DECONSTRUCTING SUSTAINABILITY: EXAMINING THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN GLOBAL FRAMEWORKS AND LOCAL REALITIES IN CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, AFRICA IN FOCUS

Abstract

Sustainability has emerged as a dominant framework for addressing climate change, yet its globalized discourse often fails to account for the socio-political, economic, and cultural complexities of African communities. This paper critically examines the disconnect between international climate policies and the lived realities of vulnerable populations across the continent. By deconstructing sustainability as a concept shaped by Western institutional paradigms, the study highlights how global frameworks such as the Paris Agreement, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and corporate-led green initiatives, frequently impose rigid mitigation strategies that are misaligned with indigenous knowledge systems, local governance structures, and economic constraints in Africa. Using case studies from across the region, this research explores the failures of top-down climate action, illustrating how externally imposed sustainability models often exacerbate environmental injustices rather than resolve them. The paper argues for a reimagined, decolonized approach to climate governance, one that prioritizes localized, context-driven solutions over universalized sustainability standards. By bridging the gap between global frameworks and local realities, this study advocates for climate justice frameworks that empower African communities as key stakeholders in shaping sustainable futures. The work adopts the orthodox historical method of narrative and analyses while the qualitative methodology was applied in the presentation of facts.