A Benin City, Edo State-based not-for-profit organisation, Connected Advocacy, has urged world leaders at the ongoing 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, to prioritise climate justice and local community inclusion.

In a statement on Tuesday in Benin City, the organisation’s Executive Director, Israel Orekha, called for green skills development and the participation of frontline communities in global climate action, stressing that those most affected were often excluded from decision-making.

Mr Orekha highlighted the Niger Delta in Nigeria, where rising sea levels, gas flaring, and oil pollution continued to devastate farmlands and livelihoods, making climate change a daily struggle for millions of residents.

He said,“Communities on the frontlines of climate change cannot continue to be left out of the rooms where decisions about their future are made. COP30 must deliver justice, not promises.”

He noted that while COP30 discussions focused on energy transition and global financing, adaptation at the community level remained weak due to limited access to funds, poor capacity, and lack of policy inclusion.

“Global climate finance remains trapped in bureaucratic systems, rarely reaching grassroots innovators, youth groups, and women-led initiatives that drive local solutions.

“The world cannot win this fight without the people living it,” Mr Orekha said.

Mr Orekha called for a shift from tokenism to meaningful participation, ensuring indigenous and grassroots voices were represented in national delegations and international negotiations.

“The organisation is also promoting its World Green Skills Collaborative Initiative, a platform connecting civil society, philanthropies, and the private sector to advance green jobs, renewable energy skills, and inclusive innovation across Africa,” he said.

He emphasised that the initiative aligned with the broader goal of ensuring the clean energy transition benefited young people and women rather than excluding them.

“For decades, the Niger Delta has been ground zero of environmental injustice. Polluters must pay. Communities must heal. COP30 must operationalise Loss and Damage funds with justice at their core,” he said.

Mr Orekha described Belém, in the heart of the Amazon, as a symbol of both environmental beauty and vulnerability, noting that COP30 decisions would determine whether the energy transition fostered justice or deepening inequality.

He reaffirmed Connected Advocacy’s commitment to community empowerment and sustainable development through advocacy, partnerships, and innovation.

 “The time for promises has passed. The time for climate justice and shared power is now,” he added. 

(NAN)