The United Nations and the Government of Ethiopia have called on African leaders to use next week’s Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa as a platform to demand ambitious outcomes at COP30 in Brazil, insisting that Africa’s voice must be central in shaping a fair global climate deal.
In a joint statement released at the close of Climate Week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s Minister of Planning and Development, Dr. Fitsum Assefa, and the UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, said Africa has the resources, youth, and innovation to supercharge climate action, but requires fair financing and implementation commitments from the international community.
“No continent holds greater potential than Africa for climate actions that transform lives and economies. But only a fraction of this potential has been realized, as clean energy investments worth $2 trillion globally last year barely reached African nations,” the statement read.
Africa’s untapped climate potential
The leaders highlighted Africa’s vast renewable energy potential, young population, and local innovations from mini-grids in rural communities to recycling in Kenya’s Kibera slum as opportunities that could drive resilience and reduce emissions if backed by strong financing.
They stressed that COP30 must move beyond agreements to tangible results, enabling African nations to access climate finance, technology, and partnerships that will power a just transition.
Ethiopia announces bid to host COP32
On the sidelines of the summit, Ethiopian President Taye Atske-Selassie announced that Ethiopia will formally bid to host the COP32 UN Climate Conference in 2027, citing the country’s diplomatic influence as the seat of the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
“We have the capacity, the facilities, and the connectivity to host this much-anticipated climate summit,” President Atske-Selassie declared.
The Climate Week in Addis Ababa, which attracted delegates from 119 countries, showcased over 40 scalable climate initiatives, including green bonds in Morocco, digital platforms tracking climate ambition, and community-driven adaptation projects.
According to Noura Hamladji, Deputy Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, the event was designed to bridge negotiations with real-world implementation.
“This Climate Week has been about connecting the international climate process to people’s daily lives. We have seen African innovators offer scalable, profitable, and irreversible solutions,” she said.
Road to COP30 in Brazil
The Addis Climate Week also advanced negotiations on key issues to be decided at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, including adaptation financing, pathways for climate-resilient economies, and strategies for a just transition.
Mukhtar Babayev, President of COP29 in Azerbaijan, emphasized that Africa must use the summit to sharpen its priorities:
“Each region has its own challenges and solutions. This high-level dialogue in Addis Ababa provides a space to deepen Africa’s input ahead of COP30.”
Why this matters for Nigeria
For Nigeria and other African nations, the message is clear: without equitable financing and bold outcomes at COP30, Africa’s renewable energy capacity, agricultural adaptation projects, and climate resilience strategies risk remaining underfunded.
As the Africa Climate Summit opens on Monday, expectations are high that African negotiators will demand not only promises but concrete commitments that place the continent at the heart of the global climate agenda.
By Dare Akogun, in Addis Ababa
