Addis Ababa — The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA), Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, has called on African leaders, civil society, and international partners to put justice at the core of climate action.
He made the statement while delivering a keynote address at the “Centering Justice in Climate Action” session, a side event held during the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) and organized by the African Climate Platform.
Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo emphasized that Africa’s development priorities must align with the rights and dignity of its people. He stressed the urgent need for investments in education, clean water, infrastructure, and decent employment, warning against development models that benefit elites while displacing communities and harming the environment.
“Development that promotes injustice and undermines livelihoods is no development at all,” he said.
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Describing Africa as being at the heart of global climate injustice, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo noted that although the continent contributes less than four percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is already suffering from severe droughts, coastal erosion, biodiversity loss, declining agricultural productivity, and population displacement.
In Liberia, he pointed to the worsening conditions faced by farmers, increasing risks for coastal communities, and the country’s continued struggle with energy poverty amid broader development challenges.
He described climate change as both an environmental crisis and a human rights issue, citing the erosion of core rights such as life, health, food, water, and dignity — all protected under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo criticized the continued marginalization of African voices in global climate negotiations and called for equitable climate financing, accountability from polluters, and a just transition that prioritizes vulnerable populations including women, children, Indigenous peoples, and future generations.
A key element of his remarks was support for the African Climate Platform’s ongoing push for an advisory opinion from the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The opinion, if issued, would clarify African states’ climate obligations under key regional legal instruments such as the African Charter, the Maputo Protocol, and the Kampala Convention.
Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo argued that such a move could strengthen environmental accountability, protect frontline environmental defenders, and ensure that development is pursued in a manner that safeguards both people and ecosystems.
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“The Court’s opinion can be a beacon of clarity and justice,” he stated. “It can affirm that Africa will not be a dumping ground for dirty industries, nor a stage where wealth is extracted without accountability.”
He urged African governments and citizens to stand behind climate justice, stating that the future of the continent depends on it. “Climate justice is people’s justice — and Africa’s future depends on it,” he said.
