As the world marks Earth Day 2026, the Africa Make Big Polluters Pay (MBPP) Coalition has called for urgent and decisive action to tackle the growing climate crisis, urging governments and global institutions to prioritise the protection of Africa’s ecosystems and hold major polluters accountable.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the coalition said this year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” highlights the urgent reality that climate change is no longer a distant threat but an immediate and intensifying emergency.
The group noted that the impact of climate change is already being felt across the continent—from the forests of Kenya to Nigeria’s grasslands—through rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, biodiversity loss, sea level rise, and climate-induced displacement. It stressed that Africa, despite contributing minimally to global emissions, continues to bear a disproportionate burden of the crisis.
Raising concerns over current global climate approaches, the coalition warned against turning Africa into a testing ground for unproven carbon schemes or externally imposed solutions that fail to address structural inequalities. It also criticised the increasing push to use African lands for extractive activities under the guise of green transitions, carbon offset markets, and mineral-driven energy agendas.
Reaffirming the Polluter Pays Principle, the MBPP Coalition called for stricter accountability for fossil fuel giants such as Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil operating in the Niger Delta, as well as other multinational and industrial actors whose activities continue to degrade ecosystems and undermine local livelihoods.
According to the group, there is a need for an immediate halt to new fossil fuel exploration, alongside a clearly defined and time-bound plan to phase out existing infrastructure.
The coalition also called for the establishment of strong governance frameworks that respect ecological sovereignty and prioritise the rights of local communities who serve as custodians of natural resources across Africa.
It rejected what it described as the growing commodification of nature through carbon markets, biodiversity offsets, and speculative environmental finance systems, arguing that such mechanisms often enable industrialised nations to maintain high emission levels while shifting environmental costs to developing countries.
“Natural ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, soils, and oceans must be protected as living systems through practical and integrated policies, rather than reduced to tradable financial assets,” the coalition stated.
Highlighting the importance of soil to food security, biodiversity, and climate stability, the group warned that industrial agriculture, poorly regulated mining, and carbon offset projects are placing increasing pressure on soil health.
The coalition emphasised that meaningful climate action must go beyond symbolic commitments and embrace systemic transformation, including reducing dependence on fossil fuels and promoting community-led and Indigenous resource governance.
It added that Earth Day 2026 should serve as a turning point for real action, not just ceremonial observance, stressing that without holding major polluters accountable and ending exploitative environmental practices, global climate targets will remain out of reach.
The statement was signed by over 32 organisations across Africa, including Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Health of Mother Earth Foundation, GenderCC Southern Africa, Climate Awareness Advocacy and Resilience Initiative (CAARI), DWB Foundation (Kenya), Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO), CherieHomes Global Initiatives, and the Centre pour la justice environnementale (CJE), among others.
