Power Shift Africa has been a strong and vocal critic of carbon markets in Africa as they, like the fossil fuel industry, serve the interests of polluters and not communities. Evidence against these controversial projects is mounting.  

Across continents, ordinary people, young and old, are taking on governments and corporations over their failure to act on the climate crisis.

Climate reparations are gaining attention ahead of COP30 in Brazil. In this explainer we breakdown why African nations and global activists say developed countries must pay for historical pollution, colonialism, and loss and damage from climate change.

Before you hurl the epithets at us, think about this: the heating of the planet is the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced, but it is also the biggest opportunity for business-as-usual grifting. Carbon markets, fake finance, extraction in green disguise, net zero pledges without substance, all of it amounts to a massive transfer of responsibility and cost from the Global North to the South. So, when Trump sneered that climate change was a “con job” as he addressed this year’s United Nations General Assembly, he was right. Not in the way he meant, but in the sense that the climate agenda has been hijacked by con men in suits who’ve discovered that you can turn planetary survival into just another racket. 

Each September, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) transforms New York into the world’s political epicentre.

ACS 2.0 was more than a summit. It was a statement of intent that Africa will no longer be defined by what it lacks, but by what it contributes

PEOPLE VS POWER: AS SADC SEEKS ENERGY AND INDUSTRY TRANSITIONS, PLUNDER AND PILLAGE ARE ON GOVERNMENT CARDS, BUT THE PEOPLE WANT JUSTICE AND EQUITY 

LISTICLE: 10 things from the Addis Ababa declaration that cut through the noise.

The decision by the Brazilian COP30 presidency to award a media contract to Shell-linked PR agency Edelman has outraged climate experts globally. See the reflections in this piece.

On the outskirts of Johannesburg, a previously abandoned and crime-ridden patch of land has been transformed into a thriving oasis of food and hope. At Gardens of Grace, Mama Judy and a group of women farmers are proving that agroecology is more than theory; it is adaptation in action.

Where invasive bushes once stood, rows of spinach, pumpkins, and fruit trees now flourish. Chickens help control pests, compost nourishes the soil, and herbal plants like moringa and artemisia thrive alongside vegetables.

In this sharp analysis of the Bonn Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) text, Juma Ignatius argues that while technical progress was made on adaptation indicators, the vague and ambiguous language risks undermining accountability. Without clearer commitments, especially on finance, developing nations could be left navigating a dangerously diluted framework. The real test, he says, lies ahead: turning paper promises into equitable, measurable support on the ground.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is the world’s largest climate finance mechanism, created to help developing countries respond to the climate crisis. Despite global promises, climate finance still falls far short of what’s needed—especially for those most affected.

Funded mainly by developed countries, the GCF disburses resources through accredited partners, with a strong focus on country ownership and alignment with national priorities.

In 2025, Power Shift Africa became an accredited African Observer, strengthening Africa’s voice in global climate finance decisions and pushing for more accessible funding for adaptation and just transitions.

Draft text calls for the creation of four trans-boundary marine conservation corridors, stretching from the Canary Current along the West African seaboard to the Agulhas Bank in the south, to facilitate shared scientific research, harmonised regulations and coordinated responses to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

Global Wetland Outlook 2025, launched today at ongoing AMCEN talks in Nairobi, warns that, between 1970 and today, 22 per cent of wetland areas have been lost, or the equivalent of over half a billion football pitches, and one in four remaining wetlands are already in poor ecological condition

In a move that could mark a shift in Africa’s environmental diplomacy from protection to prosecution, the Democratic Republic of Congo urges Africa’s leaders to recognise the mass destruction of ecosystems as a crime

At the 20th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), Africa’s climate negotiators—through the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) are stepping up efforts to ensure the continent speaks with one clear, united voice ahead of COP30. With priorities like equitable climate finance, clean cooking, and adaptation on the table, AGN is aligning closely with AMCEN’s guidance to push for African-led, science-backed climate solutions.

2025 is a critical make-or-break moment for adaptation. It marks the deadline to finalise 100 indicators to track the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and for developed countries to fulfil their commitment to double adaptation finance. These two threads are deeply connected because without strong indicators on finance, capacity, and technology support, there’s no way to assess if adaptation funding is accessible, predictable, and aligned with developing countries’ needs.

At SB62 in Bonn, negotiations exposed deep divisions. Developed countries pushed for indicators based on national budgets and private finance, sidestepping their global responsibilities. Meanwhile, Africa and other Global South negotiators fought to ensure the inclusion of Means of Implementation (MOI) indicators grounded in the Paris Agreement. Their goal? To ensure adaptation support isn’t just a vague promise but a measurable, accountable commitment.

For the first time, just transition priorities were tabled in negotiations, following years of pressure from social movements, campaigners and civil society organisations globally.

In the heart of Alexandra township, South Africa, a community-led climate adaptation project is unfolding. The Alexandra Water Warriors, a grassroots initiative, are reviving the once-polluted Jukskei River through ecosystem restoration, flood risk management, and urban greening. Their work, anchored in nature-based solutions and local empowerment, has transformed not only the river but also the lives around it.

What began as a response to a degraded waterway is now a blueprint for climate resilience. The Warriors’ collaborative, restorative, and inclusive approach shows that when communities lead, adaptation works for people and nature.

Stiell closes SB62 talks with a blunt warning that the world is falling dangerously short of action, and that the delay is costing lives.