“This is not the time for rhetoric, but for bold action. We are not victims of a crisis we did not create, but architects of a just, green, and resilient future. Africa seeks not charity, but justice; not pity, but partnership,” were the words of His Excellency Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, as he welcomed the continent to Addis Ababa for the second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), from 8-10th September.
Under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” ACS2 builds on the Nairobi Declaration, an 11-point call to action that gave Africa a unified climate voice.
Two years after Nairobi’s inaugural Africa Climate Summit, this year’s event is expected to attract more than 45 heads of state. Against a backdrop of record-breaking heat and escalating climate shocks, ACS2 will demand a financing order that acknowledges historical injustices and recognizes climate debt. It will also showcase Africa-led solutions in renewable energy, adaptation, green growth, and nature-based resilience.
With over 25,000 leaders and delegates registered, and coming right after UNFCCC Climate Week 2025 (CW2), held from 1–6 September at the Addis International Convention Center and focused on implementation and practical solutions, including dialogues on Africa’s circumstances and needs, Africa is sending a unified message: we are partners shaping the planet’s future.
ACS2 is Africa’s moment to pivot from declarations to delivery, pressing for a financing order that delivers fairness, reforms the global system, and secures a green, just, and people-centered future.
Africa holds 60% of the world’s solar potential, vast reserves of critical minerals, and 39% of the world’s overall renewable energy potential. Yet, it continues to receive just 2% of global investment and remains chronically underpowered.
Clean energy could transform that story: meeting soaring energy demand, reducing emissions, and simultaneously generating millions of jobs. A shift toward 100% renewables could deliver 2.2 million additional energy-sector jobs, while also giving the continent a decisive role in shaping global energy futures.
According to Seble Samuel, Head of Africa Campaigns & Advocacy, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, “ACS2 creates a key chance to set a unified agenda for radical climate and energy justice on our terms ahead of COP30.”
He further adds that it’s time for African nations to join the call for a legally binding Fossil Fuel Treaty and shape a framework that puts our continent first.”
Highlighting the Nairobi declaration, Amb. Ali Mohamed, Special Climate Envoy of Kenya’s President, William Ruto, said, “In 2023, at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, Africa set a bold course for the continent: 300 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. As we convene for ACS2, our charge is clear, to transform that 2023 ambition into action by scaling capital, unlocking value chains, and forging alliances that anchor Africa’s competitiveness in the global green economy.”
Emphasizing the importance of ACS2, he added, “This is how we turn climate ambition into prosperity and sovereignty for our people.”
The Summit is expected to deliver major outcomes, including the Adopted Addis Ababa Declaration to present a unified African voice ahead of COP30, a strong call for global finance reform with grant-based flows and investment commitments for green growth, stronger partnerships between innovators and investors, the launch of a flagship report by African countries and organizations, and, most importantly, Africa’s unified voice in shaping global influence and leadership.
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