Africa Demands Climate Justice and Financial Reform at Landmark Conference

Addis Ababa, September 7, 2025 (ENA) -- Africa has called for a new era of climate action rooted in justice, equity, and financial reform following the 13th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-XIII) held in Addis Ababa ahead of the Second African Climate Summit.

In a closing statement, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the ECA, Claver Gatete, said this conference was not an end in itself, rather, it is a bridge that links evidence with ambition, technical depth with political momentum, and Africa’s aspirations with actions.

“We came together to shape the foundation for the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) and Africa’s common voice for COP30. And today, we close with resolve – with a coherent, investment-ready African climate agenda.”

He further highlighted key priorities that the participants are taking forward from this conference into the Addis Ababa Declaration and onward to Belém.

Regarding adaptation, resilience, and loss & damage, the participants have declared with one voice that adaptation must be at the heart of global climate action.

Africa cannot carry a 160 billion USD annual adaptation gap alone; Getete said describing it as neither fair nor sustainable, calling for an urgent, predictable and scaled-up international support.

“The Loss and Damage Fund must be operationalized without delay. It must be equitable in its governance, accessible to all, and responsive not only to economic losses, but also to the cultural and ecological heritage that is at risk.”

The conference has also demanded reforms to the international financial architecture to lower Africa’s unjust borrowing costs, cancel or reschedule debt, and scale up innovative tools such as debt-for-climate swaps, blended finance, green and blue bonds, fair credit ratings, and transparent, high-quality carbon markets that deliver benefits directly to Africa’s development agenda.

According to ECA’s Chief, with over 600 million Africans lacking electricity, the conference stressed that the continent's transition must be both "green and fair." The focus is on harnessing critical minerals for local value addition, deploying a full spectrum of clean energy solutions, and prioritizing green jobs, especially for women and youth.

Africa's ecosystems, such as the Congo Basin, were recognized as global lifelines. The conference called for their protection through fair global valuation and investment, with a commitment to expanding community-led stewardship and using digital innovations to connect nature with other sectors like agriculture and forestry.