Africa Takes the Lead: Bold Climate Agenda Unveiled at Climate Week 2025

By Thuku Kariuki - In Addis Ababa, the message was unmistakable: Africa is ready to lead on climate action, not follow. 

As Climate Week 2025 opened on Wednesday, leaders pledged a decisive break from the past and called for urgent implementation of global climate commitments.

Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie set the tone, declaring a new vision for prosperity rooted in clean energy, food security, and inclusive leadership.

“Here, we will champion a new vision for Africa: one of integrated electricity markets powered by our vast mineral wealth, transformed food systems, and the leadership of our women and youth,” President Selassie said.

Delegates at the gathering included government officials, development partners, and international organizations. President Selassie urged experts and partners to help shape Africa's next chapter of climate leadership, highlighting the ingenuity and scale the continent brings to the world.

Financing Africa’s Climate Future

UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary Noura Hamladji pressed wealthy nations to honor their pledge of mobilizing $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for developing countries.

“It must become implementable, delivered faster, and designed for purpose,” Hamladji said, citing examples from Kenya, South Africa, and Ethiopia where climate action is already driving growth, jobs, cleaner air, and access to affordable energy.

The African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, echoed the urgency:

“The time for decisive action is fleeting. The African Union is resolute in its leadership and committed to forging strong partnerships on this critical journey.”

Ethiopia’s Planning and Development Minister Fitsum Assefa described Climate Week as an inclusive platform that unites governments, civil society, academia, and local communities.

 “By hosting this gathering, we aspire to create a landmark moment, a new edge of implementation, where on-the-ground results shape global progress.”

From the African Development Bank (AfDB), Prof. Anthony Nyong, Director of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department, warned that climate impacts are outpacing solutions.

“The time for words has passed; the time for bold and inclusive action is now,” he said, reaffirming AfDB’s commitment to climate finance and technical support for African nations.

The youth voice came from Marcele Oliveira of Brazil, COP30 Youth Climate Champion, who stressed the power of collective action.

“We are not just the future; we are the present, leading the way on climate action. Implementation is collective action… government, private sector, civil society, everybody working together. It is not easy, but it is necessary.”

Running until 7 September, Climate Week 2025 serves as a prelude to the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), scheduled for 8–10 September in Addis Ababa. It features an Implementation Forum, peer-learning exchanges, and NDC Clinics designed to fast-track solutions on resilience, just transition, and climate finance.

The AfDB has played a central role this year, co-organizing sessions and leading the NDC Clinics to help countries align policies, build capacity, and prepare investment-ready plans.

As the world looks toward COP30 in Belem, Brazil, this November, Addis Ababa is positioning Africa as a central player in global climate leadership, turning ambition into action, and pledges into progress.