…Says Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil must face accountability over environmental destruction
As the world marked Earth Day 2026, the Africa Make Big Polluters Pay (MBPP) coalition has called for urgent global action to halt environmental degradation across the continent, demanding that major oil corporations be held accountable for their role in worsening Africa’s climate crisis.
In a press statement, the coalition said this year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” must move beyond symbolism to concrete action against polluters and systemic environmental injustice.
“The climate emergency is no longer a distant threat but a present and intensifying emergency,” the coalition declared.
It warned that communities across Africa from Kenya’s forests to Nigeria’s grasslands are already suffering the consequences of climate change.
“From biodiversity loss and extreme heat, to erratic rainfall, rising sea levels, and climate-induced displacement, the impacts are already being felt globally, with disproportionate consequences for countries in the Global South,” MBPP said.
The coalition, which brings together over 30 organisations across Africa, said the continent continues to bear an unfair burden despite contributing the least to global emissions.
It rejected what it described as “false climate solutions” being imposed on Africa, including carbon offset schemes and extractive green transition projects.
“Africa must not continue to serve as a testing ground for experimental carbon schemes or externally imposed solutions that fail to address deep-rooted inequalities,” the statement read.
The coalition also took direct aim at multinational oil firms operating across the continent, including Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil, accusing them of worsening ecological destruction in oil-producing regions such as the Niger Delta.
“As exploitation of Africa’s resources grows, the earth’s climate deteriorates,” the group said.
It demanded an immediate halt to new fossil fuel exploration and a time-bound phase-out of existing infrastructure.
“We call for an immediate halt to all new fossil fuel exploration and a structured, time-bound phase-out of existing infrastructure,” MBPP stated.
The coalition further insisted that polluters must be made to pay for environmental damage under the Polluter Pays Principle.
Reaffirming its position, the group said accountability must extend beyond rhetoric.
“Major polluters must be held accountable for their contributions to the climate crisis and the destruction of ecosystems across Africa,” it said.
MBPP also criticised the increasing commodification of nature through carbon markets and biodiversity offsets, warning that such mechanisms often allow industrialised nations to continue polluting while shifting environmental burdens to Africa.
“We reject the growing commodification of nature through carbon markets, biodiversity offsets, and speculative ecological finance mechanisms,” the coalition said.
It added that ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, soils, and oceans must be treated as living systems, not financial assets.
“Ecosystems must be protected as living systems rather than reduced to tradable financial instruments,” it stressed.
The coalition also raised concern over threats to soil integrity caused by industrial agriculture, mining, and poorly regulated carbon projects.
“Soils are essential to climate regulation, food security and biodiversity. They must not be treated as tradable carbon sinks,” it warned.
Calling for systemic change, MBPP urged governments across Africa to prioritise community-led and Indigenous governance of natural resources and end dependence on fossil fuels.
“This year’s Earth Day must go beyond symbolic observance and instead signal a decisive shift toward ecological protection, enforceable climate justice, and systemic accountability,” it said.
The coalition said its campaign is driven by over 32 African organisations working to expose environmental harm caused by transnational corporations and promote sustainable alternatives.
“Without holding major polluters accountable, ending fossil fuel expansion, and rejecting extractive approaches to nature, global climate goals will remain unattainable,” MBPP warned.
It concluded with a call for collective action across governments, communities, and civil society.
“We call for urgent action grounded in collective responsibility and the shared agency of people, communities, and governments to confront the climate crisis,” the statement added.
