The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), a prominent African think tank, has urged immediate reforms to the continent’s climate commitments in order to drive sustainable growth and attract essential investment.
SPP, which focuses on advancing sustainable development through research, climate policy, and stakeholder engagement, made this call in its new scoping paper titled “On the Road to COP30 and Beyond: Developing an Effective NDCs-LT-LEDS to Guide Africa’s Sustainable Development.”
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, by SPP’s Communication Officer, Mr. Ugochukwu Uzuegbu.
The paper reviewed the current state of Africa’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS). It examined their ambition levels, governance frameworks, net-zero targets, and readiness for implementation.
Drawing lessons from Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the findings revealed that although African countries have made notable climate pledges, progress on implementation remains weak, largely due to limited financing.
SPP cautioned that unless NDCs, LT-LEDS, and national development strategies are better aligned, the continent risks missing the 1.5°C target and losing opportunities for sustainable transformation.
Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, President of SPP, emphasized: “Africa’s climate commitments will remain largely symbolic unless they are redesigned into pipelines that are attractive and ready for investment. This paper seeks to illuminate the pathway toward sustainable development.”
The report identified major obstacles, including fragile governance systems, poor integration with national development plans, absence of bankable sectoral goals, and inadequate technical as well as financial resources.
To address these challenges, SPP recommended a five-pillar framework for strengthening NDCs and LT-LEDS: building strong governance mechanisms aligning with development plans; setting clear sectoral targets; ensuring broad stakeholder participation; and adopting people-focused communication strategies.
The report further noted that COP30, scheduled to take place in Brazil, presents Africa with a unique opportunity to transform its climate pledges into practical, investment-ready roadmaps that can accelerate decarbonisation and sustainable growth.
