Who we are
We are Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA), a five-year programme funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ends December 2025). The programme, which was initiated in 2021, is led by six alliance organisations – Akina Mama wa Afrika, Fundación Avina, Slum Dwellers International, SouthSouthNorth, Hivos and WWF. Each of our six lead partners brings unique strengths: from gender justice and grassroots organising to nature-based solutions, policy advocacy and knowledge management. By combining this expertise, we tackle both the environmental and social dimensions of climate injustice.
The alliance works with nearly 250 local and national partners in our seven implementing countries. Each have a deep understanding of local contexts and connections with local communities and marginalised groups.
Why we exist
The climate crisis is a human rights crisis. It deepens inequalities, especially for people in the Global South who rely most on nature for food, water, and livelihoods. Yet these communities often lack the resources and influence to shape climate action. VCA exists to change that by shifting power, amplifying local voices, and scaling solutions that work.
Our Shared Vision
A world where civil society co-creates locally relevant, inclusive and fundable climate solutions. A world where local civil society is an agent of change and influences policies and practices to the benefit of these solutions. A world where those most affected by climate change lead the way in creating solutions that protect both people and nature, for generations to come.
We work on this vision through three strategic interventions:
Mutual capacity strengthening for co-creating alternative scaled climate solutions
Agenda-setting and movement in climate action through amplified storytelling
Joint lobbying and advocacy to make policy and financial flows responsive to locally shaped climate solutions
Our Approach
Southern Leadership and Local Ownership
The alliance defines Southern leadership as the ability of Southern and local partners to create spaces and mechanisms that build and strengthen capacities for effective participation, inspire constituencies, and mobilise society to openly discuss, shape, and act on shared climate goals—driving advocacy from the front. Local ownership means in-country partners take the lead in defining, owning, and being accountable for their climate goals and actions.
Our vision is for Southern civil society organisations to have the legitimacy, power, and civic space to set climate priorities that integrate development needs and human rights. We achieve this by connecting local, regional, and global levels, including women, marginalised groups, informal organisations, and social movements, forging innovative and unlikely alliances, and seizing emerging spaces of influence. At the core of the alliance is the principle of strong Southern leadership and local ownership in all decision-making.
Enhancing Gender Equality and Inclusion
We see women leadership as key to ensuring the voices of marginalised groups are heard. Gender equality is a building block for a powerful approach to climate justice. By acknowledging the root causes of the problem and integrating an intersectional analysis, we seek to address inequalities and transform power relationships based on gender and identity, race, and class, among others.
