Africa Climate Summit to push COP30 commitments, Ethiopia bids to host COP32

ETHIOPIA – The upcoming Africa Climate Summit, set to begin on September 8, in Addis Ababa, has been described as a pivotal moment for the continent to shape global climate negotiations.

In a joint statement issued at the close of Climate Week in Addis, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell and Ethiopia’s Minister of Planning and Development, H.E. Dr Fitsum Assefa, urged world leaders to ensure Africa is “fully enabled” to drive climate action when COP30 convenes in Brazil this November.

“Africa is ready to supercharge climate action, but COP30 must ensure Africa is fully enabled to do so,” the joint statement said, highlighting the continent’s renewable energy potential, vast natural resources, and young, dynamic population.

Stiell and Assefa stressed that while global clean energy investments surged to US$2 trillion last year, only a small fraction has reached Africa.

“This Climate Week has shown African innovators are putting forward pioneering solutions, from community mini-grids to green finance, yet only a fraction of this potential is realized,” they noted.

Ethiopia eyes COP32

The week also saw Ethiopia formally announce its bid to host the COP32 climate summit in 2027.

President H.E. Taye Atske-Selassie said Ethiopia has the capacity and connectivity to host the landmark event, pointing to Addis Ababa’s status as Africa’s diplomatic capital and home to the African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa.

Climate Week attracted delegates from 119 countries, alongside hundreds of NGOs, investors, and innovators.

More than 40 initiatives were showcased in “implementation labs,” ranging from recycling projects in Nairobi’s Kibera slums to Morocco’s green bond programs.

“This Climate Week has been about connecting the international climate process to people’s daily lives,” said UN Climate Change Deputy Executive Secretary Noura Hamladji.

“We’ve heard from innovators of climate action that is profitable, scalable, and irreversible.”

The Addis Ababa meeting also advanced key issues for COP30, including climate adaptation, finance pathways, and just transition measures.

A high-level ministerial convened by COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev emphasized Africa’s unique challenges and solutions in the global climate agenda.

Dr Assefa concluded, “This Climate Week is not just an event. It is a bridge between negotiation and implementation, where ambition meets action, and commitments are translated into real solutions that restore ecosystems and advance sustainable development.”

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