Fiston Wayo

Climate activist leading legal battles for climate justice in Africa

Fiston Wayo is a Cameroonian-Ethiopian lawyer and climate activist whose groundbreaking legal work has redefined climate accountability in Africa. As founder of the African Climate Justice Initiative, he pioneered the continent's first climate liability lawsuits against fossil fuel companies. In 2021, his team filed the historic 'Ethiopia v. Chevron' case alleging environmental harm from oil operations in the Gambela region, setting a precedent for corporate accountability in Africa.

Wayo's advocacy led to the 2022 adoption of the African Climate Liability Framework, a legal toolkit adopted by 22 nations to hold polluters accountable. His 2023 report revealed $4.2 billion in climate damages from extractive industries across 8 African countries. Through partnerships with Friends of the Earth International, he trains 500+ African lawyers annually in climate litigation strategies.

Wayo's work intersects with grassroots movements like the 'Stop Adani' campaign in South Africa, where he advised local communities opposing coal projects. His TEDx talk 'The Climate Courts Africa Needs' (2023) has over 2 million views. Current initiatives include developing Africa's first climate justice curriculum for universities and advocating for binding emissions targets in the 2025 AU Climate Accord.