Climate Change experts have critiqued the current structure of the Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP) saying they have continued to benefit wealthy nations and the private sector at the expense of vulnerable communities.
This view was expressed by speakers at a webinar convened by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) titled “The Emission Gaps and the Road to COP 29.”
The webinar brought together environmental experts, activists, and public interest lawyers to discuss urgent issues surrounding global climate policy, emissions reduction, and the upcoming COP29 slated for Baku, Azerbaijan this November.
Ruth Nyambura, an African ecofeminist with Ramani Collective, argued that the emissions gap reflects more than just figures; it represents ongoing injustices—wars, inequality, and human rights abuses.
Nyambura highlighted how the fossil fuel industry drive environmental devastation and land dispossession, especially across African nations and the broader Global South.
“For participatory frameworks to ensure these funds serve communities genuinely impacted by climate change and avoid absorption by elites or corrupt governments, a decentralized approach to climate policy is needed as it would better meet the real needs of frontline communities”
Fadhel Kaboub, an Associate Professor of Economics at Denison University and Senior Advisor with PowerShift Africa, noted that global warming targets would be impossible to achieve under current fossil fuel extraction rates, leaving Africa’s renewable potential largely untapped due to lack of financing and technology transfer.
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Kaboub advocated for climate reparations, structured as grants rather than loans, to address the historical carbon debt owed by industrialized countries.
“These reparations would finance Africa’s self-sufficiency through renewable energy and food sovereignty initiatives. As COP 29 approaches, we must center the voices of those most affected by climate injustice, especially in the Global South. African leaders must stand against further fossil fuel exploitation and demand policies that truly transform our continent”.
Thuli Makama, a public interest Attorney and Africa Senior Advisor at Oil Change International emphasized on the “pipeline of resistance” needed to counter false narratives around climate action that profit Corporations while harming vulnerable communities. Makama encouraged Civil Society to resist co-optation by COP processes and instead invest in counter-COP forums, which allow for open discussion on the root causes of climate change.
“COP 29 should focus on accountability. The calls include climate finance, technology transfer, and addressing loss and damage—a COP where fossil fuel interests do not dominate and where the voices of impacted communities are prioritized”.
Nnimmo Bassey, Founder, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) emphasized that fossil fuel interests remain heavily represented within COP, creating a shield from accountability despite their contribution to the climate crisis.
“The COP process has prioritized market-based solutions that do not address the systemic causes of emissions, such as extractive capitalism and entrenched global power structures. Instead of driving meaningful climate action, these ‘solutions’ are deepening the crisis,” said Bassey.
The dialogue, led by HOMEF’s Director, Nnimmo Bassey, called for radical reforms to address COP’s historic failings and the inequalities that persist in climate negotiations.
Panelists reviewed the evolution of COP conferences and pointed to critical milestones, such as the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and the Paris Agreement of 2015.
They agreed on the need for a global resistance movement to unite feminists, labor unions, indigenous communities, and environmental activists to challenge structures perpetuating climate injustice.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
