Climate change impacts on the African continent are visibly disturbing, as it begins to manifest one crisis after another. The Africa we want is crying for policy and climatic space to transform its economies, livelihoods and societies for the benefit of current and future generations. The global development commitments captured in or expressed in the sustainable development goals provide a useful framework within which to situate the aspirations and concerns of the people determined to realize the potentialities of the African continent amidst climatic challenges. Working people the world over and in Africa continue to create the wealth that holds together the civilization. All economic activities are currently under stress as a result of the direct effects of climate change as well as the necessary mitigation response measures seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are also critical adaptation measures seeking to reduce the adverse effects of global warming as the effects are already making a heavy toll on the livelihoods of people. The imperatives of climate change are thus challenging African societies to live up to its obligations within the global efforts of UNFCCC to deal with climate change. Trade unions and their social partners are at the same time alarmed by the pervasive unemployment and under-employment, especially among the youth and women; the precariousness of the burgeoning informal sectors, the weak coverage of social protection for large sections of the populations; the growing spatial, income, generational and other inequalities – all of which must be dealt with alongside the climate responses.
