Confronting the climate crisis in Africa: Just transitions and Extinction Rebellion in Nigeria and South Africa

Peter Robert Gardner; Olalekan Adekola; Tiago Carvalho; Tom O'Brien

doi:10.1080/03056244.2023.2283988

Confronting the climate crisis in Africa: Just transitions and Extinction Rebellion in Nigeria and South Africa

Peter Robert Gardner^*, Olalekan Adekola, Tiago Carvalho, Tom O'Brien

^*Corresponding author for this work

Sociology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Climate change is having increasing impacts on the social,economic and political space across the African continent. Thecompounding character of such impacts reinforces existinginequalities, raising important considerations around climatejustice. Growing awareness has seen the emergence of activistsworking for solutions and promoting alternative futures, workingacross scales and sectors to address the complexity of the threats.This article examines environmental activism in Nigeria and SouthAfrica, exploring strategies and claims, and how these are rootedin questions of justice. While environmental movements inNigeria have generally worked to encourage reform and adaptionwithin the existing political economic system, a more systemiccritique and need for fundamental change is observable in SouthAfrica. Drawing on a comparison of Extinction Rebellion in bothcountries, we argue that understandings of just transitions shouldtake into consideration the unequal abilities of social movementsto call for radically transformative and just decarbonisation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	475-490
Number of pages	17
Journal	Review of African Political Economy
Volume	50
Issue number	177-178
Early online date	27 Nov 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/03056244.2023.2283988
Publication status	Published - 19 Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

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10.1080/03056244.2023.2283988

Gardner, Adekola, O'Brien and Carvalho_Confronting the Climate Crisis in Africa_Sept 2023_ROAPE edits
© 2023 ROAPE Publications Ltd. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the University’s Research Publications and Open Access policy.
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Cite this

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abstract = "Climate change is having increasing impacts on the social,economic and political space across the African continent. Thecompounding character of such impacts reinforces existinginequalities, raising important considerations around climatejustice. Growing awareness has seen the emergence of activistsworking for solutions and promoting alternative futures, workingacross scales and sectors to address the complexity of the threats.This article examines environmental activism in Nigeria and SouthAfrica, exploring strategies and claims, and how these are rootedin questions of justice. While environmental movements inNigeria have generally worked to encourage reform and adaptionwithin the existing political economic system, a more systemiccritique and need for fundamental change is observable in SouthAfrica. Drawing on a comparison of Extinction Rebellion in bothcountries, we argue that understandings of just transitions shouldtake into consideration the unequal abilities of social movementsto call for radically transformative and just decarbonisation.",

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