Activists at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, have called on African climate negotiators at COP31 to reject carbon offsetting as a substitute for actual emissions reductions.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos State, they warned that African governments risk undermining their climate commitments by pursuing fossil fuel expansion, relying on controversial carbon markets and allowing corporate interests to influence national climate policies.
The media briefing in Lagos focused on two reports titled “Four Years On: Examining Nigeria’s Just Transition Plan” and “Nationally Determined Contributions in Africa: A Five-Country Policy Analysis,” as the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP31, got underway in Antalya, Türkiye.
The assessments highlighted contradictions in African climate policies, particularly governments’ simultaneous pursuit of renewable energy ambitions and investments in fossil fuel infrastructure.
The report on Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan also identified weaknesses in the country’s efforts to balance its dependence on fossil fuels with its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
With the country’s just transition guidelines yet to receive Federal Executive Council approval, speakers called for stronger policies to protect affected workers and communities.
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Editor: Ada Ononye
