10 September 2025 (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) – The Second Africa Climate Summit concluded with a strong call for ambitious climate action and a roadmap for the continent’s development. 

The Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS-2), hosted by the Government of Ethiopia and the African Union, brought together leaders, policymakers, businesses, youth, and civil society to advance Africa’s climate agenda and sustainable development goals. Under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” ACS-2 served as a key milestone on the path to COP30, providing a platform to champion African-led climate solutions and secure bold financial and political commitments. 

Following is a statement by Wanjira Mathai, Managing Director, Africa and Global Partnerships: 

“Africa is taking decisive climate leadership, advancing bold, innovative, and homegrown solutions aligned with the continent’s priorities. The message is unmistakable: adaptation and resilience are not optional, they are urgent. Africa is meeting the challenge by strengthening water and food security, protecting fragile ecosystems, and empowering communities—especially farmers, women, and youth—to thrive in a changing climate. 

“We must transform climate finance from aid into strategic investment, significantly scale up funding, and drive a reform agenda that mobilizes all sources of finance at scale and ensures justice and equity. 

“Africa is not waiting for the world to act—it is leading. African leaders and financial institutions’ pledge of up to $100 billion in the Africa Green Industrialization Initiative (AGII) to drive renewable energy and climate-resilient infrastructure marks a major step in the continent’s green industrialization. Now the true measure of success lies in accountability: pledges must translate into tangible finance that reaches communities. 

“The continent is advancing African-led financial instruments, including the African Development Bank’s green bonds and regional climate-resilient innovation hubs. Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s proposal to establish the African Climate Innovation Compact is especially notable for linking universities, research centers, startups, and communities in delivering 1,000 African solutions, including green jobs, by 2030—backed by up to $50 billion annually in blended finance. 

“These efforts, along with climate innovation hubs and resilient development strategies, demonstrate that the continent is charting its own path to a sustainable and prosperous future. This is Africa funding Africa, Africa innovating for Africa, and Africa defining the rules of its own transition. 

“Africa’s coordinated strategies across energy, agriculture, carbon markets, and sustainable development, alongside just transition pathways and the Africa Green Minerals Strategy, demonstrate that Africa is not defined by vulnerability, but by leadership—shaping its own sustainable future.”