Africa's Climate Ambition Reciprocates Tangible Global Support: Planning & Dev't Minister  

Addis Ababa, July 9, 2025 (ENA) --  Africa's disproportionate vulnerability to climate change on top of its minimal contribution to global emissions oblige developed nations to triple their commitments for climate finance, Minister of Planning and Development Fitsum Assefa underlined.

Fitsum made the statement during a critical UN Roundtable meeting on Resource Mobilization for the upcoming Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), held in Addis Ababa today.

In her keynote address, Minister Fitsum underscored that Africa, responsible for less than 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, faces severe impacts ranging from prolonged droughts and catastrophic floods to desert locust invasions.

"We call on developed countries to tipple their commitments to providing the means of implementation--finance, technology transfer, and capacity building," the minister added.

She cited alarming statistics from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showing a 34 percent decline in Sub-Saharan Africa's agricultural productivity since the 1960s, directly impacting the 60 percent of Africans who rely on rain-fed farming for their livelihoods.

 

Despite these daunting challenges, Fitsum emphasized Africa's proactive stance in developing and implementing homegrown climate solutions.

She noted Ethiopia's commitment as a prime example, citing its pioneering role in adopting the Copenhagen Accord in 2009 and launching its Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy in 2011, well ahead of the Paris Agreement.

Ethiopia's ambitious "Green Legacy Initiative," which has seen over 40 billion trees planted over six years, its significant strides in renewable energy, its transformative e-mobility policy, and its Corridor Development program were highlighted as tangible national efforts, she elaborated.

 

The Minister stated that such African-led initiatives, from nature-based solutions to technological advancements, must receive greater international recognition and scale-up financial and technical support.

"Africa's climate ambition must be matched by tangible global support," Fitsum stressed, urging all stakeholders – governments, the private sector, and financial institutions – to forge robust partnerships and invest in the continent's green transition.

Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the critical juncture in global climate governance.

 

Morsy acknowledged the continent's complex challenges, including the increasing impacts of climate change and biodiversity degradation, coupled with rising debt distress, high cost of capital, and widening financing gaps for sustainable development and climate action.

She emphasized that the vision and theme of ACS2 affirm Africa's pivotal role as a provider of climate solutions.

"This is not just an assertion," she declared, pointing to Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative, the AFR100 (African Forest Restoration Initiative), large-scale renewable energy projects, innovative financing instruments like green and blue bonds, and numerous locally led adaptation efforts as inspiring case studies across the continent.

The Deputy Executive Secretary underscored that ACS2 must serve as a platform to showcase Africa as a climate solution provider and innovator.

 

This, she argued, would not only ensure equity in climate negotiations, governance, and finance but also attract much-needed investments into Africa's natural resources sector, which forms a key anchor for these climate solutions.

Morsy affirmed that ECA stands fully behind this vision and committed to supporting a successful ACS2, including through its participation in the Content and Program Committee and by exploring ways to mobilize resources for both the summit and its post-summit strategic recommendations.

"This is Africa's moment—not just to speak, or to be heard, but to also lead," she concluded, urging collective action to seize this opportunity.

The Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), co-hosted by Ethiopia and the African Union Commission, will convene from September 8-10, 2025, in Addis Ababa, aims to be a pivotal platform for accelerating global climate solutions and mobilizing finance for Africa's resilient and green development.

The summit seeks to unify Africa's voice on the global stage, drive concrete reforms in climate finance mechanisms, and showcase the continent's innovative, homegrown solutions, ultimately influencing global climate architecture and fostering meaningful action on the ground.