Our Climate Justice Programme advances equitable, rights-based climate action across Africa. We work at the intersection of climate change, human rights, and accountable business conduct to ensure that those least responsible for the climate crisis are not the ones who bear its greatest burdens. Climate change is not only an environmental issue — it is a justice issue. Across Africa, vulnerable communities face rising temperatures, droughts, floods, displacement, food insecurity, and loss of livelihoods. Women, youth, indigenous peoples, and marginalized groups are disproportionately affected, yet often excluded from decision-making processes.
Further, to effectively address these harms and lay a strong foundation for climate and environmental justice, policymakers must acknowledge and confront the growing environmental impacts of an emerging technology: artificial intelligence (AI). These impacts are complex, but the industrial shift AI is propelling could mirror previous technologies by unequally distributing societal benefits and creating winners and losers. Climate governance cannot overlook how recent developments in AI and cloud technology contribute to the environmental burdens that vulnerable communities face.
We believe climate solutions must be fair, inclusive, and grounded in human dignity.
What We Do
Climate Policy and Advocacy
We promote the integration of human rights standards into national and regional climate frameworks, including alignment with the African Union Agenda 2063 and countries’ commitments under the Paris Agreement. We also advocate for environmental accountability in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Community Centered AI Governance.
We advocate for:
- Just transition policies
- Community participation in climate decision-making
- Highlight how AI infrastructure (like mining for rare minerals) impacts local communities, ensuring they are not “sacrificed” for digital infrastructure.Gender-responsive climate action
- “Responsible AI for Climate” frameworks that reflect the needs, experiences, and local knowledge of Global South communities
- Bridge the Climate-Tech Divide:Train climate activists and staff on the environmental impacts of AI to build in-house expertise in digital technology advocacy.
Youth and Women Leadership in Climate Action
We build the capacity of young leaders and women to engage in climate governance, policy advocacy, and green entrepreneurship. Through mentorship, research, and policy dialogue, we amplify African voices in global climate spaces.
Climate Litigation and Legal Empowerment
We strengthen access to justice for communities affected by climate harm by:
- Supporting strategic climate litigation
- Training lawyers, judges, the business community and civil society actors
- Promoting Community remedy and grievance mechanisms
Our Impact
Through our Climate Justice Programme, we aim to:
- Embed human rights in climate laws and policies
- Bridge the Climate-Tech divide on environmental impacts of AI
- Increase corporate climate accountability
- Strengthen access to remedies for affected communities
- Advance a just and inclusive green transition across Africa
Program Activities
Participation in the Sixth Climate and SDG Synergies Conference: Session on Country Platforms for Climate Action
CEPCJ participated in the Sixth Climate and SDG Synergies Conference session titled “Country Platforms for Climate Action and Adaptation: Making Them Work for the Most Climate-Vulnerable) at the UN City, Copenhagen, Denmark.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP 28, United Arab Emirates, December 2023
CEPCJ was well represented at the 28 th Conference of the Parties at the United Nations Conference of the Parties. COP28 marked the conclusion of the first ‘global stocktake’ of the world’s efforts to address climate change under the Paris Agreement. Having shown that progress was too slow across all areas of climate action – from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, to strengthening resilience to a changing climate, to getting the financial and technological support to vulnerable nations – countries responded with a decision on how to accelerate action across all areas by 2030. This includes a call on governments to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels to renewables such as wind and solar power in their next round of climate commitments.
April 2024: Participation in an International Law Symposium
Our Executive Director, Florence Shako, contributed to an international law symposium on illicit financial flows and sustainable development specifically on strengthening the financial integrity of the climate transition by curbing illicit financial flows. This is hosted by AfronomicsLaw.
Link: https://www.afronomicslaw.org/category/analysis/symposium-iffs-strengthening-financial-integrity-climate-transition-curbing
United Nations Civil Society Conference, Nairobi, Kenya
CEPCJ was well represented at the United Nations Civil Society Conference, Nairobi, May 2024 by Florence Shako. The United Nations Civil Society Conference offered civil society organizations an opportunity to put a global perspective on a specific issue and brought together senior UN System officials, prominent international civil society organizations, youth changemakers, academia, public opinion makers, and international media to discuss issues of global concern. This international forum, which hosted more than 2000 participants, provided preliminary discussions and data ahead of the Summit of the Future in September 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Frequently Asked Questions
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