Climate activists in Nigeria and 49 other nations have launched a global campaign demanding an urgent and equitable fossil-fuel phase-out.
The mobilization, involving over 150 events worldwide, aims to pressure governments into taking immediate action to prevent further climate disasters.
In Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are at the forefront of this movement, each hosting over ten demonstrations.
Across the continent, more than 70 events are set to take place in 20 countries, including rallies and performances highlighting the urgency of climate action.
The global campaign comes as Nigeria continues discussions with the United States on green financing for climate change initiatives.
In April, both nations opened talks on climate-friendly financial pathways. Ajuri Ngelale, former Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action under President Bola Tinubu, emphasized the focus on leveraging large-scale climate financing to boost Nigeria’s green industrial agenda.
However, activists are concerned that climate financing is often viewed by wealthier nations as charity rather than a crucial response to the crisis.
Senior Program Manager at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, Ogunlade Olamide, expressed frustration: “It is worrying that climate finance is being reduced to charity by those responsible for the crisis, while frontline communities are struggling to cope. We demand a stop to this parasitic system—it’s about people over profit.”
This wave of protests is part of a broader global movement leading up to Climate Week NYC (September 22-29), where world leaders will convene for the UN General Assembly and the first UN Summit of the Future.
The summit is expected to finalize a Pact for the Future, which activists hope will include strong commitments to phase out fossil fuels. While earlier drafts of the pact omitted such obligations, they have been reinstated in recent versions.
In Asia, the movement is equally robust, with over 70 coordinated protests in 62 cities across the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and other nations. Many of these protests are focused on coal-fired power plants, criticizing the expansion of coal projects in the region despite global climate agreements.
Climate experts stress the need to transition away from fossil fuels to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, many wealthy nations, particularly in the Global North, continue to expand fossil fuel use and provide subsidies, fueling further environmental damage in the Global South through investments in oil, gas, and coal projects.
Lidy Nacpil of the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development called for a halt to coal expansion in Asia, urging governments to focus on renewable energy: “New electricity demand can be met with renewable energy, which is less costly, quicker to build, and reduces reliance on imported fuels.”
Executive Director of Climate Action Network International, Tasneem Essop, echoed these sentiments, accusing wealthy nations of hypocrisy: “Rich nations call for a transition away from fossil fuels but continue expanding oil, gas, and coal production.
This double standard perpetuates colonial legacies, disproportionately harming communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Rich nations must lead by example and stop fossil fuel expansion.”