In what is being hailed as a historic move for environmental and human rights across the continent, a coalition of African civil society organisations is preparing to take the climate crisis to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
On May 2, in Arusha, Tanzania, the African Climate Platform, Resilient40, Natural Justice, and the Environmental Lawyers Collective for Africa — in collaboration with the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) formally submitted a groundbreaking petition. Their request: an Advisory Opinion on how African governments should uphold human rights in the face of accelerating climate change.
It’s the first time civil society has turned to the Court’s advisory powers to address climate justice — a move described by legal and environmental experts as a potential turning point for the continent.
“This isn’t just a legal filing — it’s a demand for justice,” said Alfred Brownell, Lead Campaigner for the African Climate Platform. “Africa contributes the least to global emissions, yet we suffer the most. Communities are drowning in floods, drying out in droughts, and losing everything to rising temperatures. We are calling on the Court to recognise that environmental harm is a human rights issue — and to hold our governments accountable across generations.”
The petition is anchored in African legal instruments including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Maputo Protocol, the Kampala Convention, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. It seeks clarity on state responsibilities in protecting fundamental rights — including the rights to life, health, food, water, housing, and a safe environment — especially for vulnerable populations like Indigenous Peoples, women, and young people.
It also calls for stronger legal standards around adaptation, loss and damage, energy justice, corporate accountability, and the protection of environmental defenders.
In the days leading up to the filing, climate advocates, lawyers, and grassroots organizers from across the continent have gathered in Arusha to finalize the submission. The sense of urgency has been palpable.
From Morocco to Mozambique, activists are bringing stories of hardship and resistance that highlight the human face of the crisis.
“In North Africa, we’ve seen protests over water shortages, floods that have wiped out entire communities, and unbearable heatwaves,” said Ahmad Abdallah, a human rights defender from Egypt. “Climate change isn’t coming — it’s already here.”
Southern Africa is grappling with its worst drought in a century. “Sixty-one million people are at risk of hunger. Girls are leaving school to fetch water. Gender-based violence is rising,” said Lucien Limacher from Natural Justice, South Africa.
Others spoke out on the dangers facing land defenders. “Environmental activists — especially Indigenous leaders — are being targeted while trying to protect fragile ecosystems. They face harassment, arrest, and worse,” warned Dr. Paul Mulindwa from CIVICUS.
Peter Quaqua from Liberia described cocoa farms failing under record heat. “Climate change is scorching West Africa’s breadbasket,” he said. Dorcas Sikujua Faida from the DRC added that communities face a triple crisis: “Flooding, drought, and armed conflict are pushing people to the brink.”
From Egypt, Shahinaz Adel emphasised how women bear the brunt: “They’re caregivers, farmers, and breadwinners. Cultural and climate pressures combine to make their burdens even heavier.”
Namibian influencer and artist Inna Maria Shikongo added, “We need to talk about the inequality. Youth and women across Africa are suffering silently — and it’s time we stand up.”
Agnes Kabujuni of Minority Rights Group called for the recognition of traditional knowledge and Indigenous leadership in climate solutions. “These communities have done the least harm, but their futures are on the line.”
For PALU’s Economic Governance Officer, June Cynthia Okelo, the legal implications are clear: “Africa is not a dumping ground for global pollution. We are using this petition to say — enough. The Court must affirm that climate harm is a human rights emergency.”
Following the submission, the coalition will host a press briefing at the African Court to outline the next steps in what could become a defining case for climate law in Africa.
The African Climate Platform (ACP )is a pan-African coalition of civil society organisations, climate activists, legal experts, Indigenous communities, women’s networks, and youth movements working to centre African voices in the global climate justice movement.
