Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) Sets the Stage for African Leadership and Real Climate Impact

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — As the climate crisis intensifies globally, Africa is staking its claim not just as a vulnerable continent, but as a critical leader and innovator in solutions to one of the greatest challenges of our time.

The upcoming Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), scheduled from September 8-10, 2025, in Addis Ababa, promises to deepen this narrative, centring African priorities and voices on the global stage.

Building on the momentum of the inaugural 2023 summit in Nairobi, ACS2 is a flagship event driven by the Government of Ethiopia and the African Union Commission (AUC). This summit emerges at a pivotal moment, strategically positioned between the G20 Summit, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and the upcoming COP30 climate negotiations, giving Africa a crucial platform to shape international climate and finance agendas in alignment with the continent’s realities and aspirations.

Africa’s Climate Leadership: From Vulnerable to Vanguard

Africa is often regarded as the continent most at risk from climate change’s devastating impacts, including extreme droughts, flooding, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss. Yet ACS2 aims to spotlight a contrasting and empowering story: Africa as a solutions provider.

Under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” the summit will:

Showcase African-led innovations in climate-smart sectors such as energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and blue economy.
Track progress on continent-wide climate commitments made at previous gatherings and international forums.
Define actionable roadmaps to accelerate resilience, just transitions, and green economic growth.
Facilitate dialogues on climate finance, technology transfer, adaptation strategies, and trade.

African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, H.E. Moses Vilakati, underscores the urgency.

“The urgent need for global cooperation has never been clearer, as Africa strives to combat various climate-related challenges… ACS2 provides a pivotal moment for us to show leadership in climate actions and showcase the continent as a solution provider.”

Similarly, Ethiopia’s Minister of Planning and Development, Dr. Fitsum Assefa, stresses the summit’s unique role.

“Africa needs a platform that reflects its priorities and drives real outcomes. ACS2 is that platform. It brings voices together, builds alignment and alliances, and creates the space to turn ambition into action on our terms.”

Expected Participation: A Showcase of Continental Unity and Global Stakes

ACS2 anticipates participation from more than 45 African Heads of State and Government, signalling a remarkable show of commitment at the highest political levels. These leaders, alongside ministers, technical experts, civil society groups, youth representatives, and private sector actors, will engage in:

High-level plenary sessions addressing policy and implementation.
Ministerial roundtables exploring finance, adaptation, innovation, and trade.
Youth forums empowering the voices of Africa’s rapidly growing younger generation.
Regional pavilions highlighting local successes and emerging partnerships.
Side events focusing on thematic priorities from climate finance to technology and agriculture.

Since preparations began, the organising teams have convened over 100 side event proposals, reflecting diverse themes and broad regional representation, while the pavilion spaces designed to exhibit African climate innovations are rapidly securing interest.

Finance and Innovation: Core Pillars for Africa’s Green Future

One of ACS2’s crucial agendas is the mobilisation and alignment of climate finance. Africa continues to face substantial financing gaps, limiting its capacity to deal effectively with adaptation, mitigation, and transition efforts.

The summit aims to accelerate innovative partnerships and attract financial and in-kind contributions to support bold projects that scale climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, water management, and resilient infrastructure.

Recognising that existing global climate finance mechanisms often fall short of African needs, ACS2 seeks to catalyse new flows of investment, ones that respect Africa’s ownership and decision-making in crafting its climate destiny.

A Summit for Real Outcomes

Beyond diplomacy and dialogue, ACS2 is designed to produce concrete progress:

Deliver roadmaps and accountability frameworks for commitments made at ACS1 and other international platforms.
Unveil new partnerships that unite governments, investors, innovators, and youth.
Strengthen African institutions and systems tasked with climate adaptation and financing.
Encourage replication and scaling of successful African-led initiatives that boost food security, energy access, and ecosystem restoration.

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

While the summit amplifies Africa’s leadership, the challenges remain immense: coping with increasing climate shocks, managing vulnerable populations, and transforming economies without sacrificing growth.

The strategic timing of ACS2 amid major global events equips Africa with an unparalleled voice — yet success requires strengthened collaboration both within the continent and with international partners.

The call is clear: climate momentum must translate into tangible action, financing, and solutions that meet Africa’s unique circumstances.

ACS2 is more than a summit; it’s a declaration of Africa’s determination to shape its climate future. Through advancing bold African solutions and ensuring the continent’s priorities are front and centre, ACS2 pledges to move beyond rhetoric to real, measurable impact.

As H.E. Moses Vilakati affirms: “I urge our partners to support us and our member states in building a climate-resilient and green development agenda for the Africa We Want.”

For a continent rich in natural capital but vulnerable to the climate crisis, the clock is ticking and ACS2 stands as a beacon pointing toward resilience, opportunity, and leadership.