By Michael Oche
Disappointed by the underwhelming outcomes of COP29, African trade unions are preparing to take a bold step they believe is long overdue: demanding a real voice in shaping Africa’s climate strategy.
From August 4–8, more than 60 representatives from trade unions, civil society groups, feminist economists and climate policy experts will gather in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the first-ever formal meeting between African labour movements and the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) — the coalition responsible for coordinating Africa’s official stance at UN climate talks.
At stake, union leaders say, is nothing less than the future of the continent’s workers and communities on the frontlines of a deepening climate and energy crisis.
“Through this collaboration, African trade unions aim to help engineer context-specific, homegrown solutions to the climate crisis — solutions rooted in the lived realities of our people,” explains Akhator Joel Odigie, General Secretary of ITUC-Africa.
*From disappointment to determination*
For African labour leaders, last year’s COP29 conference fell far short. Despite years of calls for climate finance, energy sovereignty, and just transition measures, workers’ demands were barely reflected in the final texts.
This frustration is amplified by stark realities on the ground: over 600 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity, and many economies remain trapped by unsustainable debt.
Trade unions argue that solutions must go beyond promises of private investment and market-driven reforms and instead focus on decisive public action.
“Public investments and public ownership of energy systems are essential,” Odigie says.
He added that “History shows us that all currently developed economies achieved their status through decisive public intervention and infrastructure development. Africa deserves no less.”
*A historic dialogue in Dar es Salaam*
The Dar es Salaam meeting, organised by ITUC-Africa in collaboration with Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED), is more than a symbolic gathering. It aims to build a coordinated African Trade Union Energy Justice Agenda and Declaration for COP30, scheduled for later this year in Belém, Brazil.
“This renewed engagement reflects a recognition that African workers must not be sidelined in critical global processes such as the UNFCCC negotiations,” the ITUC-Africa General Secretary said.
Key proposals at the meeting include: Reclaiming public ownership over energy and extractive sectors; elevating feminist perspectives in climate and energy policy and strategically engaging with AGN members to secure space for union voices within national delegations.
Other expectations include prioritising debt justice and sustainable climate finance mechanisms.
By uniting around shared demands, unions hope to move from the margins to the decision-making table, ensuring workers’ needs and rights are considered alongside state and corporate interests.
*A new vision for climate justice*
For many trade unionists, climate justice isn’t separate from broader social and economic justice. Their vision calls for “public pathways” to a just transition: policies that protect jobs, expand energy access, and empower communities rather than multinationals.
“Climate and environmental justice must go hand in hand with development justice,” Odigie argues.
“That means financing mechanisms that grow domestic resource mobilisation and promote public pathways to a just transition,” he adds
This approach contrasts with strategies that rely heavily on carbon markets and foreign investment. Instead, unions advocate for policies shaped by Africa’s unique socio-political context — from historical underdevelopment to systemic debt burdens.
*Will unions finally be heard?*
Despite optimism, challenges remain. Negotiations at COP conferences often favour governments and corporate lobbyists, and the question of whether unions’ proposals will be fully integrated into Africa’s official position is still open.
“This renewed engagement reflects a recognition that African workers must not be sidelined in critical global processes,” Odigie says.
For now, the Dar es Salaam meeting represents a turning point: a chance for Africa’s workers to help define solutions rather than be passive recipients of them.
*Beyond COP30*
Whether or not these efforts reshape Africa’s climate stance at COP30, they mark a broader shift in the climate justice movement.
By asserting that workers have both the expertise and the right to help craft policies that affect them, unions are reframing the climate conversation: not just around targets and finance, but around equity, dignity, and the kind of development Africa truly needs.
As trade unionists and negotiators gather in Tanzania, the message is clear: African workers want a voice at COP30. And this time, they intend to be heard.
*Building synergy with governments*
Beyond simply raising demands, African trade unions are now seeking deeper collaboration with their governments, a move ITUC-Africa describes as shifting “beyond lamentation to constructive engagement.”
“We want to mainstream ourselves into official processes. We want to have synergy with our governments. We want to have collaboration, including when we are going to Belém,” explains ITUC-Africa General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie.
This strategy goes beyond consultation. Unions are pushing to join national delegations to COP30, where they can sit at negotiation tables and help shape draft texts to reflect workers’ perspectives on climate justice, energy transition, and technology transfer.
According to Odigie, the aim is clear: “We want trade unions to be part of the national delegation, so that they can sit on the table when texts are being negotiated, and they can influence the text.”
For African trade unions, working hand in hand with governments is more than symbolic. It is the clearest path to ensuring that climate policies address real challenges facing workers — from job security to fair energy access and the broader struggle for development justice. By forging this partnership now, unions hope Africa can present a united, worker-centred vision at COP30 — and, ultimately, craft climate solutions that leave no one behind.
