COP28: Faith, Civil Actors Call for “ethical practice” in Accessing Africa’s Resources

Nairobi, 06 December, 2023 / 9:57 PM

Faith and civil actors in Africa are calling for “ethical practice” in accessing Africa’s natural resources.

At a COP28 side event that the Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network (JENA) and the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) organized, the need to ensure “environmental integrity” in the process of extracting Africa’s minerals was underscored.

The Chairman of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), Bishop Charles Kasonde, highlighted cobalt present in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and lithium in Zimbabwe as some of the highly needed minerals and cautioned against taking advantage of Africa and her people.

“The extraction of these minerals must be approached with a commitment to ethical practice, ensuring that Africa’s generosity in sharing its natural wealth does not come at the cost of its own environmental integrity and the well-being of its people,” Bishop Kasonde said in his message read out by the AMECEA Secretary for Social Justice and Ecology, Fr. Paul Igweta, during the Tuesday, December 5 event.

The Catholic Bishop of Zambia’s Solwezi Diocese emphasized the need for “a balanced and fair exchange where Africa’s pivotal role in combating climate change is recognized and valued, not exploited.”

Harnessing the resources from Africa “must be done in a way that uplifts the African communities and contributes to the global fight against climate change, setting an example of how resources can be utilized responsibly and equitably for the greater good,” he said.

Bishop Kasonde went on to underscore the need for humanity to go against the historical trajectory of exploiting communities and the earth for resources.

He said that the practice of using the earth and children before forsaking them “must not be the blueprint for our tomorrow.”

“It is inconsolable to endorse an energy transition that intensifies the plight of the vulnerable communities or disgrace the creation,” the Zambian Catholic Bishop said, adding that humanity is “duty bound to cultivate a fresh legacy: one of fairness and prosperity.”

“Extraction of our minerals to fuel a new chapter of humanity must be conducted in a manner that safeguards the dignity of every laborer, honors the sanctity of the environment, and promotes common welfare,” he said.

In his message during the December 5 event organized under the theme, "A Just Transition for Africa: Mining for Climate Change Mitigation - Ethical Perspectives", Bishop Kasonde also emphasized the need for transparency in supply chains, accountability for our corporate entities, and governance that guarantees a fair share of the wealth of our resources.

“Every product consumed carries with it a story of destruction and labor. It is a moral obligation for consumers and policymakers in these countries (Global North) to ensure that their demand for resources does not perpetuate injustice and exploitation in the Global South,” he said. 

The Catholic Church leader een at the helm of Zambia’s Solwezi Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in May 2010 also underlined the need for stringent regulations, which ensure that products entering the market are sourced through “practices that honor human dignity, protect the environment and contribute to the prosperity of communities where these resources are extracted.”

On his part, the Executive Director of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Kwabena Kokofu, said that Africa’s mineral wealth should be transformed “into a beacon of hope, sustainability and prosperity for all.” 

“As we mine for the minerals that power climate mitigation technologies, let us also mine the immense potential of our people and our continent,” Dr. Kokofu said, adding, “As we harness these minerals essential for renewable technologies, our approach must be knitted in ethical mining practices that prioritize the wellbeing of communities.”

Ethical mining, he emphasized, “is not an option but a necessity.”

He continued, “As children of God, we are entrusted with the sacred duty to protect our planet. This duty is not just a moral obligation, it is by divine command. This translates to practices that honor the sanctity of our environment and uphold the dignity of our communities.”

Dr. Kokofu also emphasized the need to ensure “that our pursuit for climate prosperity does not come at the cost of the very creation we are called to protect.”

At the December 5 event, JENA Director, Fr. Charles Chilufya, said that climate politics go beyond carbon emissions.

Fr. Chilufya explained, “At the heart of global climate politics lies a deeply human story, one that extends far beyond the realm of carbon emissions and reaches into the essence of what it means to be a global community,”.

While the narrative is often dominated by carbon metrics and emission targets, the Zambian-born Jesuit Priest said, “beneath the veneer of these discussions lies a stark reality: the developed world’s inaction and financial neglect are costing lives in the developing world.”

“This is not merely a game of numbers or economic leverage; it is a profound humanitarian crisis,” the Nairobi-based Catholic Priest said during the December 5 COP28 “side event”.