African Climate Negotiators call for Just Transition Mechanism aligned with continent’s development priorities
Date: 2026-08-11
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The Chair of the African
Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah,
has called for a unified and technically grounded African position on the
proposed Just Transition Mechanism ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change
Conference (COP31).
Speaking at the opening of
the AGN Just Transition Technical Workshop in Accra, Ghana, Nana Dr. Amoah said
any mechanism developed under the global climate framework must reflect
Africa’s specific development needs and economic realities.
He identified energy access,
climate adaptation, industrialisation, economic diversification, decent
employment and local value addition as key priorities that should underpin
Africa’s approach to a just transition.
According to him, the global
shift towards low-carbon production could create both risks and opportunities
for African economies. Emerging trade measures and carbon standards, he noted,
could affect the competitiveness of African countries if their implications are
not adequately considered.
At the same time, he said
the transition to a green economy could provide opportunities for Africa to
expand green industrialisation, develop its critical minerals sector and
strengthen its participation in global supply chains.
Nana Dr. Amoah warned
against a transition model in which Africa continues to export raw materials
while higher-value processing, technology development and job creation take
place outside the continent.
He argued that a genuinely
just transition should enable African countries to participate more equitably
in the emerging green economy and capture greater economic value from the
transition.
The two-day technical
workshop is expected to develop concrete African proposals covering the
purpose, functions, financing, governance and institutional arrangements of the
Just Transition Mechanism.
