As the world marks Earth Day 2026, the Africa Make Big Polluters Pay Coalition, MBPP has called on African governments to take urgent and concrete steps to address the worsening climate crisis and protect the continent’s ecosystems.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the coalition said this year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” highlights the growing reality that climate change is no longer a distant threat but an immediate and intensifying emergency.
The group noted that from biodiversity loss and extreme heat to erratic rainfall and rising sea levels, the effects of climate change are already being felt across Africa, despite the continent contributing the least to global emissions.
It warned against what it described as the continued exploitation of Africa’s natural resources under the guise of green transitions, carbon offset markets, and mineral-driven energy projects, stressing that such approaches often replicate historical patterns of inequality.
Reaffirming the polluter pays principle, the coalition called for stricter accountability from multinational fossil fuel corporations, including Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil, particularly for their operations in environmentally sensitive regions such as the Niger Delta.
The coalition also demanded an immediate halt to new fossil fuel exploration and a structured, time-bound phase-out of existing infrastructure, alongside stronger governance frameworks that prioritise ecological protection and community rights.
It criticised the increasing commodification of nature through carbon markets and biodiversity offsets, arguing that such mechanisms often allow continued emissions in industrialised countries while shifting environmental burdens to the Global South.
Highlighting the importance of soil health, the group said soils play a critical role in food security, carbon storage, and biodiversity, warning that industrial agriculture, mining, and poorly regulated carbon projects pose significant threats.
The coalition emphasised that meaningful climate action must go beyond symbolic observance and focus on systemic transformation, including ending fossil fuel dependence and promoting community-led and Indigenous approaches to resource governance.
According to the group, achieving global climate goals will require enforceable accountability for major polluters, as well as collective action from governments, communities, and institutions to address the crisis.
