Africa Environment and Wangari Maathai Day

Background

Africa Environment Day was designated in 2002, by The Organization of the African Unity Council of Ministers in their meeting in Durban, South Africa based on the recognition of the numerous environmental challenges confronting the African continent. Over the years, they have been further aggravated by the loss of biological diversity, climate change, desertification, increased pollution, and unsafe disposal of wastes and chemicals. In January 2012, the African Union adopted a decision calling for the joint celebrations of the African Environment Day and Wangari Maathai Day. The celebration of Wangari Maathai Day is in recognition of the work and life of the late Prof. Wangari Maathai, the first African Woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and who dedicated her life to promoting environmental conservation and sustainable development in Africa.

Prof. Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental Non-Governmental Organisation focused on addressing deforestation and environmental degradation and the greater impact of these factors on the livelihoods of rural women who bore the brunt of the negative environmental impact on agriculture and food security thereby leading to disenfranchisement. Prof. Wangari led the fight to protect water catchment areas advocating for the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women’s rights in Kenya.

Africa is making steady progress in implementing Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want and achieving its aspirations. However, Africa’s current consumption and production practices pose a clear challenge to the sustainability agenda. The resource-intensive linear economy approach of ‘take, make and waste’ intensifies the continent’s environmental challenges, including waste, pollution, and biodiversity loss, among others. Adopting a circular economy approach in Africa entails taking a much broader approach to addressing these crises beyond waste management, focusing instead on transforming entire value chains, thereby supporting the achievement of Africa’s inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development, as outlined in Agenda 2063. The AU theme for 2024 is ‘Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa’ Education can be used as a tool for attitude and behavioural change through empowering and motivating positive action.

The imperative for Africa to pursue the green economy model is clear, considering that many African economies are heavily dependent on natural resources to fuel economic growth. A large portion of the African population, especially the rural population, is directly dependent on the natural environment for their sustenance and livelihoods. Africa’s transition to green economy has economic as well as social dimensions and implications and hence circularity, being this significant, informs the theme for this year’s Africa Environment Day.

Objectives

• To raise awareness and discuss the next steps on circularity as a solution to the triple planetary crisis among all stakeholders at national, regional and continental levels.
• To accentuate the significance of women’s rights over the use and conservation of natural resources and their subsequent role in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
• To explore business models adopted by African countries in scaling up business models including extended producer responsibility (EPR).
• To raise awareness on the AU Circular Economy Action Plan and the Africa Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and to encourage the development of appropriate policies and strategies at national and regional levels and to enhance circularity.
• To influence behavioural change and empowerment through education and learning institutions.

Expected Outcomes

• Encourage the adoption and implementation of the Continental Circular Economy Action Plans and the African Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (ABSAP).
• Awareness raising at regional and national levels on the need for innovative business models for the production, delivery and use of products that would minimize the use of packaging, circularity and EPR.
• Policy recommendations for strengthening the rights of women over the use and conservation of natural resources.

 Event format

The event will be organized over 2 days as follows:

• The first day will be dedicated to workshop sessions including forums on women, youth, Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs) and the other stakeholders’ role in tackling the triple planetary crisis. A presentation on the AU Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan will also be made on Day One.
• The screening of a short version of the documentary film “Taking Root: the Vision of Wangari Maathai”, a dramatic story of Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights and defend democracy, will also be aired on the first day.
• The second day will be set aside for among other sessions, a high-level session on ‘Effective and Inclusive Actions for tackling Plastic Pollution.’ An overview of the African Union AU Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) will also be presented and deliberated upon during the second day of the event.

Participants

The event will be attended by representatives of Member States, development partners, women, youth, indigenous peoples and local community members, academia, researchers, the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders.