SECAM Calls for Urgent, Africa-Led Climate Action and Just Financing Ahead of COP30
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has declared that the climate crisis is both a moral and ecological emergency, urging wealthy nations to deliver fair climate finance and support Africa-led solutions.
In a statement titled “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” SECAM warned that Africa is suffering disproportionately from droughts, floods, cyclones, and desertification despite contributing the least to global emissions.
SECAM stressed that Africa must not merely be a recipient of external agendas but should actively shape its ecological future. The bishops called for renewable energy expansion—particularly solar—alongside regenerative agriculture and technologies that respect biodiversity and cultural heritage.
“The future is renewable energy, namely solar power. We must stop the expansion of fossil fuels and decisively embrace clean energy solutions that empower communities and protect our common home,” the statement read.
A central demand is for wealthy nations to repay what SECAM describes as their “ecological debt” by ensuring transparent and accessible climate finance. Loss and Damage and Adaptation Funds, the bishops said, must be operationalised swiftly to reach vulnerable communities without indebting African countries.
“Delay and half-measures only deepen the suffering of our people and jeopardise future generations. Finance for Loss and Damage is not aid—it is justice and solidarity with those already bearing the brunt of climate change,” the Church emphasised.
The bishops also reaffirmed their commitment to ecological education, resilience-building, and advocacy at upcoming international summits, including COP30. Plans include establishing an Ecclesial Observatory on Climate Justice to track progress on climate pledges and working with ethical partners to advance green development.
Grounded in the papal teachings of Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, SECAM insists that climate action is not only a political necessity but a spiritual imperative. “Africa must rise as a moral voice and agent of its own transformation. Justice, solidarity, and care for creation demand nothing less,” the bishops concluded.
