Every year on September 28, the world marks the International Day for Universal Access to Information, a day that highlights the fundamental right of citizens to know, question, and hold power to account. For Africa, access to information is not just a democratic principle, but a practical necessity in advancing transparency, curbing illicit financial flows, and ensuring that public resources are used to serve the common good.
This year’s theme, “Ensuring Access to Environmental Information in the Digital Age”, highlights the urgent need to democratise access to environmental data and empower citizens to participate meaningfully in climate governance. As digital technologies reshape how information is produced and shared, ensuring equitable access to environmental data becomes essential for justice, sustainability, and resilience.
Environmental information is not just scientific data, it is a lifeline for communities facing the brunt of climate change, pollution, and resource exploitation. From air quality indicators to land use maps, access to timely and accurate environmental information enables citizens to hold governments and corporations accountable, advocate for sustainable policies, and protect their health and livelihoods.
At Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA), we recognise that environmental justice is intertwined with information justice. Without access to environmental data, communities cannot challenge harmful practices, demand redress, or contribute to solutions. In the digital age, this access must be inclusive, transparent, and safeguarded against manipulation and exclusion.
Digital technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to disseminate environmental information widely. However, they also risk deepening inequalities if access is limited by infrastructure, literacy, or political will.
“Environmental information must be recognised as a public good. In today’s digital age, ensuring access means not only bridging the digital divide but also safeguarding the fundamental right to know” our Policy Officer Gloria Majiga notes.
Across Africa, the lack of open environmental data has hindered efforts to combat climate injustice, monitor extractive industries, and respond to ecological crises. Through our work on Tax and Natural Resource Governance, TJNA continues to expose the opaque systems that enable environmental degradation and financial injustice.
We call on African governments, civil societies, and International partners to strengthen legal frameworks that guarantee access to environmental information, invest in digital infrastructure that supports open data platforms and citizen engagement, promote environmental literacy to empower communities to interpret and use data effectively and ensure transparency in extractive industries, land use, and climate finance.
As we commemorate International Day for Universal Access to Information 2025, TJNA reaffirms its commitment to advancing environmental transparency and justice by harnessing the power of digital tools to build a future where environmental information is accessible to all and every citizen can participate in shaping a sustainable Africa.
Access to information is not just a right, it is the foundation of accountability, participation, and justice. On this International Day for Universal Access to Information, TJNA reaffirms its commitment to advancing transparency in tax and financial governance, because only through openness can we secure equity, curb illicit financial flows, and drive Africa’s sustainable development.
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For further information, please contact Gloria Majiga at gmajiga[@]taxjusticeafrica.net.
