The launch of the Second African Climate Summit in Addis Ababa for resilient and green development in Africa

The launch of the Second African Climate Summit in Addis Ababa for resilient and green development in Africa

The Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, opened the work of the Second African Climate Summit (ACS2) on Monday, September 8, 2025, in an event whose activities were opened by African leaders, ministers, experts and representatives of international and local organizations, in addition to many participants concerned with climate action.

It is expected -According to a statement on the African Union website- that the summit will extend until the tenth of September this year, and this is under a central theme that revolves around “accelerating global climate solutions and financing for resilient and green development in Africa.”

Therefore,Earth Guardsin this article sheds light on the activities of this summit, exploring its themes, and the extent of its desired benefit in redirecting climate action within the continent of Africa within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); So keep reading.

Climate changes in confrontation

This summit comes at a very sensitive time due to the accelerating climate challenges facing the world, and there the summit sessions will focus until its end on two interconnected messages:

• First: Confirming that the African continent does not want to remain just a party demanding compensation, but rather wants to be a source of innovative solutions appropriate to its context.
• And the other: Calling for fair and practical financing, capable of enabling African countries to implement green transformations without falling into the debt trap, or unilateral dependence on inappropriate technologies.

Why now?

Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions of the world to the effects of climate change. If you face frequent droughts, flash floods, declining soil fertility, and a direct impact on food security and the local economy.

All of these climate challenges coincide with global geopolitical fluctuations that have affected the dynamics of international climate financing. Therefore, the continent of Africa seeks to propose an independent and integrated continental model, in a way that achieves the continent’s sustainability and resilience.

Practical objectives and main axes

Starting yesterday - and until the end of the summit - the sessions and discussions revolve around practical axes, including:

Climate Finance Mobilization

This is through searching for new financing mechanisms, combining the public and private sectors, regional investment funds, and appropriate credit facilities for countries of the continent.

Homemade climate solutions

Supporting drought-resistant agricultural innovations, renewable energy projects, and managing water resources in a sustainable manner.

Climate justice

Demanding a fair distribution of responsibilities and resources between the countries of the North and South, and linking efforts to combat climate change to human rights and development.

The role of governments and the private sector

Based on these axes, the Second African Climate Summit included several levels of participants; Heads of state and government, as well as representatives of the private sector; Which demonstrates the diverse participation at all levels.

Finance is an old problem and a new challenge

Among the most prominent issues is how to secure sufficient funding on fair terms. Therefore, the Second African Climate Summit calls for the establishment of regional financing instruments and credit facilities with low or no interest, and linking financing to social and environmental performance indicators that ensure the benefit of the people of Africa.

Innovation and Technology

The first sessions of the Second African Climate Summit witnessed a review of medium-cost agricultural, water and industrial technical initiatives that are more appropriate to African reality, compared to some Western solutions that are high in cost and cannot be quickly adapted.

The summit topics also included the possibility of discussing local African experiences, such as:

• Smart irrigation systems
• Solar energy projects
• ProgramsAgroforestry

OutputsAfrican Summit

The summit is expected to result in an African climate finance charter, and several pilot projects agreed upon between numerous countries, institutions, and regional partnership networks for research and innovation. However, what is most important about the Second African Climate Summit is that it consolidates the idea that Africa aspires to be a prominent actor in formulating global climate solutions based on its contexts and needs.

The launch of the Second African Climate Summit in Addis Ababa is an important moment in the continent’s performance on the climate issue, and we must all be aware that the road to implementing ambitions is still long, and a balance must be struck between ambition and financing capacity, and between technical solutions and social justice.

Therefore,Earth Defenders Foundationis closely following this African summit, spreading awareness of the importance of climate action, and the importance of the efforts made to strengthen the role of the African continent, and this is in light of the countless climate challenges that humanity faces today, challenges that require comprehensive solidarity; In order to achieve all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).