Zukunftsorientierte Übergangs-Klimagerechtigkeit: Die Rolle der ECOWAS bei der Gewährleistung der regionalen Integration

This research paper argues that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should adopt a forward-looking transitional justice framework for climate governance to address structural inequities and gender-based vulnerabilities. The author proposes that by institutionalising justice through regional mechanisms—such as a gender-responsive minerals strategy and a dedicated adaptation fund for women—ECOWAS can ensure a just energy transition and climate resilience that is independent of the instability of global climate finance and multilateral agreements.

• Climate change in West Africa is described as a crisis of social justice where weather shocks interact with historical inequities and gendered divisions of labour, leaving women—who are primarily responsible for subsistence agriculture—systematically over-exposed to harms.
• The paper advocates for 'forward-looking transitional justice' in climate governance, which moves beyond post-conflict contexts to address structural harms and transform the socio-political relations that create vulnerability.
• Global climate finance mechanisms, such as the COP27 Loss and Damage Fund, are viewed as fragile due to the instability of major emitters, exemplified by the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the Fund's Board.
• To mitigate reliance on unstable international governance, the author suggests ECOWAS develop its own resilient structures, including regional reparations facilities and gender-responsive adaptation funds.
• While ECOWAS was the first African Regional Economic Community to adopt a Directive on Gender Assessment in Energy Projects, the paper notes a lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness of gender-related initiatives in Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso.
• The paper recommends that ECOWAS implement a gender-responsive minerals strategy and a regional certification for green minerals to ensure that the energy transition does not reproduce existing inequalities in the extractive sector.
• The author proposes the creation of a Regional Climate Adaptation Fund for Women, potentially utilizing the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) to finance projects like solar-powered irrigation for female farmers.

APA

Mchunu, S. (2025). Zukunftsorientierte Übergangs-Klimagerechtigkeit: Die Rolle der ECOWAS bei der Gewährleistung der regionalen Integration. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/de/zukunftsorientierte-ubergangs-klimagerechtigkeit-die-rolle-der-ecowas-bei-der-gewaehrleistung-der-regionalen-integration-en

Chicago

Mchunu, Sphesihle. Zukunftsorientierte Übergangs-Klimagerechtigkeit: Die Rolle der ECOWAS bei der Gewährleistung der regionalen Integration. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/de/zukunftsorientierte-ubergangs-klimagerechtigkeit-die-rolle-der-ecowas-bei-der-gewaehrleistung-der-regionalen-integration-en.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mchunu |first1=Sphesihle |title=Zukunftsorientierte Übergangs-Klimagerechtigkeit: Die Rolle der ECOWAS bei der Gewährleistung der regionalen Integration |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=28 November 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/de/zukunftsorientierte-ubergangs-klimagerechtigkeit-die-rolle-der-ecowas-bei-der-gewaehrleistung-der-regionalen-integration-en |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mchunu2025zukunftsorientierte, author = {Mchunu, Sphesihle}, title = {{Zukunftsorientierte Übergangs-Klimagerechtigkeit: Die Rolle der ECOWAS bei der Gewährleistung der regionalen Integration}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://afripoli.org/de/zukunftsorientierte-ubergangs-klimagerechtigkeit-die-rolle-der-ecowas-bei-der-gewaehrleistung-der-regionalen-integration-en}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }