Addis Ababa (Dawan Africa) – The Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) opened Monday in Ethiopia’s capital with regional leaders calling for stronger financing and African-led solutions to address the continent’s growing climate challenges.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared the summit open, highlighting domestic initiatives such as the Green Legacy tree-planting campaign and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which he framed as contributions to Africa’s green future.
“Ethiopia’s Green Legacy has cooled our land and restored our soil; the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam powering a clean, shared future and driving Pan-African regional integration for a greener future. As COP30 approaches, Africa must stand not as a bloc of negotiators but as a continent of solutions.” he said.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf welcomed delegates with a call for fairness in climate finance, stressing that African states face disproportionate burdens despite contributing least to global emissions.
“Climate finance must be fair, significant, and predictable. The vulnerability of our member states, driven by climate impacts, debt burdens, and structural inequalities, demands climate justice and genuine cooperation,” Youssouf said.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is among the heads of state attending. In his remarks, he underlined Africa’s right to development alongside climate action.
“Africa’s case is compelling and just. Decarbonizing the global economy is inseparable from delivering development in Africa. ” President Mohamud said.
The three-day summit, running from 8–10 September, brings together heads of state, policymakers, development banks, civil society and the private sector. Its agenda covers nature- and technology-based climate solutions, resilience and adaptation, and financing models aimed at shifting from aid to investment.
Organizers say the meeting will culminate in the Addis Ababa Declaration on Climate Change, setting out Africa’s unified position ahead of COP30.
