A diverse coalition of civil society leaders, government officials, development partners, and grassroots voices witness the official launch of the Climate Justice Impact Fund for Africa (CJIFA) and the Africa Just Resilience Framework (JRF) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. PHOTO/PACJA.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
In a defining moment for Africa’s climate future, a diverse coalition of climate change leaders across sectors, convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) to re-imagine the continent’s climate finance and resilience frameworks.
The purpose of the diverse coalition of civil society leaders, government officials, development partners, and grassroots voices was to witness the official launch of two transformative initiatives, the Climate Justice Impact Fund for Africa (CJIFA) and the Africa Just Resilience Framework (JRF); both aimed at reshaping how the continent responds to the growing climate crisis.
These groundbreaking initiatives, spearheaded by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), aim to re-direct the centre of gravity in climate action from boardrooms in the Global North to the hearts of Africa’s communities, where the fight for survival in a changing climate is most urgent and unrelenting.
The announcement was not just another summit speech or declaration, it was a bold, actionable step towards re-balancing the deep-rooted climate injustices that have long plagued Africa.
“Africa bears the heaviest brunt of climate change but receives the least support, CJIFA was born to change this narrative,” Dr Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of PACJA said.
At its core, CJIFA is a homegrown, Africa-owned climate financing mechanism. Unlike traditional systems that often entrench donor-driven agendas and bureaucratic gatekeeping, CJIFA is designed to reach those most affected; women, indigenous peoples, youth, informal sector actors, and rural communities; by providing flexible, direct support for locally led adaptation and resilience-building efforts.
Since its inception, CJIFA has already supported 64 grantee partners across 17 countries, and the testimonies are inspiring.
Shampi Anna, Programme Manager of Northern Vision CBO in Uganda, shared how a small grant enabled her organisation to use solar energy to pump water into fishponds and farms, with ripple effects across neighbouring communities.
Dr Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of PACJA. PHOTO/UGC.
“It gave successful results. We were happy to see our neighbours replicating the same in their own gardens. This is what empowerment looks like. ” Anna said.
Launched alongside CJIFA, the Africa Just Resilience Framework (JRF) provides the conceptual and strategic backbone to ensure that climate resilience efforts on the continent are equitable, inclusive, and rooted in justice.
JRF sets forth principles, benchmarks, and pathways for governments, development partners, and communities to prioritise human rights, sovereignty, and justice in adaptation planning and climate risk governance.
Together, CJIFA and JRF form a powerful synergy, one financial, the other conceptual, that promises to redefine climate action in Africa from the ground up.
“It is not enough to adapt. We must adapt justly,” Dr Mithika said, reinforcing the spirit behind both tools. “The resilience we build must not replicate the systems that marginalised us.”
The launch was attended by development partners who echoed the urgency of shifting climate finance models.
Joachim Beijmo, Head of Regional Development Cooperation (Africa) at the Swedish Embassy in Addis Ababa, was blunt in his assessment.
“A lot of financing is available, but it is not reaching the people who need it most. Climate finance should be flexible, inclusive, and support local ownership,” Beijimo asserted.
Joachim Beijmo, the Head of Regional Development Cooperation (Africa) at the Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. PHOTO/UGC.
The sentiment was echoed by Adam Drury, the UK Ambassador to the African Union.
“The continent is warming faster than the global average. More finance needs to go into adaptation, not just mitigation. Resilience is best built by the people who live in that environment,” Drury said, calling for funding mechanisms that prioritise the most vulnerable and the most innovative.
The UK and Sweden are among early supporters of PACJA’s work, with several European governments and philanthropic organisations reportedly reviewing CJIFA for possible long-term investment.
Joseph Ng’ang’a, CEO of the Africa Climate Summit 1 and the Africa Climate and Energy Network (AFCEN), announced a pledge that AFCEN will commit one person of its revenue towards adaptation funding; a step he described as a “solidarity tax for resilience”.
“PACJA is demonstrating what’s possible. By deploying 64 grants across 17 countries, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we need to scale what works,” Ng’ang’a said.
His remarks underline the urgent need for African institutions to set the tone and pace of change, rather than waiting for international systems to reform.
The dual launch of CJIFA and JRF marks not just an event, but a movement; a clear departure from top-down, often technocratic approaches to climate resilience. It’s a declaration that justice must be the heartbeat of Africa’s climate response**, and that **finance must follow the frontlines.
These instruments do not merely fund projects, they fund dignity, agency, and sovereignty.
Joseph Ng’ang’a, CEO of the Africa Climate Summit 1 and the Africa Climate and Energy Network (AFCEN).
As the climate crisis intensifies, the time for polite appeals is over. Africa is taking bold, independent steps to shape its own future, led by those who have lived the crisis longest, and who now insist on living the solutions too.
The world must not only listen; it must act in solidarity.
Africa’s adaptation needs are urgent and unique. Top-down solutions have too often failed to capture the complexity and ingenuity of African ecosystems and communities. CJIFA brings funding directly to those with the most at stake, ensuring resilience efforts are context-specific and impactful.
Despite billions pledged, less than 10 percent of global climate finance reaches local actors. CJIFA addresses this imbalance head-on. Its low-barrier, flexible disbursement models are precisely what is needed to de-risk local innovation and build trust with communities.
Without a justice lens, climate adaptation risks entrenching inequality. The JRF ensures that Africa’s pathway to resilience will be inclusive, gender-responsive, and rights-based; essential in fragile or conflict-prone contexts.
The launch of CJIFA and the Africa Just Resilience Framework marks a tectonic shift in how Africa will navigate the climate crisis. No longer passive recipients of aid or climate victims, African communities are emerging as co-creators of resilient futures.
Now, it is up to the global community to rise to the moment; not just with words, but with funding, flexibility, and humility. Because climate justice, like climate change, knows no borders but it must start from the ground up.
