The AGNES team, Dr. George Wamukoya, OGW, Festus Langat and Leon Mulama, along with the African Network of Parliamentarians on Climate Change (ANPCC) took part in the Twentieth Ordinary Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-20) in Nairobi in July 2025. This significant session was attended by African ministers, delegates, climate civil society organisations, NGOs and environmental authorities. Co-hosted by the Kenyan and Libyan Governments with UNEP, this was the 40th anniversary of concerted African action on environment. It was more than reflecting on the journey, the meeting was focused on shaping the future. Within the climate agenda of Africa, AMCEN-20 was an unequivocal move towards a more participatory and harmonized form of climate governance. This is seen in the AMCEN draft decision 4 more specifically acknowledging that there is need for member states to work with other partners including the African Network of Parliamentarians on Climate Change (ANPCC) to advance climate change action in the continent.
AMCEN and the Road to ANPCC Inclusion in Climate Governance
The AMCEN was formed in 1985 as the principal intergovernmental mechanism in the continent to find collective solutions to environmental problems. It is the main platform through which the environment ministers of Africa countries develop regional priorities in the areas of climate action, biodiversity, pollution and sustainable development. Over the years, AMCEN has played a significant role in designing the negotiating agenda of Africa on international conventions and contributed to the formulation of country-specific policies on the climate. This 20th session (AMCEN-20) was held with the theme: Reflecting on the Past and Imagining the Future.
During the extraordinary AMCEN session held in September 2024 in Ivory Coast, the African Network of Parliamentarians on Climate Change (ANPCC) was formed. AMCEN-20 was ANPCC’s first time to actively contribute in influencing the outcome of continental climate action, a sign of the increasing awareness of the value of parliamentary action and the Network’s membership in effective climate advocacy and legislation in Africa.
The ANPCC at AMCEN-20
ANPCC is a continental network that brings together lawmakers who advocate for effective climate action and governance. It is mandated to enhance the role of parliaments, climate policies, and bridge the gap between the policy and communitaction. During AMCEN-20, ANPCC speakers, supported by AGNES, took their chance to lobby the African states to take greater legislative roles in their climate systems. The ANPCC members presented a realistic argument as to why legislators should not be left behind in climate action in Africa. Festus Langat and Leon Mulama from the AGNES, were the front-line negotiators who ensured the ANPCC was addressed in Paragraph 8 of the AMCEN Draft Decision 4 with a vision of shared coordination in climate change legislative frameworks and actions in Africa.
Why Draft Decision 4 Paragraph 8 Is a Win for the ANPCC
Paragraph 8 of AMCEN’s Draft Decision 4 encourages African Member States to partner with actors such as the ANPCC to advance climate action. This seemingly small clause has wide-reaching implications. It officially acknowledges that parliaments are not just policy recipients but proactive players in shaping and implementing climate solutions. Through this provision, governments can now request ANPCC’s support in crafting climate-related legislation, aligning national laws with continental strategies like the AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy (2022–2032). It also empowers ANPCC to collaborate with ministries and agencies in advocating for public awareness, budget allocations, and inclusive policy implementation, hence bringing climate governance closer to the people.
Conclusion
The inclusion of parliamentary collaboration in AMCEN’s Draft Decision 4 on the AMCEN priorities for the years 2025-2027 shows that effective climate action in Africa requires laws that work, budgets that deliver, and inclusive institutions. By recognizing the role of bodies like the ANPCC, AMCEN-20 strengthens coordination between governments and legislatures. This is a win for Africa’s climate response, built on shared responsibility, not policy alone. We look forward to Libya’s benevolent leadership as the AMCEN’s Presidency and increased parliamentary action for climate change.