By MONICA KAYOMBO, Zambia, Lusaka
ACTIONAID International has emphasized the need to recognize countries in the Global South, which are most affected by climate change, and yet have contributed the least to the problem. Ms Teresa Anderson who is Global Lead on Climate Justice at ActionAid International, stated this during a recent virtual meeting with Media Science Cafes from Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Ms Anderson stressed that it would only fair for wealthy countries to take urgent action to cut emissions and provide climate finance. “The Global South requires more finances to become resilient and transition to greener pathways to cut emissions and be part of the solution,” she said.
She emphasized that climate justice should put social justice at the heart of climate change. “We need any climate intervention to protect the rights of affected people,” Ms Anderson added. She called for a system change, transforming the problem, and protecting rights through inclusive and participatory processes that listen to marginalized communities. Ms Anderson highlighted the importance of the annual Conference of the Parties (COPs), where ActionAid International networks and builds capacity. “We discuss how debt drives climate change and the need for non-debt-based finance. We prioritize equity in our demands and focus areas,” she said.
She stressed that climate action should prioritize people’s daily needs, not push them into poverty. “Climate change, if done clumsily, can lead to backlash. The solution is climate action that puts people, their livelihoods, and concerns at the center of climate planning,” Ms Anderson said. At COP 30, ActionAid International aimed to coordinate action, track progress, identify gaps, and build knowledge. Anderson emphasized the importance of social protection, gender inclusivity, and media involvement in ensuring just climate transitions. “You have a critical role in spotlighting unjust climate action and reminding governments of their obligations and just transition principles,” Ms Anderson told the media.
She also highlighted the need to monitor critical minerals, as aggressive expansion is happening in Africa. Zambia is one of the countries working with communities in the informal sector to address issues related to critical minerals. Ms Anderson shared that teenagers working in this sector often lack access to education, understand their rights, or have opportunities to assert them. She observed that communities are suffering due to low mineral prices, water pollution, land grabs, and health issues. ActionAid International is working with Zambian communities to assert their rights and shape a just transition.
Strategic Lead at Africa Centre for Health, Climate and Gender Justice (ACHCGA) Imali Ngusale, made a presentation on why climate change is not gender-neutral. She said her organization focuses on Article 8 of the Paris Agreement ( PA) on loss and damage, gender, and health. Ms Ngusale explained that climate change affects women and marginalized genders by intensifying health risks, care burdens, food insecurity, and exposure to climate-related shocks. “Climate change deepens existing gender inequalities by interacting with social, economic, and political power structures,” she said.
She explained that ACHCGA centers on health justice by highlighting how unequal access to resources, decision-making, and healthcare worsens climate impacts across gender lines. Ms Ngusale emphasized that gender-responsive climate action is not just advocacy, but part of the story to be told, with journalists playing a crucial role in amplifying solutions. The meeting highlighted the need for climate justice, prioritizing people, and addressing the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.
