Speech by Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), on Africa Day at COP30, on Tuesday, November 11, 2025
It is an honour to speak today on behalf of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance and the wider fraternity of Africa’s non-state actors.
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Non-state actors are those who turn climate commitments into real action on the ground. And therefore it is strategic to associate us with the Africa Day here at COP30, as has been the case in previous COPs.
Let me, therefore, express gratitude to all partners involved in making this day successful and our pledge to continue working with you to advance the interests of African people in these global dialogues.
We come to this Africa Day as co-architects of the continent’s climate destiny. Without collective effort, achieved through meaningful inclusiveness, the risks of missing out on the true aspirations of all our peoples is high.
Across Africa, communities are living the daily consequences of broken promises. Yet, they continue to lead with courage and innovation. They remind us that climate action is a necessity for the survival of our shared planet.
But survival alone is not enough; Africa must transition into prosperity. That is why we stand for a new paradigm that sees climate finance, not as aid, but as investment in Africa’s people, innovation, and resilience. This means shifting power from global intermediaries to national and local actors; replacing talk with results, and moving away from extractive to regenerative economies.
At COP29, we were promised ambition. At COP30, we demand delivery and accountability. We cannot fund adaptation with pledges that never materialise. We cannot build resilience on the foundation of debt. We cannot industrialise on terms that export our minerals and import our poverty.
Non-state actors across the continent are ready to partner with governments to change this narrative by scaling just energy transitions, empowering youth and women, and driving transparent, community-led solutions.
The Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa has already shown the way: climate action must be needs-based, inclusive, and Africa-led. If we can unlock the value of our natural assets, reform the rules of global finance, and invest in our people, Africa will not only adapt to the climate crisis, it will define the future of sustainable growth.
So, today, as we celebrate Africa Day at COP30, we call for justice, fairness, and partnership grounded in respect and proportional responsibility. Let this moment mark the shift from pledges to power, from potential to performance, and from promises to prosperity.
