Guest blog by: Judith Olang , who works at Sharing Strategies, where they work to connect partners worldwide to coordinate advocacy, mobilise finance, and deliver solutions for people and planet.
Addis Ababa was
alive this month with the official summit rhythm and the undercurrents of
politics, civil society mobilization, investment deals, and side
conversations. More than 25,000 delegates streamed
in for the Africa Climate Week, and the Second Africa Climate Summit
(ACS2), from heads of state to farmer representatives and producer
organisations, from development banks and green financiers to youth
activists. The result was a packed – sometimes overwhelmingly packed –
agenda. It is clear Africa’s climate politics are entering a new phase of
action - but we need to work together to enhance accountability for that
action.
A Summit of
Solutions, Politics, and Accountability for Implementation
Officially, ACS2
closed with the Addis Ababa Declaration,
adopted as Africa’s unified call to action. This final declaration,
however, has yet to be released. Leaders pledged to scale up support for
initiatives such as the African Union Great Green Wall Initiative,
the African Forest Landscape
Restoration Initiative, and the Ethiopian Green Legacy Initiative.
They launched new financing vehicles, including the Africa Climate Innovation
Compact (aiming for $50 billion per annum in catalytic
finance) and advanced the Africa Green Industrialisation
Initiative (backed by $100 billion). Collectively, these
create a real sense of African ownership and the potential for
transformative green growth investment across the continent. There were
over 200 side events and panels, especially on themes such as country platforms,
adaptation finance, Africa’s approach to COP30, the Baku to Belem
roadmap, action on debt, local currency financing, and how to reduce the
costs of capital. This amounts to tremendous potential progress. With
partners, we hope to support mechanisms that independently verify the
delivery of and outcomes from these promising strategies.
Beyond the announcements,
Ethiopia’s staging of the inauguration of the new dam, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance
Dam (GERD), alongside the Summit had political undertones. The
dam carries a lot of national pride for Ethiopia for its
self-determination, bringing great visibility but also tensions around
regional politics downstream. For additional perspective, read here (see the
“GERD night and GERD luck” section).
Negotiations
over the declaration itself dragged on, with the final plenary closed to
observers and the outcome released (so far) only as a joint press statement.
Participants left Addis frustrated that the fully adopted text had not
been published or circulated. For many, this undermines the sense of
ownership and transparency that Africa has been demanding from global
processes and risks reinforcing the perception that Africa’s voice is
filtered.
What Civil
Society Said
African civil
society was vocal throughout. The Climate Justice Impact Fund for
Africa, announced by PACJA, promised to advance just resilience through
64 grants spread across 17 countries. In a joint call, CSOs urged leaders
to treat adaptation finance as a legal obligation, not charity, and to
deliver it as grants, not loans. The African Peoples’ Declaration was
even sharper, crafted by various social movements, trade unions, faith
groups, and indigenous communities. Much more positive was Wanjira Mathai from the World
Resources Institute, who underlined Africa’s agency: “Africa
is taking decisive climate leadership, advancing bold, innovative, and
homegrown solutions aligned with the continent’s priorities… This is
Africa funding Africa, Africa innovating for Africa, and Africa defining
the rules of its own transition.” Also, activists like ONE’s Youth Ambassadors consistently
brought positive energy for practical actions to reduce debt burdens and
cut the costs of capital.
Meanwhile, the Media and Climate, Peace, and
Security Declaration underscored the role of journalists in
exposing inequities in climate finance, warning that disinformation and
shrinking civic space pose existential risks to democracy and climate
action.
Finance Front
and Centre
Across panels
and side events, finance dominated. Minister George, South
Africa’s Head of Delegation, said: “Africa cannot borrow its
way to resilience. Climate finance must be grant-based, not
debt-creating”. He set out three clear priorities for Belém: first, to
make the Loss and Damage Fund fully operational by 2025 with direct
access and grant-based support; second, to ensure the Baku–Belém Roadmap
mobilises at least $300 billion in the near term and scales to $1.3
trillion by 2035; and third, to drive reform of the global finance system
so that access is faster, harmonised, and aligned with country-led plans,
with fairer sharing of risks and rewards in blended finance.
Civil society
leaders, led by PACJA, pressed the same point. In his opening speech,
Dr. Mithika Mwenda said the summit’s credibility depended on leaving
Addis with “a financing strategy that mobilizes domestic resources,
secures grants, not loans, and reduces the burden of debt”. PACJA and
allied networks framed this as part of a
wider demand for justice: a reversal of financial flows,
reparations for historic responsibility, and trillions in grant-based
finance, not billions in loans. Their warning was blunt: Africa must not
be saddled with more debt while financing the world’s green transition.
Reflections from
the Ground
The energy in
Addis was undeniable, but so were the challenges. Connectivity issues at
the venue made hybrid participation nearly impossible, a missed
opportunity to widen access across the continent. The “panellitis”
problem was evident: overlapping yet critical sessions diluted attention,
with some organizations running multiple side events daily. Questions
about gender representation on panels also surfaced, as many noticed
male-dominated lineups in plenary sessions.
Yet, there was
also a sense of continuity. Discussions deliberately connected ACS2
outcomes to upcoming negotiations at COP30 in Belém, especially on
adaptation finance, debt, cost of capital, and the role of country
platforms. Many discussions were framed with an eye to COP30.
Accountability
for Africa’s Climate Future
The Addis Ababa Declaration and
its accompanying initiatives give Africa momentum. The challenge is
ensuring that what was pledged in Addis is tracked and that it translates
into delivery and tangible change in the towns, villages, and communities
where climate justice and development progress must be lived. What Addis
follow-up really needs is a "mutual accountability mechanism for
action". Let us know if you are helping set one up.
If you were
there, what do you think? Please share!
Cheers, Judith
Olang.
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