Ambitions, Challenges, and Hope

Addis Ababa is about to become the epicenter of Africa’s fight against climate change — where ambition meets urgency, and the continent charts a new course for its future. In early September, Addis Ababa will host the Second Africa Climate Summit, a gathering that promises to be more than just another diplomatic meeting.

For a continent already bearing the harshest blows of climate change despite producing the least emissions, this summit is a clarion call to action — urgent, unified, and unapologetically African-led.

As Ethiopia’s representative to the United Kingdom, I see the relevance of this moment extending beyond national borders. Ethiopia, a nation that has planted over 40 billion trees in recent years, isn’t just the backdrop for this event. It is the embodiment of the summit’s aspirations: that bold, nature-centered solutions can arrest environmental decline while lifting millions out of poverty.

The summit, scheduled from September 8 to 10 at the Addis International Convention Center, will bring together approximately 25,000 participants — heads of state, policymakers, scientists, activists, and financiers — all grappling with a shared reality: Africa’s climate crisis is not distant or theoretical, but present and pressing.

The theme, “Green Talks and Green Actions,” reflects a hard-earned lesson from the continent’s 2023 inaugural summit in Nairobi. While commitments were made then, the clock is ticking louder now, and words must turn into concrete policies and scalable solutions — especially those rooted in the continent’s abundant natural landscapes.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been unambiguous: “We must invest in nature, scale proven solutions, and build an economy where ecology drives growth.” Ethiopia’s own Green Legacy program — a reforestation effort unprecedented in scale — stands as a beacon. But it’s just one part of a broader vision that integrates sustainable agriculture, wetland restoration, and renewable energy transitions.

Yet the challenges loom large. African nations face staggering finance gaps, infrastructure deficits, and the specter of debt — hurdles that threaten to slow even the most ambitious climate plans. The summit is expected to highlight innovative financing models, including emerging carbon markets, which some see as vital tools to mobilize capital.

International partners, including the United Kingdom, have pledged support in legal frameworks and funding mechanisms that could turn these markets from theory into practice. African leadership and traditional knowledge are central to the development of climate solutions, fostering approaches that arise from within the continent while welcoming respectful collaboration with international partners.

The African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a resilient and prosperous continent, finds a natural ally in the summit’s goals. The Africa Climate Summit shares important goals with the London Climate Resilience Finance Summit, held in June 2025 during London Climate Week, which aimed to accelerate mobilizing $1.3 trillion for climate adaptation and resilience globally.

Both summits focus on expanding adaptation and mitigation efforts, reforming the global financial system to better support vulnerable nations, strengthening multisectoral partnerships, and fostering the exchange of best practices across countries and regions. This alignment underscores Africa’s commitment to translating global ambitions into regionally tailored, actionable outcomes.

For a continent on the front lines of climate impacts — from droughts to floods, from food insecurity to urban heat — the stakes could not be higher. The success or failure of this summit will echo far beyond Addis Ababa’s conference halls.

As Prime Minister Abiy concluded, “This is a moment for Africa to lead, to innovate, and to show the world that green growth is not only possible but necessary. The future we forge here will shape generations to come.”

This article originally appeared in the 01 July 2025 edition of The Brief, a monthly online dispatch from the Ethiopian Embassy in London.