African governments must prioritize enacting robust climate legislation to combat the continent’s escalating environmental emergencies, a senior United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) official warned Thursday.
The call comes as extreme weather events—from prolonged droughts to catastrophic floods—continue to ravage communities, underscoring the urgent need for legal frameworks to unify and strengthen climate action.
“Without forward-thinking laws, climate initiatives risk becoming scattered and toothless,” said Rose Mwebaza, UNEP’s regional director for Africa, during a gathering of the Africa Network of Parliamentarians on Climate Change (ANPCC) in Nairobi. Her remarks highlighted the growing consensus that legislation is critical to securing climate finance, enforcing accountability, and integrating efforts to tackle interconnected crises like biodiversity loss and desertification.
The push for legal overhauls follows years of stalled progress, with many African nations relying on patchwork policies ill-suited to address the scale of the crisis. Mwebaza stressed that cohesive laws could “anchor climate action in governance,” ensuring environmental protections align with national development agendas. Her appeal resonated with lawmakers like ANPCC Chair Emile Guirieoulou, a parliamentarian from Côte d’Ivoire, who argued that legislative clarity is essential to “move climate change from the margins to the heart of policymaking.”
Central to the discussion is the proposed Model Climate Change Law, a continental blueprint nearing finalization after months of collaboration between legal experts, lawmakers, and groups like the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES). George Wamukoya, AGNES’ team lead, confirmed the draft is now awaiting last-stage input from stakeholders, with hopes it will standardize climate governance and unlock funding for adaptation projects.
Yet challenges loom. Critics note that even well-crafted laws may falter without political will, adequate enforcement, and resources. Many African nations grapple with competing priorities, such as poverty alleviation and economic development, which often overshadow environmental concerns. Moreover, disparities in capacity and funding between countries could widen gaps in implementation.
UNEP’s rallying cry also arrives amid mounting pressure on wealthier nations to fulfill unmet climate finance pledges—a sticking point at global negotiations. While the model law aims to simplify access to international funds, analysts caution that Africa’s climate future hinges on more than legislation. “Laws are a starting point, not a solution,” said Kenyan environmental advocate Wanjira Mathai. “They must be paired with grassroots education, investment in green jobs, and equitable partnerships.”
For now, the ANPCC summit signals a renewed drive to translate urgency into action. As temperatures rise and deadlines narrow, the test for Africa’s leaders lies not just in drafting laws, but in ensuring they deliver justice for those hardest hit by a crisis they did least to create.
