Africa experiences negative consequences of climate change, even though the continent contributes little to its cause. In general terms, established vulnerable sectors to the impact of climate change in Africa, actual and projected, are recognized as water resources, food security, natural resource management and biodiversity, human health, settlements, infrastructure, and desertification. The response of law to climate change and its consequences in these sectors is increasingly emerging through the formulation of international, regional and national legal framework and jurisprudence. States in Africa are not left behind in this wave which has produced domestic climate related law on adaptation and mitigation at the national level.  At the regional level, under the African Union, climate policy and law are equally emerging amidst the regional architecture of accountability for state obligations and commitments. As this continues to take shape, the long-term debate on the differing responsibilities and accountability between the North and South for climate wrongs remains relevant and has present and future relevance in Africa. This is not surprising, considering that for its developmental drive, the continent is still largely dependent on fossils, although there are growing interests in renewable energy alternatives.

Balancing development aspirations with urgent climate actions raises concerns around mitigation and adaptation, the latter including loss and damage (L& D), the just transition of economies which may either hinder or aid the realization of climate objectives in Africa.  At the core of these concerns are issues of fairness and equity which are of significance to law and justice as the continent struggles between the tension to develop economically and fulfil climate ambitions.  An actual and potential offshoot of this trend is litigation relating to climate change, which is evident in a number of states of Africa. Emerging litigation features human rights approach as part of potpourri of approaches in public and private law for remedying climate wrongs.

The foregoing overlapping themes are consistently stimulating research and analysis on climate law and justice, yet a journal that is devoted to the response and application of climate law and its justice for vulnerable communities in Africa is few and far between. From an African perspective, this new peer-reviewed journal focuses on diverse legal issues within states in the African continent as climate change and response measures increase. In the main, the African Journal of Climate Law & Justice (AJCLJ) aims to contribute towards strengthening African scholarship and voices on climate change law and justice. It welcomes manuscripts based on diverse methodologies including comparative law approach on the aforementioned themes.