Yaoundé, October 7, 2025 – Just days before the presidential election, the Climate Justice Movement (MJC) in Cameroon is calling on candidates to place environmental protection and climate justice at the heart of their programs.
The movement urges the president-elect to adopt bold governance for a greener, fairer, and more climate-resilient Cameroon.
A Call for Strong Climate Leadership
Present in all ten regions of the country with forty active members, the MJC brings together civil society, youth, and local and indigenous communities around a shared ambition: to make Cameroon an African model for environmental justice.
The Congo Basin, the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world after the Amazon, is vital for global climate regulation. It provides food, water, shelter, and medicine to millions of people. Yet it is currently threatened by deforestation, illegal resource exploitation, and the exclusion of local populations from decisions that affect them.
Three Priorities for a Sustainable Cameroon
The MJC invites candidates, and especially the president-elect on the evening of October 12, 2025, to commit to three major priorities:
- Protect and Restore Ecosystems
Strengthen the conservation of forests, savannas, mangroves, and coral reefs; end illegal deforestation; promote large-scale reforestation; and support research on biodiversity and climate resilience. - Recognize and Guarantee the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
Secure collective land rights; institutionalize free, prior, and informed consent before any resource exploitation; encourage participatory governance; support community initiatives; and protect sacred sites and cultural heritage. - Act for Climate Justice
Accelerate the transition to renewable energy; promote climate equity; combat plastic pollution; develop environmental education and green jobs; and strengthen international climate partnerships and financing.
“Cameroon Has a Historic Opportunity”
“Cameroon has a historic opportunity to become a continental leader in climate justice. This call is an invitation to build together a future where the environment, human dignity, and solidarity guide every political decision,” says Justin Kamga, coordinator of FODER and member of the Climate Justice Movement.
Faced with the already visible impacts of climate change, floods, droughts, food insecurity, and forced displacement,the MJC calls for clear, measurable, and lasting political commitment.
“Cameroon stands at a decisive crossroads in the face of the climate emergency. We are not asking for promises, but for concrete actions from those aspiring to lead our country. Every political decision must protect our forests, our communities, and our future. Together, we can build a resilient, just, and sustainable Cameroon,” emphasizes Marlvin Tankoh, country coordinator of Greenpeace Africa.
A Message Spread Across the Country
This statement is part of ongoing actions by Greenpeace Africa and its partners, including a recent poster campaign in Yaoundé, Douala, Kribi, and Limbe calling for forest protection and the defense of indigenous community rights.
Through this appeal, the Climate Justice Movement reminds everyone that the climate crisis is not a distant threat, but a daily reality requiring strong, inclusive, and immediate political responses.
Press Contact:
Luchelle Feukeng Tabo, Communications and Storytelling Officer, Email: [email protected], Phone: +237 656 463 545
