ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The Second Africa Climate Summit opened Monday in Addis Ababa with a call from leaders to move from rhetoric to action, casting Africa not as a victim of climate change but as a driver of solutions and the next global climate economy.

Opening the summit, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged partners to replace aid with investment.

“Too often, Africa’s story at climate summits begins with what we lack: finance, technology, (and) time. Let us begin instead with what we have,” Abiy said, pointing to Africa’s young population, vast arable land, and the fastest-growing solar belt on Earth.

He highlighted Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, which has planted more than 48 billion trees, and the imminent commissioning of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, set to produce 5,000 megawatts of renewable power.

“We are not here to negotiate our survival. We are here to design the world’s next climate economy,” Abiy said. “When Africa’s land heals, when our rivers run clean, and our air is fresh, Africa wins.”

He also proposed an African Climate Innovation Compact, a $50 billion-a-year partnership to deliver 1,000 African climate solutions by 2030 in energy, agriculture, water, transport, and resilience.

He also officially announced Ethiopia’s bid to host COP32 in 2027, offering Addis Ababa as Africa’s climate capital.

During the summit, African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf pressed for equity in global financing.

“The African Union Commission firmly believes that climate finance must be fair, significant, and predictable,” Youssouf said.

“The vulnerability of our member countries, exacerbated by climate change, debt burdens, and structural inequalities in the global financial system, must be addressed through climate justice and genuine cooperation.”

Kenyan President William Ruto, who spoke to the gathering at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi in 2023, praised Ethiopia for carrying forward momentum. “No nation can solve this crisis alone. Only bold, united, and sustained collaboration can avert climate catastrophe.”

The three-day meeting, held under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” included a tree-planting ceremony at the Addis Ababa International Convention Center, where heads of state pledged unity and commitment to restoring ecosystems.