African legislators gathering in Nairobi this week are framing their push for a bigger role in global climate talks around a hard economic question: how to turn international climate finance commitments into national budgets, laws and spending that actually reach the continent.
The October 8-9, 2026 meeting of the Africa Network of Parliamentarians on Climate Change (ANPCC) executive committee, organised by The African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES), is reviewing the network’s progress and setting strategic priorities for 2026 and 2027, a period in which African economies continue to absorb significant climate impacts. As African countries prepare for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP31), the parliamentarians are weighing how to engage more directly in negotiations and hold governments to the commitments they make at climate summits.
Money and oversight sit at the centre of the agenda. Discussions are expected to concentrate on strengthening legislation, climate financing, and parliamentary scrutiny of accountability in advancing climate action across the continent. The economic logic is straightforward: commitments made at COP summits carry little weight unless they are written into national laws, policies and budgets, and it is parliaments that approve and examine public spending.
“For years, parliamentary participation in the Conference of the Parties (COP) process has raised questions about how legislators can contribute to negotiations and ensure that international climate commitments are reflected in national laws, policies and budgets. This is why ANPCC is seeking to strengthen parliamentarians’ involvement in the COP process, enabling them to engage in climate negotiations and hold their governments accountable for implementing commitments made at international climate summits,” said Hon. Émile Guirieoulou, ANPCC Chair.
In his view, building a stronger network is critical for equipping African parliamentarians with the knowledge, capacity and resources needed to tackle climate change. He argued that the network must deepen knowledge-sharing, capacity building and funding so that legislators can engage more effectively with climate issues, a point that speaks directly to the resourcing constraints many national assemblies face.
Cost is also shaping the network’s practical preparations for COP31. ANPCC is considering writing to member countries to identify parliamentarians who will sit in their national delegations and to facilitate their participation in an Africa-focused parliamentary event during the summit. “The proposed initiative is intended to make participation easier and less costly for African legislators while providing them with an opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss the continent’s climate priorities,” Guirieoulou said. The proposal reflects a recognition that the expense of attending global summits has limited legislative presence, and that pooled, coordinated participation offers better value for member states.
Meanwhile, the broader case the network is making is that parliamentarians should do more than attend discussions. They should scrutinise the climate commitments their governments sign, examine climate-related public spending, and ensure that what is agreed internationally is implemented nationally. “For African legislators, a greater role in the COP process could extend beyond attending international meetings to scrutinising government commitments, examining climate-related public spending and ensuring that policies agreed internationally are implemented nationally,” the chair revealed.
Beyond the annual summits, ANPCC wants a sustained approach to building capacity in national parliaments. Guirieoulou noted that parliamentary membership changes over time as legislators leave office and new members arrive, making continuous training necessary to preserve climate expertise within legislatures. “The network is therefore considering ways to develop climate champions in individual countries who can continue advancing climate action despite changes in parliamentary membership.”
The network also plans to strengthen collaboration with the African Union, speakers of national parliaments and other regional and continental parliamentary networks, partnerships that could help legislators share knowledge and coordinate approaches to climate policy. Improving the network’s visibility and communication, including through social media, is part of efforts to revitalise its operations and set clearer targets. Further detail on the meeting is available at https://news.scienceafrica.co.ke/cop-31-african-parliamentarians-converge-to-strengthen-negotiation-role/
Whether the Nairobi meeting translates into funded delegations and binding budget scrutiny at COP31 will be the test of the network’s economic argument.