African Environmental Defenders: Let us take these demands to COP

The document identifies critical targets within the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and themes for UNFCCC COP29 that African environmental defenders should prioritize. For COP16, it emphasizes the need for human rights-based monitoring of the '30X30' target (Target 3), the protection of defenders (Target 22), and gender equality (Target 23). For COP29, it warns against 'Nature-Based Solutions' as 'false solutions' and calls for ambitious, grant-based climate finance and progressive Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) based on climate justice.

• At CBD COP16, African defenders are urged to focus on three targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Target 3 (the 30X30 target) risks causing the eviction of Indigenous Peoples and local communities from land designated for conservation; defenders should advocate for monitoring systems based on land tenure and human rights rather than simple percentages of conserved land. Target 22 focuses on the participation of Indigenous Peoples and the protection of environmental defenders, requiring a specific headline indicator in the monitoring framework. Target 23 addresses gender equality, though it currently lacks clear indicators and redress mechanisms.
• There is a significant disconnect in Africa between governments signing international policy agreements and the actual national implementation of those commitments.
• Regarding UNFCCC COP29, the document characterizes certain 'Nature-Based Solutions' (NBS) as 'false solutions' and 'dangerous distractions' used by private actors to offset emissions, which allows fossil fuel companies to maintain 'business as usual' while causing land dispossession and loss of livelihoods for defenders.
• African defenders are encouraged to advocate at COP29 for a new collective quantified climate finance goal that is needs-based and grant-based to avoid worsening the debt crisis or imposing austerity conditionalities. Additionally, they should push for progressive Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) informed by human rights and the experiences of front-line communities.

APA

Martens, C. (2024). African Environmental Defenders: Let us take these demands to COP. Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/african-environmental-defenders-let-us-take-these-demands-to-cop/

Chicago

Martens, Claire. African Environmental Defenders: Let us take these demands to COP. Natural Justice, 2024. https://naturaljustice.org/african-environmental-defenders-let-us-take-these-demands-to-cop/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martens |first1=Claire |title=African Environmental Defenders: Let us take these demands to COP |publisher=Natural Justice |date=7 October 2024 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/african-environmental-defenders-let-us-take-these-demands-to-cop/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martens2024african, author = {Martens, Claire}, title = {{African Environmental Defenders: Let us take these demands to COP}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/african-environmental-defenders-let-us-take-these-demands-to-cop/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }