Africa Climate Summit 2 opens in Addis Ababa: Africa seeks a unified voice on climate finance and justice

by Solomon Irungu September 8, 2025

by Solomon Irungu September 8, 2025 6 minutes read Share

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The Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) officially opened this morning in Addis Ababa, setting the stage for three days of intense negotiations, high-level dialogue, and grassroots engagement on Africa’s climate future. Convened under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development”, the summit brings together more than 25,000 delegates, including Heads of State, government ministers, civil society, youth leaders, private sector actors, and development partners.

The event, hosted by the Government of Ethiopia in partnership with the African Union Commission, comes at a pivotal moment for Africa and the world. With COP30 looming in Brazil later this year, ACS2 is being closely watched as the platform where Africa consolidates its climate priorities into a unified voice, anchored on fairness, finance, and Africa-led solutions.

The inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS1), held in Nairobi in 2023, was lauded for galvanizing global attention to Africa’s climate challenges and for producing the Nairobi Declaration. That document framed Africa as a hub for climate solutions, spotlighting renewable energy and green industrialization. Yet, much of the Nairobi momentum remained trapped in promises. Financing mechanisms stalled, carbon markets drew criticism for lack of equity, and commitments by global partners failed to match the urgency demanded by frontline communities.

Cultural creative dancers welcoming leaders during the second African Climate Summit in Addis Ababa

ACS2 has therefore been cast as the summit where pledges must translate into delivery. Leaders here in Addis Ababa are expected to adopt the African Leaders Addis Ababa Declaration on Accelerating Climate Action and Finance, positioning Africa not just as a victim of climate change, but as an architect of solutions for the globe. The Declaration, if adopted as planned, will serve as Africa’s negotiation anchor at COP30, while also laying out a roadmap for green investments and climate justice across the continent.

ACS2 follows closely on the heels of the Second Climate Week (CW2), held from September 1–6 also in Addis Ababa. Organized by the UNFCCC and Ethiopia, Climate Week was designed to bridge ambition with implementation. Its discussions on renewable energy, food systems, and adaptation fed directly into ACS2’s agenda, ensuring that the summit began not in isolation, but as the culmination of a week of global dialogues.

By sequencing Climate Week and ACS2, Ethiopia has strategically aligned continental priorities with global implementation pathways, giving Africa a rare double platform to showcase solutions and demand accountability.

Opening the summit at the Addis Ababa International Convention Centre, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali called on Africa to move from rhetoric to solutions. “Ethiopia’s Green Legacy has cooled our land and restored our soil; the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is powering a clean, shared future,” he said. “As COP30 approaches, Africa must stand not as a bloc of negotiators but as a continent of solutions. We call for real investment, not charity, and proudly present Ethiopia’s bid to host COP32 in 2027.”

The Prime Minister also announced the creation of an Africa Climate Innovation Compact, an ambitious initiative aimed at producing 1,000 African climate innovators by 2030, financed and owned by Africans, and supported by international partners.

ACS2 unfolds across three tightly packed days of plenaries, dialogues, and side events.

Day 1 (September 8) focuses on nature-based solutions, clean energy, and resilient infrastructure. The morning plenary zeroes in on harnessing Africa’s natural capital and integrating ecosystems with new technologies. In the afternoon, FAO’s Abebe Haile-Gabriel leads a session on enhancing early warning systems for disaster preparedness, reflecting the summit’s emphasis on practical, science-informed interventions.

Day 2 (September 9) shifts the spotlight to adaptation and resilience. The agenda addresses food systems, e-mobility, sustainable cities, and critical minerals. Panels coordinated by UNECA and WRI will showcase technological innovations from the Global South, while FAO highlights agroecology and smallholder resilience. The day is expected to be particularly charged, with debates on how to secure food security while advancing climate adaptation.

Day 3 (September 10) is dedicated to climate finance and Africa-led solutions. With global eyes on Addis, leaders will push for reforms that move climate finance from charity-driven aid to long-term, scalable investments. A UNECA-led session on protecting fiscal space and addressing indebtedness will set the tone for discussions on how African states can mobilize resources without sinking deeper into debt.

Throughout the summit, more than 199 side events and 23 national and partner pavilions will animate the Convention Centre, underscoring Africa’s diverse climate priorities, from e-mobility pilots to community-led forest governance models.

Yet, even as presidents and ministers set the tone, grassroots voices are pushing back against top-heavy climate finance models. The African Coalition of Communities Responsive to Climate Change (ACCRCC) has issued a warning against scaling carbon markets without ensuring that revenues cascade down to communities. “Scaling up sounds good in theory, but in practice it often sidelines the very communities who live with and depend on these ecosystems,” the coalition said in a statement, calling for finance and decision-making to reach villages and households.

Countries with devolved governance systems, such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, are being positioned as test cases for community-driven carbon markets. If ACS2 takes this pathway seriously, it could redefine climate finance integrity not just for Africa, but globally.

By the close of ACS2 on September 10, the world expects Africa to deliver a strong, unified call for fairer climate finance, practical pathways for adaptation, and accountability mechanisms that ensure commitments do not vanish into bureaucratic voids. The Addis Ababa Declaration is anticipated to outline a roadmap for billions in green investments, with announcements on flagship projects and cross-continental partnerships.

What makes this summit different is its framing: climate change not merely as an environmental crisis, but as a justice issue. Aligned with the African Union’s 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations”, ACS2 is positioning climate justice as inseparable from broader struggles for equity and reparative development.

As the plenary halls of Addis Ababa buzz with negotiations, one truth hangs heavy: Africa contributes less than 4% of global emissions yet faces the harshest impacts. Whether ACS2 can tilt the scales of global climate finance and secure tangible outcomes for the women, youth, and pastoralists on the frontlines will determine if Addis marks a turning point, or just another stop on a long road of unmet promises.

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Solomon Irungu

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