AMCEN-20 Adopts Declaration for Energy-Efficient, Mercury-Free Lighting

The 20th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-20) decided to call upon African member States that are Parties to the Minamata Convention, to implement the phase out of mercury containing lighting in Africa by 2027.  

The Twentieth Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-20) was held from 14-18 July 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme “Four Decades of Environmental Action in Africa: Reflecting on the Past and Imagining the Future.” AMCEN is an opportunity for ministers and experts to discuss and prepare Africa’s common position and engagement in upcoming global environmental forums like the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

The decisions made during these sessions are instrumental in steering the continent toward sustainable development. Each resolution adopted at AMCEN serves as a catalyst for action, driving policy changes, fostering cooperation, and influencing international environmental frameworks. From the implementation of climate action strategies to addressing the issue of mercury, plastic pollution and promoting biodiversity conservation, AMCEN’s decisions are key to Africa’s response to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

The declarations adopted at AMCEN-20 for energy efficient -mercury free lighting included:

1. Urging member States to fully implement Decision MC-5/4 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, including the phase-out of all listed mercury-added products within the stipulated timelines, and to prevent any further importation of such products into the continent.
2. To support the development and enforcement of harmonized minimum performance and safety standards for lighting, cooling, and other energy consuming products across the continent, with a view to eliminating substandard, mercury containing and inefficient products from the African market.
3. To urge member States to expedite the preparation, and adoption of stringent minimum performance standards for the products applicable within the continent as an opportunity to ensure safety and strict compliance with the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the decisions of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention.

The declarations at AMCEN-20 complements the decisions made in November 2023, at the Fifth Conference of Parties (COP 5) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, where delegates from 147 countries agreed to phase out florescent lighting globally by 2027. This decision is expected to accelerate global adoption of mercury-free lighting by effectively putting an end to the fluorescent lighting industry, with the limited exception of special uses like some transport applications.

The Africa region galvanized efforts to end mercury in lighting, taking the lead at introducing and negotiating amendments to phase out fluorescents under the Minamata Convention. The region championed these efforts due to concerns about becoming dumping grounds of products banned in the Global North and the challenges associated with porous borders (that fail to protect national markets from outdated technologies even when national regulations are in place).

A full transition to energy efficient and mercury-free LEDs in Africa by 2027 will have significant environmental and energy benefits. CLASP estimates that compliance with Minamata and AMCEN decisions in the region will (cumulatively from the phase out dates to 2050):

• Avoid 4 metric tons of mercury pollution from released into the environment.

• Avoid 189 million tons of CO2 emissions.

• Save approximately 500 TWh of the region’s total electricity consumption.

• Save $51 billion USD.