The Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, concluded with a landmark moment: African leaders officially adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration on Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development.

According to Ambassador Ali Mohammed, Kenya’s Special Envoy for Climate Change in the Executive Office of the President, the declaration is more than just a ceremonial document as it highlights Africa’s increasing leadership in shaping the global climate agenda. It establishes a bold, united tone ahead of the COP30 negotiations in Belem, Brazil, later this year.

Over three days, the summit united heads of state, policymakers, financiers, innovators, and civil society in a rare spirit of global unity. From debates in the main halls to lively exchanges at side events, one message was loud and clear: Africa is not waiting for solutions; it is shaping them.

The Addis Ababa Declaration

At the heart of ACS2 lies the Addis Ababa Declaration, which lays out a roadmap for climate-positive growth across Africa. The declaration reaffirmed commitments to:

• Scale renewable energy capacity to 300 Gigawatts by 2030
• Accelerate green industrialisation and value addition through the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
• Mobilise homegrown financing at an unprecedented scale

The declaration is supported by one of the most significant financing commitments: African Development Finance Institutions and commercial banks, such as KCB Group, have pledged USD 100 billion to support Africa’s green industrial transformation. This agreement marks a historic milestone in closing Africa’s climate finance gap, which is estimated at over USD 250 billion annually, while positioning the continent firmly on a low-carbon climate, and nature-positive development pathway. 

Mobilising USD 100 Billion

The USD 100 billion pledge formalised through a cooperation agreement at the summit is particularly noteworthy because it signals a shift in climate finance from dependency on external donors to African-led capital mobilisation. 

Panel discussions highlighted that Africa’s financial institutions are no longer content to sit on the sidelines of the green economy. By embracing this political mandate, they are demonstrating confidence in the continent’s vast renewable resources, emerging markets, and potential for sustainable industrialisation.

Such commitments are expected to channel investments into:

• Renewable energy infrastructure
• Regional electricity integration through the African Single Electricity Market
• Climate-smart agriculture and resilient food systems
• Nature-based solutions that restore ecosystems while creating livelihoods

This shift towards domestic funding reduces dependence on slow international pledges and strengthens resilience against changing donor priorities. It also indicates that Africa is committed to charting its own course in climate and development.

Unified Voice Ahead of COP30

The timing of ACS2 was deliberate. With COP30 approaching in November, the summit aimed to strengthen Africa’s position and ensure the continent speaks with a single, unified voice. The Addis Ababa Declaration accomplishes precisely that, anchoring negotiations on three crucial pillars.

1. Finance Justice: Urging reforms of global financial structures to ensure equitable, accessible, and predictable funding for climate action.
2. Technology and Markets: Calling for fair access to technologies, intellectual property and global markets that can drive green industrialisation. 
3. Loss and Damage: Demand full operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund with direct, simplified access for vulnerable communities. 

The importance of this unity cannot be overstated. Fragmented voices in past negotiations have often diluted Africa’s bargaining power. This time, leaders emphasised that Africa must “keep the momentum,” building on victories such as the creation of the Loss and Damage Fund at COP27 and subsequent pledges at COP28 and COP29.  

Africa Leading the Global Climate Agenda

The Second Africa Climate Summit also reinforced a decisive narrative shift: Africa is a leader, not a victim, in the global climate arena.

The summit showcased a host of homegrown solutions, from Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, which has planted nearly 48 billion trees since 2019, to its Climate-Resilient Wheat Initiative that reduces dependence on imports and enhances food security. Similarly, the near-completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), set to generate 5,000 MW of clean power, illustrates how African projects are aligning energy security with climate ambition. 

These initiatives demonstrate that Africa’s development goals can go hand-in-hand with climate action, proving that the continent is not waiting for handouts but pioneering scalable solutions the world urgently needs.

In conclusion, as ACS2 came to a close, one sentiment resonated throughout Addis Ababa: Africa is writing its own climate story. The continent is seizing the opportunity to align growth with sustainability to create jobs through green industrialisation, and position itself as a global hub for climate innovation.

The Addis Ababa Declaration is more than just a document; it is a firm belief that Africa’s green future is achievable. With its strong financing commitments, unified voice, and expanding collection of local solutions, Africa is no longer waiting for the world to act. Instead, it is taking the lead with the solutions the world desperately needs.

In the words of one delegate, “We leave this summit not only with agreements signed, but with conviction that Africa is charting its own path, leading the world towards a greener, more resilient future.”

 Citations

(Source: Climate Home News; Office of Kenya’s Special Envoy for Climate Change;  Time Collections Africa)