Experts call for stronger legal safeguards in Africa's clean energy transition
Participants said the rapid expansion of mining and clean energy investments is reshaping communities, but many people continue to face displacement, inadequate compensation and limited involvement in decisions affecting their land and livelihoods.
Mikhail Aruberito Moderating a legal panel (left), Victoria Kilembe (keenly taking notes from what Salina Sanou (a French-to-English translator is saying) (right). (Courtesy photo)
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As Africa positions itself at the centre of the global clean energy transition, legal experts and civil society organisations are warning that communities living in mineral-rich areas risk being left behind unless stronger legal safeguards and accountability measures are put in place.
The call was made during a SHINE Collab dialogue on Monday (August 4) in Harare, Zimbabwe, which brought together lawyers, civil society organisations and community representatives from across Africa to examine the legal challenges arising from the growing demand for critical minerals used in renewable energy technologies.
Participants said the rapid expansion of mining and clean energy investments is reshaping communities, but many people continue to face displacement, inadequate compensation and limited involvement in decisions affecting their land and livelihoods.
A key recommendation from the meeting was that communities should take the lead in legal processes affecting them. Participants urged affected communities to develop clear legal strategies, monitor whether developers comply with environmental and land laws, and pursue legal remedies where their rights are violated.
Access to information was also identified as one of the biggest barriers to justice. Without accurate information about proposed investments, environmental impacts and compensation arrangements, communities cannot meaningfully participate in decisions or give informed consent. The panel called on governments, investors and corporations to improve transparency and fully implement access-to-information laws.
The dialogue further stressed that women, particularly grassroots and indigenous women, must move beyond being consulted to becoming active decision-makers in projects affecting natural resources. According to participants, women often depend directly on land, forests and water for their livelihoods but remain underrepresented in negotiations over mining and energy investments.
SHINE Collab Executive Director Dr Melania Chiponda said Africa's clean energy transition must prioritise justice alongside climate goals.
"A just transition must be about more than replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. It must deliver justice, accountability, fair compensation and meaningful community power. Women and affected communities must have a decisive voice in determining what happens to their land, livelihoods and natural resources," she said.
The organisation called for stronger collaboration between governments, civil society, lawyers and affected communities to ensure Africa's transition to clean energy is both environmentally sustainable and socially just.