A woman walks past an artwork advocating for the end of the fossil fuels during campaign march at Ubunifu Hub in Nairobi on September 16, 2023.
In just two weeks, the world has hosted moments of climate momentum: In Nairobi, the Climate Reality Tour and TED Countdown sparked critical conversations and unveiled fresh leadership, reminding us that change often begins at the grassroots. This week, London hosted Climate Action Week (LCAW) — a convergence of global voices not only to envision solutions, but to demand them. Through it all, one word echoed louder than the rest: accountability — not just a call to speak, but a promise to act.
It has never been lost on me that climate change is not only a technical or scientific issue but also a profound failure of accountability. Broken promises, entrenched inequality, and unfulfilled financial commitments have all deepened this crisis. While climate change touches every corner of the globe, we know that it is the most vulnerable communities that feel its effects first and worst.
One of the most compelling discussions that is emerging in all climate conversations these days is about the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) — an ambitious Brazilian-led proposal to unlock large-scale financing to halt deforestation across the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia.
The idea is refreshingly simple: pay tropical countries to keep their forests standing. It is innovations like these that remind us of what is possible. But even as we celebrate visionary solutions, we cannot ignore the forces still driving the crisis.
Global carbon emissions
Fossil fuels remain the single greatest threat to climate stability. Their impacts are devastating: polluted air, poisoned water, displaced communities, and children living in fear of what the future holds. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made it clear — emissions from burning fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming, accounting for over 90 per cent of global carbon emissions.
And yet, a recent report by the UN Environment Programme revealed that the world is on track to produce more than double the amount of coal, oil, and gas by 2030 — far beyond what is compatible with our climate goals. This begs the question: Where is the accountability? Who answers for these choices?
Fortunately, there is a glimmer of light at the end of this tunnel — the Global Ethical Stocktake (GES). This is one of four flagship initiatives of the COP30 Presidency, co-led by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Unlike the technical Global Stocktake mandated by the Paris Agreement, the GES offers something urgently needed: a space for ethical reflection and moral clarity.
The GES invites us to confront uncomfortable but essential questions that cut across disinformation, climate finance, just transitions, culture, spirituality, and mass mobilisation. The truth is that justice frameworks exist but they remain dormant unless we activate them.
Climate crisis
As we push for global accountability, we must also speak frankly about local accountability. On Wednesday, June 25 we marked a solemn anniversary — one year since the deadly protests of 2024, when over 60 lives were lost. And now, once again, the streets were packed with citizens demanding accountability, dignity, justice, and a leadership that listens. Sadly, this year at least 16 people were killed and over 400 others injured by bullets and batons wielded by the very police force meant to keep them safe.
What the protesters are asking is not unreasonable: a government that is accountable and protects all its people regardless of their politics.
What struck me to the core was not only the courage of the people rising, but also the silence that followed. A halting of all live coverage of the protests. Broadcasters were told to cut the signal and quiet the truth in real time. And in that moment, I wondered what happens to justice when the world is told to look away? Because visibility is power. And when the lens closes, impunity creeps in. But so too does resolve. In every silenced frame, in every censored broadcast, the call grows louder: we must not stop watching.
The freedom of press is a vital link between citizens and those who exercise power. When we silence that link, we leave space for impunity to flourish. We have seen, time and again, how forests are secretly sold off, how land is grabbed behind closed doors, and how truth is buried when the spotlight fades. Accountability is not a one-off event but rather it is a way of being.
In Kenya, I remain proud of the extraordinary resilience of our people. Despite the odds, we continue to speak, to march, to demand better. We have chosen to be active citizens. And that same spirit must animate our global fight. From the streets of Nairobi to the summit halls of London and Belém, we must not relent.
Until we have accountability systems that serve all people, not just the powerful, the climate crisis will remain unresolved and unjust.
Ms Mathai is the MD for Africa & Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute and Chair of the Wangari Maathai Foundation
