Africa is on the frontlines of climate disruption.
The Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), held this week in Addis Ababa, came at a decisive moment for Africa.
The final declaration, again, reiterated Africa’s role as a leader and driver of innovative home grown climate solutions.
It positioned Africa as a key player in a just global energy transition and green industrial development, fully leveraging both our renewable energy resources and vast critical mineral resources.
Crucially, ACS2 was an opportunity for Africa to again unite and chart our own path in the face of a crisis we did little to cause.
Sadly the climate crisis is getting more and more extreme: Floods wash away roads, schools, and bridges before they can serve communities.
Droughts destroy harvests and destabilise food systems. Coastal erosion swallows homes and livelihoods.
The World Meteorological Organisation warns that Africa is losing faster than it is building, as climate shocks undo years of investment.
This is the cruel paradox we face: striving to develop while losing the very ground we stand on: Many African governments spend upwards of nine per cent of their budgets responding to floods, droughts and heat waves.
The theme of ACS2—“Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing Africa’s Resilient and Green Development” spoke directly to this reality.
Financing is central, but not on terms that trap us in dependency or debt. According to the African Economic Outlook, Africa loses $7 to $15 billion annually to climate impacts and will need nearly $3 trillion by 2030 to meet its climate commitments.
Yet, we receive only 3 to 4 per cent of global climate finance. The imbalance is staggering, and the financial system is failing us.
Countries and islands on the front-line of climate disasters are not asking for handouts; they are demanding accountability.
The world’s largest emitters must take responsibility, consistent with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
Finance for adaptation and resilience must come as grants, not loans that leave us deeper in debt.
Climate finance must be transformed from aid into strategic investment, scaled up significantly, and delivered with justice and equity at its core.
Africa is not waiting to be rescued. ACS2 affirmed our resolve to lead with home-grown solutions and mobilise domestic capital.
Leaders pledged $100 billion through the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative to scale renewable energy, value chains, and resilient infrastructure.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed proposed an African Climate Innovation Compact to deliver 1,000 solutions by 2030—across energy, agriculture, water, transport, and resilience—backed by $15 billion a year in blended finance.
These initiatives embody the ambition and innovation that will shape our future.
The ACS2 Concept Note made it clear that one of the Summit’s central aims was to unify Africa’s voice in global negotiations. This unity is essential.
Fragmentation weakens us, while cooperation strengthens us. If we harmonise policies, align regional priorities, address the free movement of talent around the continent, and speak together on the world stage, we can drive the reforms that Africa urgently needs.
Our collective strength will ensure ledges translate into tangible projects, renewable energy is scaled equitably, food and water security are safeguarded, and fragile ecosystems are protected.
Importantly, Africa’s solutions are inclusive. They are rooted in communities, empowering farmers, women, and youth who are on the front-line of climate impacts.
From nature-based solutions to technology-driven innovations, from local cooperatives to regional climate-resilient hubs, the continent is proving that transformation must come from the ground up.
We already see this spirit in action. The AFR100 Restoration Movement that aims to restore 100 million hectares, the Great Green Wall Initiative, which aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across the Sahel, has mobilised more than $14 billion and is transforming lives and landscapes.
Africa’s development banks and commercial lenders are also stepping forward with new financial instruments to mobilise capital for renewable-powered industrial clusters and green value chains.
These are examples of what happens when Africa defines its own agenda, seeks private sector partnerships, and builds broad coalitions to deliver it.
But pledges and declarations, however ambitious, are not enough. The true measure of success lies in accountability: pledges must translate into tangible financial commitments. This is why unity is key. Alone, no nation can shoulder this crisis. Together, we can amplify our demands, pool resources and strengthen institutions. Together, we can reaffirm Africa’s role in the global climate debate: from passive victim to determined leader.
Africa is funding Africa. Africa is innovating for Africa. And Africa is defining the rules of its own transition. Africa is charting a path that is resilient, just, and sustainable. Success will depend on us embracing unity, solidarity, and accountability.
ACS2 was a call to action not only for the world but for Africans. We, and the world, must match our ambition with responsibility. And if we do, this will be remembered not just as another summit, but as the moment when Africa took its fate firmly into its own hands.
Ms Mathai is the MD for Africa & Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute and Chair of the Wangari Maathai Foundation
