Green Tax Youth Africa (GTYA), Followtaxes and ACCT‑J have issued a joint statement demanding sweeping reforms to Africa’s tax and financial systems to mobilise the resources needed for climate action and a just transition.
The organisations argue that Africa’s climate financing challenges extend beyond attracting international aid. They cite the need for stronger domestic revenue mobilisation, action against illicit financial flows, sustainable debt management and improved governance of natural resources.
These demands follow a four‑part Road to COP31 Africa Policy Dialogue Series that convened youth, grassroots groups, government officials, gender advocates, private‑sector actors, development partners, civil society, lawyers and international experts to examine financing options for the continent’s climate transition.
“Climate action is ultimately a question of political economy,” said Nii A. Addo, who contributed to the dialogue. “A just transition requires not only emissions reductions, but also fair taxation, sustainable public finance, responsible investment, equitable natural‑resource governance, decent livelihoods and meaningful participation of communities and young people.”
The discussions highlighted a stark funding gap: Africa needs more than US$242 billion annually through 2030 to meet its climate commitments, yet estimated climate finance inflows total only about US$29.5 billion. This leaves an annual shortfall of more than US$213 billion, with the African Development Bank estimating that existing flows cover only about 23 % of the continent’s annual funding requirements for its Nationally Determined Contributions.
Domestic revenue mobilisation also remains limited. Although Africa’s average tax‑to‑GDP ratio reached 16.1 % in 2023, 20 of the 38 African countries covered by the OECD remained below 15 %. High borrowing costs and debt pressures further constrain governments’ ability to finance climate‑related investments.
Ghana, for example, estimates that implementing its 2020‑2030 NDCs will require between US$9.3 billion and US$15.5 billion, while its Climate Prosperity Plan identifies roughly US$76 billion in commercial investment opportunities.
To address these challenges, GTYA, Followtaxes and ACCT‑J call for stronger tax and customs administration, greater transparency in natural‑resource value chains, and more effective measures to curb illicit financial flows. They also advocate progressive green taxation, credible carbon markets, responsible ESG investments, improved access to concessional financing and reforms to the global financial architecture.
The organisations see the ongoing United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation process as an opportunity to strengthen international tax cooperation and improve developing countries’ capacity to mobilise domestic resources. They argue that tackling financial leakages and improving the terms on which African countries access international finance will be critical to ensuring that more resources remain available for development and climate action.
“Africa’s climate‑finance challenge is not only about attracting more money. It is also about retaining more value, mobilising domestic resources, preventing financial leakages and securing fairer conditions within the international financial system,” the communiqué states.
Ahead of and during COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9‑20, 2026, the organisations are urging African governments and international partners to take practical steps to improve climate‑finance transparency, strengthen safeguards for carbon markets, reform debt and financing arrangements, expand concessional finance and promote more inclusive international tax cooperation.
GTYA, Followtaxes and ACCT‑J say they will continue consolidating evidence and recommendations from the dialogue series to support policy engagement, coalition building and accountability beyond the conference. They maintain that closing Africa’s climate financing gap will require not only increased funding but also fiscal and financial systems capable of mobilising, retaining and directing resources toward a just, resilient and sustainable future.
