The Society for Planet and Prosperity has called for urgent reforms to Africa’s climate pledges to unlock sustainable growth and attract critical investment.
SPP, a leading African think tank dedicated to advancing sustainable development through climate policy, research, and stakeholder engagement, disclosed this in a new scoping paper titled “On the Road to COP30 and Beyond: Developing an Effective NDCs-LT-LEDS to Guide Africa’s Sustainable Development”.
In the report, SPP assessed the state of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) across the continent, evaluating ambition, governance readiness, net-zero commitments, and implementation frameworks.
Drawing insights from Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the paper found that while African nations have made commendable commitments, implementation remains weak due to severe financing shortfalls.
With most countries racing to meet the extended September 2025 deadline for the third round of NDCs, SPP warns that without stronger alignment between NDCs, LT-LEDS, and national development plans, Africa risks missing both the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal and the opportunity to leverage climate action for sustainable development.
Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, President, SPP stated that Africa’s climate pledges risk remaining paper promises unless NDCs and LT-LEDS are reworked into bankable, investment-ready pipelines.
“This paper aims to lighthouse the path to sustainable development,” he added.
The scoping paper identified key barriers, including weak legal and governance structures, misalignment with national development strategies, lack of investment-grade sectoral targets, and limited technical and financial capacity to deliver viable projects.
To tackle these barriers, SPP outlined a practical framework to strengthen NDCs and LT-LEDS, anchored on five key pillars: robust governance structures, alignment with national development plans and LT-LEDS, clear and investment-ready sectoral targets, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and people-centered communication.
According to the report, COP30 in Belém, Brazil, presents a critical opportunity for African negotiators, finance institutions, and national leaders to transform climate pledges into investment-ready roadmaps that drive both decarbonisation and economic transformation.