Climate Justice Impact Fund for Africa Advances Just Resilience and Climate Justice in Africa

On the sidelines of the 2nd Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa, the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and partners officially launched two instruments: the Climate Justice Impact Fund for Africa (CJIFA) and the Africa Just Resilience Framework (JRF).

The initiative marks a historic milestone in Africa’s climate resilience journey, aiming to place communities at the heart of climate action and finance while addressing long-standing global injustices in resource distribution.

Speaking during the launch, Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of PACJA, underscored the urgent need for Africa-centered solutions.

“Africa is bearing the heaviest brunt of climate change, yet it continues to receive a disproportionately small share of resources. Existing financing systems remain rigid and exclusionary, often overlooking the realities and innovations of African communities,” he said.

Dr. Mwenda added that “CJIFA was born to change this narrative. It is a flexible, Africa-owned financing mechanism designed to support locally led adaptation, build the capacity of community-based organizations, and de-risk indigenous innovations so they can be scaled and sustained.”

Representatives from development partners welcomed the initiative. Joachim Beijmo, Head of Regional Development Cooperation (Africa) at the Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa, stressed the importance of accessible and inclusive finance.

“A lot of financing is available, but it is not being accessed by local communities. Climate finance should be flexible, supporting local ownership, innovative and inclusive,” said Ambassador Beijmo.

Similarly, Adam Drury, the UK’s Ambassador to the African Union, emphasized the urgency of ensuring climate finance reaches those most vulnerable.

“The continent is warming faster than the rest of the world, while facing unprecedented impacts of climate change. Climate finance should reach marginalised groups. More finance needs to go to adaptation, not just mitigation, because resilience is best built by the people who live in that environment,” he said.

From the ground, stories of impact illustrated the transformative potential of CJIFA. Shampi Anna, Programme Manager of Northern Vision CBO and a CJIFA grant recipient, shared how her organisation’s solar-powered water pumping initiative not only improved local fish farming and agriculture but also inspired neighboring households.

“When we started drawing water using solar pumps into fishponds and later draining it into farms, it gave successful results. We were happy to see neighbors replicating the same in their own garden,” she recounted.

Joseph Ng’ang’a, CEO of ACS1 and AFCEN, commended PACJA’s leadership in pioneering a model that ensures resources flow directly to local actors.

“By deploying 64 grants across 17 countries, we can avoid creating new initiatives and instead focus on maximizing the impact of our existing projects. AFCEN is committed to contributing 1% of its revenue towards adaptation efforts,” he pledged.

Launched as a flagship initiative of PACJA, CJIFA aims to dismantle barriers to grassroots participation in climate solutions by providing direct financial and technical support to community-based organizations, Indigenous peoples, women-led initiatives, youth enterprises, and informal networks. To date, it has supported more than 64 grantee partners across 17 African countries.

The unveiling of CJIFA and the JRF is expected to not only redefine climate finance in Africa but also ensure that solutions are rooted in the realities, knowledge, and resilience of African people themselves.