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Ahead of the thirtieth Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) holding next month in Belém, Brazil, the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) is gearing up to level the playing field. More than ever before, the Global South is insisting that the historical polluters (industrialized nations) should commit to righting the wrongs against our environment while ramping up climate action. With the support of International Labour Organization (ILO), the evidence-based and data-driven advocacy of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) under the Climate Change Program headed by Comrade Echezona Asuzu, is a proven game changer. It has yielded outstanding results. The cooperation between ILO, NLC and the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Nigeria’s focal point on climate change issues, ensured that social protection for workers which was not mentioned in the previous Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 1.0 and NDC 2.0) is now embodied and mainstreamed in NDC 3.0. In fact, “the document was written in workers language.”
At no time has the matter of climate justice been more compelling than now. This year’s Conference tagged, ‘Implementation COP’ is expected to prioritize “NDC delivery, adaptation indicators, climate finance, and advancing a just transition.” Too much talks, less commitments, and lip service, are taking the back seat. The voices of those who contributed a fraction to the climate change but are unjustifiably at the receiving end, have become louder and more strident. They are disproportionately made to bear the brunt of huge emissions from the Global North while lacking the critical infrastructure, capacity, and resilience to cope with the “transitioning away”. They therefore want a fairer, humane, and inclusive deal. After all, the fathers cannot eat sour grapes and the children’s teeth would be set on edge.
Whether by strategic calculation or by coincidence, the release of the report by World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that carbon dioxide (CO2) levels had hit the highest since the pre-industrial times, few weeks to COP 30, rings a bell of emergency. According to Bill Hare, the CEO of Climate Analytics, the scenario is “alarming and worrying.” The exponential rise in fossil fuels consumption and the wildfires in the Americas that peaked in 2024 are the chief culprits. “The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather…” Besides the CO2 that rose by 52%, the report holds it that greenhouse gases from methane and nitrous oxide also surged by 16% and 25% respectively. The scarier dimension to the new discovery is that scientists are of the view that the overwhelming hot temperature may account for a relapse of capacities of oceans, lands, and forests to absorb the gases. Additionally, the disappearance of coral reefs, otherwise known as “rainforests of the sea” which has reached a tipping point, could have lowered their capacity for carbon sinking. The grim reality is that man-made activities have pushed and pressured coral reefs unreservedly. Hence, the debate is no longer about the necessity of cutting back emissions but that doing so would warrant mainstreaming of workers’ rights and ensuring that the weak, the voiceless, and the vulnerable are not left behind.
The crux of NLC’s tireless campaigns which became part of NDC 3.0 revolve around labour rights, social inclusion, poverty reduction, and workers welfare. For the NLC, just transition cannot end in mere sloganeering. It is a workplace phenomenon and should have a human face. The transition to low-carbon economy should be inclusive. An ecosystem of social dialogue has to be in place for social partners to engage. Workers who are to be displaced need protection. They need decent work, not modern slavery. Their reskilling and upskilling to brace up with new economic opportunities in green economy have to be factored in, as over 80% of workers do not have the capacity to finance their retraining occasioned by the transition.
At the just concluded Pre COP 30 synthesis meeting and review session in Nigeria, the message to be elevated at the plenary and side events is clear: the Global South is not begging. It is demanding for the mainstreaming of just transition in COP 30. Developed nations with historical injustices against the underdeveloped countries should take responsibility for just transition at workplace. Yes, just transition that creates jobs, not joblessness. Rebeca Okello of COTU-Kenya recommends that operationalization of just transition has to be multi-sectoral, multi-faceted, and with inclusivity (social protection). Lending her support too, Giulia Lagana of ITUC Africa made a case for “energy sovereignty and affordability through public pathways, debt cancellation, just transition and gender justice.”
On the issue of climate finance, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” of Paris Agreement makes it an obligation for developed nations to champion efforts toward mobilizing funds to support developing countries. It brought about a scaling up of pledges to $300 billion in 2024. But it was a far cry from the projected $1.3 trillion! Nonetheless, the Global South as echoed by Nigeria is insisting that climate financing should be deployed as grants for adaptation measures, and not loans. What developing countries need now is reparation and not further enslavement. As such, Dr. Margaret Ibeku, a development expert, made a symbolic correlation of Brazil as the host of COP 30. For her, the presence of former black slaves in large numbers in the country makes it a fitting place to argue for reparation and debt cancellation. She was emphatic about holding the culprits to account for their misdeeds.
Ultimately, the overall concern of NLC is that workers especially those in critical sectors like oil and gas, manufacturing, aviation, etc, who are likely to be displaced by climate action deserve to be protected, including the informal sector. Climate change has come to stay. All hands must be on deck to mitigate the ugly effects. But just transition remains the way to go.
