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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has taken its climate advocacy to the Amazon rainforest as the regional bloc participates actively in the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), taking place from 10 to 21 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil.
The ECOWAS team, led by Acting Director of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Yao Bernard Koffi, alongside the Director of the Water Resources Management Centre, Mr Kouakou Kouassi and several technical specialists, is using the summit to amplify West Africa’s demand for climate justice, strengthened resilience and sustainable development key pillars of the ECOWAS Vision 2050 framework.
Speaking at the opening of the ECOWAS Pavilion, Mr. Koffi said the region’s presence in Brazil underscores a single message: “West Africa cannot continue to shoulder the heaviest climate burdens while contributing the least to global emissions. We are here to demand fairness, resilience, support and workable solutions.”
COP30’s Amazon location has intensified global focus on forest preservation, carbon markets and equitable energy transitions. For West Africa, these issues are urgent. Communities across the Sahel and coastal states are already battling extreme heat, worsening desertification, recurrent flooding and rising sea levels impacts that threaten food production, livelihoods and regional stability.
In a major strategic step, ECOWAS supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and GIZ Nigeria established a dedicated West Africa Regional Pavilion at COP30. The pavilion has become a central space for engagement with policymakers, development partners and climate experts on key regional priorities ranging from mitigation to adaptation.
Since opening on 12 November, the pavilion has hosted a number of high-level dialogues on gender-responsive Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), climate migration, and the latest scientific research informing regional climate action. WASCAL also presented its 2026–2030 strategy, while specialists showcased new research on managing cocoa pests and diseases highlighting how climate change is reshaping one of West Africa’s most valuable agricultural sectors.
ECOWAS’ participation is strongly guided by its Vision 2050, a long-term development blueprint that anchors environmental sustainability at the centre of peace, security and prosperity. The vision emphasises protecting forests, safeguarding coastlines, strengthening rural livelihoods, promoting climate-smart agriculture and driving regional energy integration through green solutions.
Engagements at the ECOWAS Pavilion will continue into the second week of COP30, featuring a special Ghana Day, a coordination meeting with regional climate negotiators, a session on water resources within NDC implementation, and a presentation on sustainable forest management. All activities are geared toward advancing a unified Regional Climate Strategy to harmonize national climate actions across West Africa.
According to Mr. Koffi, ECOWAS’ involvement in COP30 reflects a clear commitment: “Delivering Vision 2050 depends on global decisions made here in Belém. West Africa’s stability and progress are tied to bold and fair climate action.”
As COP30 progresses, ECOWAS has reaffirmed its readiness to support Member States in confronting the climate crisis head-on and strengthening resilience for the millions of West Africans on the frontlines of the rapidly changing climate.