By Luchelle Feukeng
Communication Officer, Greenpeace Africa
Greenpeace Africa activists from Cameroon gathered at Tsinga on Friday 15 September 2023 to call for a halt to fossil fuel production.
This mobilisation of nearly thirty young people, which has just been held in 60 other African countries and globally, is organised as a prelude to the United Nations Summit on Climate Change, which will take place on 20 September 2023 in New York.
“Fossil fuels are poison for all generations. They are the primary cause of climate change. More than 90% of plastic, for example, is produced with fossil fuels. And here in Yaoundé, as in many other towns in Cameroon, we are experiencing the effects of climate change. Families are increasingly suffering the horrors of floods. It’s a well-known fact that plastic clogs the gutters and when it rains the water doesn’t circulate properly. We have to stop producing it”, said Marie Grace Ngo Mbog, Coordinator of Greenpeace volunteers in Cameroon.
“We wanted to send a clear message to the leaders before they meet next week. The decisions they take affect us today and will affect us tomorrow once they are gone. We need a gradual but rapid phase-out of fossil fuel production, otherwise it will be difficult for us to reach the 1.5 degrees threshold for global warming,” adds Marie Grace.
“Some African countries with the least energy supply are the richest with oil reserves. And many peaceful and biodiverse regions have plunged into conflict with the coming of big oil. For the thousands of African youth marching to end fossil fuel expansion and the neo-colonial extraction that deepens hardship for African communities, this is a fight for their survival. It is a fight for our lives and wellbeing. And it’s a fight they must win.” said Dr. Oulie Keita, Executive Director of Greenpeace Africa.
