President Ruto plants a tree on his arrival for the 2nd Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. PHOTO/Presidency.
By PATRICK MAYOYO and Agencies
African leaders gathering in Addis Ababa for the Second Africa Climate Summit have issued a unified and urgent demand: a complete overhaul of the global climate finance architecture.
They called for a shift from charitable pledges to real investment, while warning that the international system continues to fail the continent most vulnerable to climate change.
Held under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development”, the summit brought together heads of state, policy experts, and development partners from across the continent and beyond.
The three-day meeting, co-hosted by Ethiopia and the African Union, comes at a time when Africa is facing rising temperatures, worsening droughts, floods, and mounting debt; yet receives a fraction of the funding it needs to adapt.
Opening the summit, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed delivered a pointed message: Africa does not seek pity. Instead, it offers solutions.
“We are not here to negotiate for our survival,” Abiy said. “We are here to design the world’s next climate economy.”
Abiy called for stronger South-South cooperation and reiterated the need to transition away from aid-based models towards strategic climate investment.
Echoing this, the African Union’s climate envoy Wanjira Mathai argued that the continent must be seen not as a passive recipient of funds but as an emerging hub of green innovation.
“We need investment, not pity,” she said. “We have the sun, the wind, and a young population ready to lead.”
Though responsible for less than four percent of global carbon emissions, Africa remains the continent most exposed to climate breakdown. From erratic rainfall threatening food systems in the Sahel, to rising sea levels endangering cities like Lagos and Alexandria, climate change is already exacting a heavy toll.
Yet, African nations receive just one percent of global climate finance. According to the African Development Bank, the continent needs upwards of US$250 billion per year to implement its climate goals; but receives less than a tenth of that in concrete support.
Kenya’s President William Ruto, who hosted the inaugural summit in Nairobi in 2023, accused wealthy nations of breaking what he called a “climate blood pact”.
He pointed to broken promises made at COP26 in Glasgow, where rich countries pledged US$100 billion per year to the Global South — a target they have repeatedly missed.
African development financial institutions and leading banks have committed to mobilising up to $100 billion to speed up the continent’s green industrialisation. PHOTO/UGC.
“The global climate finance system is structurally unjust,” Ruto said. “It continues to reward historical polluters while penalising the vulnerable.”
President Ruto has challenged the international community to step up contributions in climate change adaptation and mitigation to complement Africa’s efforts.
The President said Africa is taking bold approaches to climate action by adopting climate positive growth, positioning the continent as a source of solutions rather than a victim.
He said the Nairobi Declaration adopted at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit in September 2023 demonstrated Africa’s commitment to climate action as a driver of economic growth, transformation and job creation, and not a burden.
He pointed out that the international community has both the responsibility and the self-interest to support this initiative, ensuring a win-win outcome for all humanity.
“Success will depend on both sides: Africa delivering at home, and the global system opening space where Africa’s climate, business, and development goals converge,” he said.
Despite this imbalance, African leaders used the summit to showcase the continent’s potential as a global leader in green growth. With vast solar potential, rare minerals essential for battery production, and the youngest population on the planet, Africa’s strategic value in the energy transition is increasingly evident.
In 2024 alone, solar panel imports across the continent surged by 60 percent, driven by booming demand in Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. But leaders stressed that without adequate financing, these early gains will be difficult to scale.
“There is a risk,” said AU Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, “that Africa becomes the green resource basket of the world; without reaping any of the value.” He called for more equitable partnerships and local ownership of green industries.
Notably, the summit took place amid signs of climate policy backsliding in the Global North. With the US reducing its international climate commitments and some European governments facing internal political resistance to green policies, African nations signalled their intention to lead; not follow, the global climate agenda.
The Addis Ababa Declaration, expected to be adopted at the close of the summit, aims to establish a unified African voice ahead of the COP30 climate talks in Brazil.
The declaration includes commitments to increase intra-African investment in renewables, bolster adaptation finance, and advocate for reforms to the international financial system, including the IMF and World Bank.
While the summit underscored Africa’s growing confidence on the global stage, deep questions remain. Can the continent galvanise enough domestic and international support to build a green economy without repeating the extractive mistakes of the past? And will the world’s richest nations finally treat Africa not as a recipient of charity, but as a partner in solving the climate crisis?
For now, the message from Addis Ababa is clear: Africa will no longer wait. It is ready to lead.
