The African Coalition of Communities Responsive to Climate Change (ACCRCC) has established itself as a powerful advocate for grassroots climate justice at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), currently taking place in Belém, Brazil.
At COP30, ACCRCC successfully advanced recognition of pastoralist governance systems, particularly the “mom” dialogue mechanism used across the Kenya Uganda border and other parts of eastern Africa. This traditional governance model, representing more than 50 million pastoralists, was highlighted as a vital climate adaptation and conflict management tool that aligns with the principles of global climate diplomacy.
“Our communities are not just victims of climate change; they are innovators, custodians of knowledge, and rightful actors in shaping global climate policy,” said Henry Neondo, Policy Advocacy and Influencing Advisor at ACCRCC during the Mandated Dialogues on Community Inclusion.
Pastoralists across Africa face climate related violence and inadequate climate policies that fail to address their challenges, from Uganda to Djibouti. Through active participation in the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) and collaboration with partners such as the European Union, ACCRCC helped shape discussions on Decision 14/CP.29, which reinforces the inclusion of local communities across all UNFCCC workstreams.
Geert Freema, representative of the European Union, emphasized the importance of respecting and promoting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities in any working arrangements. Freema stressed the need for transparent, inclusive, and constructive processes in enhancing local community participation but noted concerns about conflating local communities and indigenous peoples, urging recognition of the rights of both groups.
Participants pushed for several key priorities: recognition of African pastoralist governance, the “mom” system, in adaptation dialogues; inclusion of grassroots leaders in the Facilitative Working Group (FWG) discussions; advocacy for direct climate financing to local governance structures; and elevation of local communities as rights and knowledge holders within global climate policy.
“Pastoralists do not need to be made resilient. They already practice resilience daily, relationally and collectively. Let the UNFCC send a new kind of message, one that travels both ways, from crowds to the COP and from the COP to the crowds, from observation to co design, from policy for pastoralist to policy with pastoralists,” said Simon Longoli, a leader among the pastoral peoples of Uganda linked to the Karamoja Herders.
COP21, held in Paris, France in 2015, established the LCIPP for the exchange of experiences and sharing of best practices on mitigation and adaptation in a holistic and integrated manner. This recognition has been reinforced in several subsequent COPs and Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) decisions.
During the Second Africa Climate Summit held in Ethiopia in September 2025, local community representatives shared powerful accounts where communities, particularly pastoralists, emphasized their reciprocity and shared stewardship as longstanding practices sustaining livelihoods and ecosystems for generations. They noted that local organizations and leaders are not merely project implementers but drivers of transformation that strengthens food systems, social inclusion and resilience through their knowledge and mobility.
ACCRCC will continue building continental networks of local climate governance platforms, strengthening engagement with national adaptation planning, and advocating for direct access to climate finance that empowers communities on the frontline.
“Climate justice begins with inclusion. Without grassroots voices, global climate solutions remain incomplete,” said Neondo.
COP30 is taking place from November 10 to 21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil, at the heart of the Amazon rainforest. The conference has been framed as a turning point for implementation, with a focus on delivering on previous commitments and ensuring that climate finance reaches the communities most affected by climate change.
