AU Calls for Climate Justice and Carbon Market Reform at COP30

Brazil, 14 November 2025 — African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Musa Vilakani, has called for a clear path toward climate justice and the reform of global carbon markets during Africa Day celebrations held on the sidelines of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil.

Vilakani noted that Africa faces a stark climate paradox: the continent possesses nearly 20 per cent of the world’s carbon sinks, yet receives less than 1 per cent of global carbon market revenues—an imbalance he described as a “structural injustice” that must be urgently addressed.

He stressed that COP30 must deliver concrete outcomes, including overhauling carbon market mechanisms to properly value Africa’s ecosystems, increasing adaptation financing to at least USD 50 billion annually, and expanding investment in nature-based solutions such as the Great Green Wall initiative.