and reporting on climate activism and barriers to solutions”.

 

Radio aids in climate adaptation

 

Climate mitigation has taken centre stage at the national and global levels. According to the Paris Agreement, greenhouse gas emissions need to ease in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

 

But at the community level, what is required most is adaptation. The ordinary person on the street relies on radio to access public information on the changing seasons.

 

Increasing access to information and use of knowledge on climate change adaptation is important to improve the livelihoods of people in local communities. The rural farmer is hardest hit when information on the changing climate is not adequately disseminated.

 

A number of institutions are currently engaged in climate change-related activities across Africa. However, communicating issues on the unexpected changing weather to reach the mass of vulnerable communities remain challenging.

 

All over the world, in socio-political, economic and environmental circles, talk of climate change is top of agenda and there are several initiatives geared towards mitigating the impact of climate change.

 

But attitude towards the environment – forests, water bodies, waste management and land degradation through resource exploitation – remains largely pathetic.

 

The media is expected to lead the dissemination of information on what to do and what not to do in environmental protection.

 

Climate change and environment reporting can be made interesting to the audience if journalists and media houses can change their approach and explore diverse areas of coverage including land use and water management, forest conservation, sustainable development and wealth creation.

 

Radio, as a powerful tool, will continue to play a critical role in weather information mediation, climate change communication, and environmental protection and promotion.

 

Kofi Adu Domfeh is a journalist and Climate Reality Leader; adomfeh@gmail.com