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Africa Calls for Bold Climate Action, Innovation, and Investment
African leaders called for urgent and bold action to tackle the climate crisis. They unveiled an African Climate Innovation Compact to deliver 1,000 solutions by 2030 and advocated a Fossil Fuel Treaty to finance a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy across the continent. They highlighted this during the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
President William Ruto of Kenya, host of the first Africa Climate Summit, warned that isolation can't solve the escalating climate crisis. He stressed the urgent need for sustained regional and global cooperation to address the challenges posed by climate change.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, host of ACS2, highlighted Africa’s potential to lead on climate solutions. He proposed the African Climate Innovation Compact, bringing together universities, startups, rural communities, and innovators. The initiative aims to deliver 1,000 African solutions by 2030 in key sectors including energy, agriculture, transport, and climate resilience.
Prime Minister Abiy called on global partners to treat Africa as an investment partner, replacing climate aid with climate investment to support visionary African initiatives.
Leaders at the summit emphasized the importance of linking climate action with debt reform, fiscal space, nature restoration, and industrial transformation to ensure fair value for Africa’s resources and a resilient future.
A key highlight of ACS2 was the proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty, which aims for a global, fair, and financed transition from fossil fuels. The Treaty focuses on debt relief, renewable energy investment, and alternatives for fossil fuel-dependent nations, reinforcing the Paris Agreement and supporting the 1.5°C climate target.
Seble Samuel, Head of Africa Campaigns & Advocacy at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said that "Africa has an abundance of renewable energy potential, but systemic barriers limit opportunities. The scale of the climate crisis demands greater collaboration. The proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty can finance a just transition, unlock African innovation, and bring communities, governments, and stakeholders together in a collective vision for change.”
The Treaty rests on three pillars: a global just transition supported by wealthy nations, a fair phase-out of existing fossil fuel extraction led by high-income countries, and a halt to the expansion of new fossil fuel projects, ensuring equitable access to renewable energy and sustainable development pathways for Africa.
