Africa Climate Summit II: Addis Ababa Positions the Continent as a Climate Powerhouse

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia/ September 8, 2025

In a moment charged with urgency and ambition, the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) convened in Addis Ababa, drawing over 25,000 delegates from across the continent and beyond. The summit, co-hosted by the African Union Commission and the Government of Ethiopia, marked a pivotal shift in Africa’s climate diplomacy from reactive to visionary.

The summit convened under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” ACS2 became a platform not only for declarations but for design of new compacts, new coalitions, and a new climate narrative.

The summit brought together:

45+ Heads of State and Government, Senior officials from the UN, UNFCCC, AfDB, and AU, Ministers of Environment, Finance, and Planning, Youth climate leaders, civil society, and private sector innovators, and over 170 sideline event organizers and 30+ green tech exhibitors

Among the most anticipated voices were Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, President William Ruto, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, each delivering messages that reframed Africa’s role in the global climate architecture.

In his opening address, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed challenged the deficit narrative often imposed on Africa:

“Too often, Africa’s story at climate summits begins with what we lack, lack of finance, lack of technology, lack of time. Let us begin instead with what we have: the youngest population in the world, bursting with creativity and innovation; the fastest-growing solar belt on Earth; the planet’s last carbon vaults, in our forests, wetlands, and coasts.”

He proposed the launch of an African Climate Innovation Compact, aiming to produce 1,000 African-designed climate solutions by 2030. On his official Facebook page, Abiy reinforced this vision by stating:

“Africa must be the architect of its own climate destiny. The Innovation Compact is our blueprint for visionary, not aid-dependent, growth.”

President William Ruto of Kenya echoed the call for agency and equity by saying:

“Africa will no longer beg for scraps in the global climate conversation… We refuse to carry a burden we did not create.”

His speech sparked continental debate and positioned Africa as a proactive force in climate justice, not merely a victim of global emissions.

Beyond plenary sessions, ACS2 is expected to host over 170 side events that showcased Africa’s ingenuity and urgency. Highlights included:

• African Climate Innovation Compact Launch: A pan-African initiative uniting universities, startups, and rural innovators to scale homegrown solutions.
• Green Growth Panel by ACET and AERC: Focused on inclusive green economies and the energy access gap. As noted in their concept note:
• “Africa consumes only 5.9% of global energy supply yet holds immense renewable potential. We must break the cycle of climate vulnerability and jobless growth.”
• Youth Climate Assembly: A vibrant pre-summit gathering that amplified voices from marginalized communities and demanded intergenerational climate justice.
• Climate Change and Women: A session organized by various organizations working on women and children, noted the first victims of these calamities to be children and women
• Exhibitions: Over 30 private sector showcases featured green technologies from solar microgrids to AI-powered irrigation systems demonstrating Africa’s readiness to leapfrog into a low-carbon future.

The summit is expected to culminate in the Addis Ababa Declaration, a unified African position ahead of COP30 in Brazil. According to H.E. Dr. Fitsum Assefa, Ethiopia’s Minister of Planning and Development:

“This is not just another meeting. It is a defining moment. Africa is disproportionately affected by climate change, yet home to extraordinary potential. ACS2 is where ambition becomes investment, and resilience becomes legacy.”

ACS2 is not just expected to be a summit but rather a statement. A declaration that Africa will no longer be spoken for, but will speak for its own with clarity, conviction, and creativity.