Overview

• African heads of state opened the second continental climate summit in Addis Ababa with organizers citing about 25,000 attendees and a goal of forging a unified stance before COP30 in Brazil.
• A summit report put Africa’s adaptation need at a minimum of $70 billion a year, contrasting with roughly $15 billion delivered in 2023, prompting fresh calls for fair, predictable climate finance and climate justice.
• Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed proposed an African Climate Innovation Compact targeting 1,000 solutions by 2030 and showcased domestic initiatives including the Green Legacy program, food-system reforms and the GERD’s renewable power.
• Green investment signals are growing, with 20 countries setting records for solar-panel imports and a 60% rise in shipments from China, yet Africa still generates about 4% of global solar power and lacks long-term public finance and technology transfer.
• The gathering unfolds as the United States exits the Paris Agreement again and as the GERD inauguration heightens tensions with Egypt and Sudan, sharpening calls to reinforce multilateral cooperation.