By Michael Oche
In a unified and clear message, trade unions from across Africa have declared that the continent must not be made to bear the brunt of global energy reforms, warning that an unjust energy transition could reverse decades of development progress.
The trade unions say that while Africa’s continued dependence on fossil fuels is unsustainable due to the changing climate, energy transition must not leave Africa poorer. Instead, it should drive the continent’s growth and promote public service delivery.
This formed the central position canvassed by trade union representatives at the opening of an ongoing three-day strategy meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, ahead of the COP30 climate summit.
The meeting, held under the theme “New Energy for Africa: Reclaim and Restore,” brought together representatives of national union centres and is organised by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa).
In her opening remarks, ITUC-Africa President, Comrade Martha Tinny Molema noted that Africa must not be locked out of industrial opportunities or forced into a green transition that threatens the continent’s sovereignty or deepens poverty.
“Africa cannot afford to follow the same broken path — the path of extractivism, the path of privatisation, the path of structural adjustment and foreign conditionalities. These models have failed. They have left more than 600 million Africans in the dark, while corporations and creditors grow rich on our natural wealth,” she said.
She reiterated that while trade unions believe energy is the engine of development, such development must not come at the cost of sovereignty or on the back of debt.
Comrade Molema said, “Let me be absolutely clear: The energy transition must be a debt-free process. Why? Because debt has shackled our governments. It has made our leaders answerable to creditors rather than their citizens. Across Africa, more money is spent on debt servicing than on health, education, or infrastructure. This is not mismanagement. It is injustice — structural injustice.”
She stressed that trade unions will continue to insist that Africa’s industrialisation be powered by public energy systems that serve the people, not profit. Africa, she said, has the right to industrialise — not in the image of colonial economies, but through clean, reliable, debt-free energy that serves the people.
“We must forge an African Trade Union Energy Justice Agenda that speaks to the realities of our people and asserts our right to shape the future,” she said.
As the Dar es Salaam strategy meeting continues, Africa’s trade unions will meet with the African Group of Negotiators on August 8 to forge Africa’s common position ahead of COP30.
Trade unions say their message is clear: Africa will not be a passive recipient of global climate policy. Instead, the continent will push for a people-centred, debt-free, and inclusive energy future — one that reflects realities on the ground and affirms Africa’s right to develop on its own terms.
In his address, Dr. Richard Muyungi, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), stressed that energy transition must reflect the continent’s urgent development needs.
“When you talk about energy transition, you need to be mindful of the fact that energy transition should strive towards enhancing development. We cannot afford energy transition which does not push Africa to develop. And this is why the energy transition pathways we are discussing are very difficult.”
He explained that the $300 billion commitment for climate financing secured from COP29 in Baku was a far cry from the $3 trillion required by Africa to mitigate the impact of climate change.
“And this is why we started what we call a battle road map — to see how we can go to $1.3 trillion, which is very important for the continent to address the challenges,” he said.
Muyungi emphasised that without equitable financing, Africa would continue to rely on cheaper but dirtier energy sources.
“You all know that for the last 100-plus years, through the Industrial Revolution, the world has focused on the use of fossil fuels. We moved from charcoal to coal, now going to oil and gas. To be safer, we need to move from fossil fuel-based sources of energy. We talk about wind, solar, geothermal and hydro as important sources of energy in the drive towards addressing the changing climate. We talk about net zero by 2050, because we think we need to be there in terms of changing our energy sources. But it’s not easy. It’s not easy, because energy sources we use today are the driver of development — not only on the continent, but across the world.
“To change the driver drastically, and within a short time, is not easy. Many countries, including mine, cannot develop on wind, cannot develop on solar. You cannot tell the whole government to change towards wind or solar within a day. We need to transform our energy sources gradually, but with certainty that we are not going to affect our economies. The economy we have gained through pain.”
Mr. Muyungi, who is also Special Adviser to President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania on Environment and Climate Change, noted that millions of Africans still lack access to energy. He said that while Africa is committed to transitioning into cleaner energy sources, it needs resources to do so.
“This is why we have what we call Mission 300. Mission 300 means at least 300 million people by 2030 must have energy connectivity. What type of energy does not matter — you need to have energy to develop. Now, if you can get resources to get better energy in terms of emission, that is what we need. But those resources should be more and adequate to move towards greener resources in comparison to what we use as energy sources.
“For example, we know if you want to develop coal, it is cheaper than developing solar in terms of the amount of energy you want to produce. So if you can give me money to forgo development of that cheaper energy with resources which can take me to a greener source of energy, we are ready to move towards that direction — but without additional resources, we will remain and will continue to use the sources of energy which are cheaper to help us develop.”
Also speaking, Comrade Akhator Joel Odigie, ITUC-Africa General Secretary, stressed that Africa’s participation in the global energy transition must be on its own terms, with a clear industrialisation strategy at its core.
He insisted that for Africa, the just energy transition must follow public pathways that prioritise affordability, access, and sovereignty over profit.
“The public pathway is critical to our push for just transition,” Odigie said.
The ITUC-Africa General Secretary warned against the “kicking away the ladder” doctrine, where industrialised nations that built their economies on state-led development and fossil fuel use now demand that developing countries adopt a different, often more expensive, route without comparable support.
Odigie said this approach is both hypocritical and unjust, noting that “Europe and others did not industrialize on the back of privatization. They did it through the role of the state. Even as you speak, in all of their private engagements, the state is still funding it.”
He stressed that corruption in Africa’s public sector must not be used as an excuse to dismantle public service delivery, noting that state institutions remain vital for driving inclusive growth and delivering social services. He called for greater public accountability, but also for defending the public sphere against corporate capture.
On climate financing, Odigie outlined three demands from trade unions: polluters must pay, illegitimate debts must be cancelled, and Africa must industrialise with adequate energy, capacity, and technology.
Looking ahead, Odigie urged African leaders to renegotiate contracts for the extraction of critical minerals, ensuring that the continent benefits from its natural wealth in the era of clean technologies.
He emphasised that winning the fight for a just energy transition will require broader Global South solidarity. He also underscored that trade unions must strategically engage with African governments in shaping development policy.
This, he explained, means increasing their visibility in national debates, demonstrating the relevance of workers’ perspectives, and working directly with policymakers to propose concrete, workable solutions.
“What we are trying to do is, as trade unions, begin to insist more with our government — first, our visibility and our concern, and more importantly, get closer to them to propose alternative arguments and prescriptions that can work for them,” he said.
