African trade union leaders and climate negotiators have converged in Nairobi, Kenya for a three-day summit to forge a unified continental stance on energy sovereignty and green industrialization ahead of the COP31 climate negotiations.
The Second New Energy for Africa Convening meeting marks a critical step in ensuring that the voices of African workers are integrated into the continent’s climate agenda.
Opening the event, Rose Omamo, Deputy President of ITUC-Africa, emphasized that the transition to a low-carbon economy must be rooted in social equity.
She asserted that the labor movement is championing the "Reclaim and Restore" campaign, which views energy not as a market commodity but as a fundamental right.
“Energy is a public good,” Omamo stated during her opening address. “It should not be treated only as a commodity for those who can afford it. We call for public and democratic control of Africa’s energy systems so that they can provide reliable and affordable energy to our people”.
Omamo also raised concerns regarding the global race for Africa’s critical minerals, such as lithium and cobalt, which are essential for renewable technologies.
She warned that “Africa must not repeat the experience of exporting raw materials and later importing expensive finished products” and insisted that these resources must support local manufacturing and decent employment.
Echoing these sentiments, Dr. George Manful, delivering remarks on behalf of AGN Chair, Dr. Nana Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, highlighted the stark disparity in global climate finance.
Despite possessing vast renewable energy potential, Africa receives a disproportionately small share of clean-energy investment.
“This imbalance must be corrected if the transition is to support Africa’s development rather than reproduce existing patterns of dependence, extraction and inequality,” the AGN Chair’s statement read.
He further argued that the success of a just transition should be measured by human impact rather than technical metrics alone.
“A just transition cannot be measured solely by installed megawatts, emissions reductions or new electricity connections,” the Chair noted. “It must also be measured by the quality of jobs created, affordability of energy, protection of workers... and the capacity of African countries to retain value from their natural resources”.
A primary objective of the Nairobi gathering is to institutionalize cooperation between organized labor and the African Group of Negotiators (AGN). This collaboration aims to ensure that workers’ rights, job security, and social protection are embedded in the African negotiating text for COP31 in Antalya.
With over 600 million Africans still lacking access to electricity, both leaders agreed that initiatives like "Mission 300" must go beyond mere connection numbers to foster local industrialization and skills development.
“Workers must be at the centre of the energy transition,” Omamo concluded. “They cannot be treated as observers or invited only after policies and investment decisions have been finalised”.
By Kofi Adu Domfeh
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