The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) officially commenced in Belem, Brazil a city steeped in the history of the Amazon, a global symbol of ecological resilience and cultural diversity.
As the world gathered once again to deliberate the future of our planet, Africa’s moral and faith voices resonated strongly through GreenFaith Africa, standing firm in the call for climate justice, equity, and an end to fossil fuel dependency.
Representing GreenFaith Africa at this year’s COP were Green Faith Africa Executive Director Meryne Warah, GreenFaith Africa Program Manager Dr. Pius Oko, Regional Digital and Communications Coordinator Brian Misiati, and Nigeria National Coordinator Mr. Lucky Abeng.
The delegation brought with them not only Africa’s hope but also the moral weight of millions of faith voices demanding real climate action that places people and the planet before profit.
Uniting Africa’s Non-State Actors for a Common Climate Agenda
Ahead of the negotiations, the GreenFaith Africa team joined the Climate Action Network (CAN) Africa coordination meeting a critical gathering that unified Africa’s Non-State Actors to present a cohesive and powerful advocacy front during COP30.
The meeting served as a strategic moment for African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to align positions, amplify shared priorities, and ensure Africa’s voice remains visible, assertive, and morally grounded in the global negotiations.
During this pivotal meeting, Dr. Pius Oko, GreenFaith Africa’s Program Coordinator, reaffirmed the organization’s firm stance against the expansion of fossil fuel projects across Africa. He urged global leaders to listen to the moral call from faith communities and Grassroots defenders of creation, who continue to bear the burden of pollution, displacement, and economic exploitation driven by fossil fuel giants.
Dr Pius OKo Program manager GreenFaith Africa presenting Key Demands from Africa Faith based organizations at the CSOs convening in Belem Brazil during COP30
Dr. Oko also submitted GreenFaith Africa’s collective demands, developed in alignment with many other faith-based and civil society organizations, from the Africa Climate Summit held earlier in Addis Ababa.
These demands, rooted in justice and moral responsibility, call for:
- Accelerating a Just and Equitable Energy Transition, led by communities, women, and youth, ensuring that the clean energy future benefits those most affected by the climate crisis.
- Tripling Accessible Adaptation Finance, with a priority on grant-based funding to address loss and damage in climate-vulnerable regions.
- Scaling Agroecology, Food Sovereignty, and Nature-Based Innovations as sustainable pathways to achieve climate justice and strengthen community resilience.
- Intentional Inclusion of Faith Voices in Climate Negotiations, recognizing that faith communities play an indispensable moral and social role in driving people-centered climate action.
Executive Summary: Africa’s Unified Call for Climate Justice
African CSOs attending COP30 in Belem convened with one purpose , to strengthen coordination, align advocacy priorities, and strategize for impactful collective engagement throughout the conference.
The meeting underscored Africa’s unified call to:
- Triple adaptation finance,
- Operationalize loss and damage funding,
- Advance climate reparations, and
- Pursue a just and equitable energy transition.
Participants also emphasized Africa’s right to be recognized as a continent with special needs and circumstances, reaffirming the principle that polluters must be held accountable for the climate crisis.
To sustain momentum, members agreed to continue meeting twice weekly throughout COP30 to strengthen collaboration, share updates, and ensure African voices and priorities remain visible, coordinated, and influential during the negotiations.
Faith in Action: Remembering the Ogoni 9 and Standing Up to Fossil Fuel Giants
Beyond the negotiation rooms, GreenFaith Africa actively participated in public actions and vigils that gave life to the moral message behind the advocacy.
At a Candlelight Vigil in remembrance of the Ogoni 9, the nine environmental and human rights defenders executed 30 years ago for resisting oil exploitation in Nigeria’s Niger Delta
Dr. Pius Oko delivered a powerful reflection on the ongoing struggles faced by communities harmed by fossil fuel extraction.Dr. Pius Oko delivered a powerful reflection on the ongoing struggles faced by communities harmed by fossil fuel extraction.
He emphasized that “the cries of the Ogoni 9 still echo in Africa’s forests, rivers, and skies,” urging faith leaders and global delegates to rise in solidarity against the continued plunder of Africa’s resources by fossil fuel corporations. “Faith must not remain silent,” he declared. “Faith must stand with the oppressed, call out injustice, and lead the world toward healing creation.”
Dr Oko Delivered a powerful reflection on the ongoing struggles faced by communities dispaced and harmed by Fossil fuel projects across Africa
GreenFaith Africa also joined public digital action demanding a Just Energy Transition Now one that is clean, renewable, accessible, and community-led.
Through the hashtags #Faiths4ClimateJustice and #FossilFreeCOP30, the team amplified the call for accountability, naming and challenging fossil fuel giants such as @TotalEnergies, @Shell, @TullowOil, and @GhanaGas, urging them to divest from fossil fuel expansion projects in Africa and instead invest in renewable, ethical, and sustainable energy alternatives.
The Belém Action Mechanism: A Pathway for People-Centered Transition
GreenFaith Africa joined the CAN and CSO coalition in supporting the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM), a people-centred framework pushing for a community-owned Just Transition that goes beyond declarations and becomes a living, actionable decision at and beyond COP30.
This mechanism aligns with GreenFaith Africa’s vision of energy justice, where African communities are not passive recipients of international pledges but active architects of their renewable energy future.
A Moral Imperative for the Global Stocktake
As negotiations unfold in Belem, GreenFaith Africa remains vigilant, ensuring that the moral and ethical global stocktake remains at the heart of discussions.
The movement insists that any true global climate progress must be measured not merely in policy commitments but in how well it delivers justice, dignity, and restoration for those most impacted.
GreenFaith Africa calls upon all leaders, institutions, and corporations to listen to the moral voice of faith, a voice that demands courage, compassion, and accountability.
AFRICA IS SAYING: No more fossil fuels, KEEP OIL IN THE GROUND. INVEST IN A CLEAN, RENEWABLE, AND COMMUNITY-LED ENERGY FUTURE.
As COP30 continues in Belem, the GreenFaith Africa delegation stands steadfast with millions across the continent and beyond,demanding climate justice rooted in faith, morality, and equity. Because this is not just about emissions and targets. It is about lives, dignity, and the sacred duty to protect Creation.