ADDIS ABABA – The second UN Climate Week of 2025 (CW2), currently underway in Addis Ababa, is working to elevate Africa’s climate priorities and challenges onto the global stage. The event, which runs from September 1-6, is a key platform for preparing for the upcoming Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) and the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, later this year.
Organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Ethiopian government, CW2 focuses on a range of critical issues, including finance for climate adaptation, forest action, and agriculture. Organizers stated that the week’s purpose is to “unlock financial resources” and “facilitate further climate actions” that are tailored to Africa’s development context.
Mensur Desse, a lead executive officer at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Planning and Development, emphasized that the upcoming ACS2, scheduled for September 8-10, will serve as a crucial step for the continent to design its own long-term climate action plans and solutions, rather than simply seeking promises from the international community.
The call for greater, more accessible climate finance for Africa has been a central theme. Princess Abze Djigma, coordinator of the Least Developed Countries (LDC), highlighted the critical need for affordable financing for African nations that are already burdened by heavy debt and suffering from climate shocks like floods and droughts. She stressed that funding must be provided in the form of grants to reach the most vulnerable communities.
Evans Davie Njewa, chairperson of the LDC Group at Climate Change, reiterated this point, calling for a “just transition” that ensures sustainable, fair, and equitable development for all. He underscored that the worsening impacts of climate change, including food insecurity and infrastructure destruction, constitute a “climate emergency” for the continent.
The outcomes of CW2 and the subsequent ACS2 are expected to shape the continent’s unified position ahead of COP30, where discussions on mobilizing climate finance and implementing ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) will be a major focus. The UNFFCC stated that one of the core objectives is to accelerate the mobilization of climate finance to channel capital toward clean energy, climate-resilient infrastructure, and sustainable agriculture in Africa.