African leaders, UN officials, and world presidents will converge in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from Monday, September 8 to 10 for the second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), a gathering that promises to place the continent at the center of global climate negotiations.
This year’s summit, themed “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” is expected to spotlight Africa’s unique climate solutions while pushing for fairer access to climate finance.
Ethiopia’s Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa, said the high-level meeting will culminate in the Addis Ababa Declaration, a unified African voice designed to strengthen the continent’s negotiating position ahead of COP30.
Beyond the declaration, the summit will host more than 300 side events, where governments, civil society, and the private sector are expected to forge new partnerships, mobilize resources, and champion homegrown climate innovations. For Ethiopia, the stakes are particularly high. As the seat of the African Union, Addis Ababa will showcase its role as a diplomatic hub while using the summit to boost its tourism and conference-hosting potential.
Climate activists argue that ACS2 should also mark a turning point in Africa’s relationship with fossil fuels. Seble Samuel, head of Africa campaigns at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, warned against Africa remaining a “sacrifice zone” for foreign corporations.
She urged leaders to embrace a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty that would equitably phase out fossil fuels and expand access to renewable energy across the continent.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Adow, executive director of Power Shift Africa, described the summit as an opportunity to redefine Africa’s climate and development vision. He stressed that global financial systems must be reformed to ensure Africa gets the financing it needs not just to survive climate shocks but to thrive through green growth.
The Addis Ababa meeting will build on momentum from the 2023 Nairobi Summit, which mobilized over $20 billion in pledges and delivered the Nairobi Declaration, a landmark call for reforms in international financial institutions and the introduction of new global taxes to fund climate action.
Those organizing it say ACS2 will push these commitments further by demanding a fairer global financial architecture that meets Africa’s pressing adaptation and mitigation needs.
International participation is also set to elevate the summit’s significance. Leaders expected include UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, Angola’s President João Laurenço, Kenya’s President William Ruto, and Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi, alongside envoys and ministers from countries such as Germany, Denmark, and the UK.
More than 50 official events, 24 national and regional pavilions, and 70 African-led initiatives will be showcased in the flagship ACS2 report.
