The Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), held from September 8 to 10, 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, marked a significant milestone in the Continent’s evolving climate diplomacy. Co-convened by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the African Union, the summit took place under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development”.[1] Bringing together more than 25,000 delegates, including heads of state, ministers, representatives from civil society, the private sector, and youth, the summit featured 23 pavilions, 43 exhibitions, and over 240 side events, all focused on advancing African-led climate solutions and charting a path toward green growth and low-carbon development.
The Addis Ababa summit came against the backdrop of escalating climate pressures across the Continent, including prolonged droughts in the Horn of Africa, devastating floods in West and Central Africa, and rising sea-levels threatening coastal cities. These challenges highlighted the urgency of Africa’s demands for both climate justice and sustainable pathways to growth. At the same time, the summit provided a platform to showcase the Continent’s immense untapped assets, its youthful population, abundance of renewable energy resources, vast arable land, and critical carbon sinks such as forests, wetlands, and mangroves that could collectively power Africa’s transition to a greener future.
