By Thuku Kariuki and Daniel Furnad
Climate finance was at the top of the agenda as policymakers and experts met ahead of the 2nd Africa Climate Summit. The 13th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-XIII) was held in Addis Ababa September 5th-7th. The meetings were held at the African Union and hosted by Ethiopian President, Aby Ahmed.
Claver Gatete, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA called for unity and determination, stating, “Africa is not waiting to be acted upon. We are shaping our destiny, leveraging our resources, and bringing solutions to the world. Together, we can ensure that these outcomes do not remain words on paper but translate into action that transforms lives across our continent.”
The African Development Bank played a central role at this year’s Climate Week, co-organizing sessions and leading the NDC Clinics to help African countries align policies, build capacity, and prepare investment plans.
Laying the groundwork for the Addis Ababa Declaration that would end the Summit on September 10th, the conference set Africa’s priorities. First and foremost was Adaptation and Loss and Damage.
They agreed that Adaptation must be central to global climate action. Africa cannot bear a US$160 billion adaptation gap alone. The Loss and Damage Fund must be made operational without delay, on fair and accessible terms.
Anthony Nyong, Director of Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank, underscored the scale of the financing gap: “Africa is at a crossroads. Despite contributing less than 4% of global emissions, our continent receives only 3% of international climate finance, even as nine of the ten most climate-vulnerable countries are here. This gap is unacceptable.”
He highlighted the proactive response by the African Development Bank Group to scale climate-smart investments, institutional reforms, and results-oriented finance, including the mobilization of $4 billion through the Climate Action Window by 2025 to support vulnerable and fragile states.
The delegates called for developed nations to meet their pledge of $300 billion to adapt to climate change by 2035. But they weren’t begging. They set their own climate finance goals, which appear very ambitious.
They include a shift from aid dependence to strategic investment, mobilizing $2.5–$3 trillion annually by 2030. They also want to expand tools like green bonds and blended finance. Another point of agreement is to ensure at least 10% of flows create Africa’s green workforce.
There was a lot of discussion about energy policy. They stated that Africa’s energy transition must be green and just. With more than 600 million people still lacking electricity, access must be expanded while pursuing sustainable growth.
Universal energy access must be placed at the heart of Africa’s transition, while developing value chains for critical minerals and positioning the continent as a global hub for green hydrogen and renewable-powered industrialization.
The onus was placed on the African Union to develop a climate governance architecture for the continent. Individual countries were urged to embed climate action in national plans. They urged African nations to work together to strengthen their negotiating capacity.
The AfDB’s Nyong commented, “Climate resilience must be built where it is needed most—on the frontlines of vulnerability. That means connecting adaptation to peace, empowering every African country to lead its own climate transition, and equipping them with the intelligence to act decisively.”
Science and Data also took center stage during the discussions. The conference decided that Africa must bridge climate knowledge gaps through early warning systems, blending indigenous wisdom with modern technology, and strengthening the science–policy interface.
They urged leaders preparing for the Africa Climate Summit to invest in integrated climate monitoring systems, early warning, and indigenous knowledge to close Africa’s data gaps and guide policymaking.
James Kinyangi, Coordinator of the ClimDev-Africa Special Fund at the African Development Bank, emphasized science as Africa’s first line of defense: “Without closing knowledge gaps, our people remain exposed to risks we cannot anticipate or manage. Investing in climate data and early warning is not optional – it is essential for saving lives and building resilience.”
Nature found friends at the conference. The body declared that Africa’s ecosystems are global lifelines whose protection requires fair valuation and greater international investment. Their urged Africans to scale up stewardship of forests, wetlands, and peatlands, embed circular economy principles in NDCs, and recognize Africa’s ecosystems as global public goods.
Closing the conference, Claver Gatete, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA, emphasized Africa’s leadership: “This conference was not an end in itself. It is a bridge that links evidence with ambition, technical depth with political momentum, and Africa’s aspirations with actions. Africa is not waiting to be acted upon. We are shaping our destiny, leveraging our resources, and bringing solutions to the world.”
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