Coalescing Around Climate: African Nations Leading the Way

At a time when some parts of the world are wavering in their climate commitments, Africa is pressing forward. This was the resounding message from the recent Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where leaders showed we are not shying away from responsibility but embracing it.

With more than 25,000 delegates and $100 billion in climate pledges, attendees demonstrated a shared commitment to addressing climate change with African-led solutions.

The Staying Power of the ACS

One of the most important and unifying themes from Addis Ababa was the support for a permanent ACS secretariat. On paper it is a technical detail, but for African nations, a centralized administrative body to advance climate action and accountability can be transformative. It would mean that African heads of states can act with confidence, knowing that climate action is not momentary and that they have supportive partners on this long-term journey.

For Africa, this permanence matters. It ensures consistency in how we organize ourselves, how we engage with the global community, and how we hold each other accountable.

It has the potential to yield important commitments such as the Addis Ababa Declaration — which was agreed on at ACS2 to scale up implementation of African led climate initiatives, such as the Great Green Wall Initiative.

Africa’s Unwavering Climate Stance

Africans live with the acute daily realities of climate change. From farmers struggling with unpredictable rainfall to cities grappling with flooding, adaptation is no longer optional. This is why Africa remains committed to both adaptation and mitigation. Our leaders are equally determined to cut emissions and expand renewable energy, particularly solar, where Africa’s potential is unmatched.

This thinking is beginning to turn into action. It is visible in Mission 300 — an ambitious initiative supported by The Rockefeller Foundation to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030. The implementation of Mission 300 has shifted from being centrally managed to being driven by individual countries through National Energy Compacts. This change reflects something important. African nations aren’t waiting for others to set the pace; they’re taking the lead on the energy transition and are best equipped to know the intricacies and infrastructure needed to make it stick.

The Indispensable Partner

No initiative can succeed in isolation. The conversations in Addis Ababa made it clear that to achieve real scale, Africa must work through a pan-African partner. That partner must be the AU.

The AU faces challenges, as all large institutions do, but it remains a key body with the legitimacy and convening power to bring the continent together.

Strengthening it will require practical steps, such as embedding technical expertise within its teams. This is an example of a low-cost, high-impact moves that can make the AU more effective. Without such a partner, our collective progress will always be slower than it should be.

A New Era of Climate Finance

Perhaps the most encouraging development from ACS2 was the shift in the financial dialogue. Leaders moved the conversation away from loss and damage toward climate finance and global financial architecture reform. This is more than semantics. It represents a new way of thinking about Africa’s place in the climate conversation.

Dr. Naveen Rao, Senior Vice President of the Health Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation, speaks at the Second Africa Climate Summit 2025 (ACS2).

As several leaders emphasized, what Africa needs is investment, not aid. We are rich in renewable resources and in the minerals required for the green transition. Investing in Africa’s green growth is not charity. It is smart economics, and it benefits the world as much as it benefits us.

Thankfully, this was recognized in Addis, with African financial institutions pledging more than $100 billion to fund green initiatives across the continent.

Creating Momentum

ACS2 showed that African nations are standing firm on their commitments to climate adaptation and mitigation, and shaping their own path forwards.

Now, it’s imperative that these commitments are put into action to ensure that African nations can meet the challenge by both withstanding and reversing the impacts of climate change. That will require scaling climate finance and creating the space for the private sector to play its part. Africa has spoken with clarity and unity. The world must now listen and respond, not with rhetoric but with investment and political will to match the scale of the climate crisis.