As the African continent continues to face the brunt of climate change, Ethiopia is preparing to host a major continental climate summit in collaboration with the African Union and United Nations agencies. Scheduled from September 8–10, 2025 in Addis Ababa.
The African Climate Summit 2 is expected to bring together 25,000 participants, including heads of state, ministers, policymakers, researchers, and environmentalists.
Ethiopia stands out as both a victim of and a solution-provider to climate change. Its landmark Green Legacy Initiative, launched in 2019, has seen the planting of over 40 billion trees across the country by 2023, setting a powerful precedent for homegrown climate action. The initiative has created green infrastructure, fought deforestation, and earned global recognition for its scope and impact.
Despite this, Ethiopia and other African countries continue to suffer from a widening climate finance gap. Though Africa needs an estimated 3 trillion USD by 2030 to implement its climate goals under the Paris Agreement, only 30 billion USD was received in 2021–2022, a mere 1% of the required funding.
Outgoing UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia, Ramiz Alakbarov commended the Green Legacy Initiative during his farewell remarks:
“The tireless effort this government has made to save the planet is impressive. The Amazon is often called the lungs of the planet, but at this pace, the world may soon call Ethiopia the lungs of the Earth.”
However, he stressed that efforts like Green Legacy need significant financial backing. “We must bring solutions forward, but we also need to ensure the financial flows match the scale of the challenge,” he said, pointing to the record-breaking heat waves in Europe as evidence of global urgency.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Planning and Development Green Development Path CEO Abas Mohammed also echoed these concerns. He stated that Africa, which contributes less than 4% of global emissions, is disproportionately affected by climate change. Agricultural productivity on the continent has dropped by 3% since the 1960s, while over 60% of Africans depend on rain-fed agriculture, making them highly vulnerable.
One critical example is the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest carbon sink, which is losing 500,000 hectares of forest annually. This degradation undermines biodiversity, increases emissions, and weakens global climate stability.
According to Abas, Africa faces an 80% climate funding gap, with 2.5 trillion USD still needed. While African countries have pledged to raise 10% of this amount domestically, the scale of support from developed nations remains vastly inadequate.
The upcoming African Climate Summit 2 aims to consolidate African leadership and amplify the continent’s voice in global climate negotiations. It will focus on reforming international climate finance systems, advancing African-led climate solutions, and forging actionable partnerships.
Ethiopia’s leadership in climate action despite its own vulnerabilities highlights the continent’s potential and the urgent need for equitable global support.
BY YESUF ENDRIS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 19, July 2025
