This archive report was first published on 22 April 2020.
On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2020, the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) urged African governments to prioritize both the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, warning that neglecting one crisis would exacerbate the other.
Speaking from Kenya, PACJA Executive Director Mithika Mwenda emphasized that African states cannot afford to overlook climate change, which has already claimed numerous lives on the continent. He pointed to recent disasters in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya, where heavy rainfall and flash floods resulted in at least 48 and 12 deaths, respectively.
As the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, Mithika stressed that climate action is not a secondary concern. He urged governments to support their people, including indigenous communities, in conserving the environment by ensuring the green climate fund reaches the grassroots.
According to Mithika, adequate legislation exists to address climate change, but implementation is lacking. He expressed disappointment with the outcomes of the UNFCCC's COP25 and called on the African Group of Negotiators to prepare better for the upcoming COP26, scheduled for 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.
“Climate change is foreseeable, and we can do something to avert much of its impact. If we take action in good time, there will be enough space to focus on emergencies like Covid-19,” Mithika said.
