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The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr Abiy Ahmed, has underscored the need for global partnership to boost investment on African Climate Innovation Compact against climate change.
Ahmed made the call in the early hours of Tuesday, September 9,2025, virtually in his welcome address at the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), holding from Sept. 8 to Sept.10, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The ACS2 convened under the theme: “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development”, is centred on shaping African decades of investment backed by sound policy and strong partnerships.
According to Ahmed, ACS2 is focused on showcasing Africa climate solutions, to mobilise finance at scale and turn natural endowments, human capital and innovation ecosystems into shared prosperity.
He said, “As we prepare for COP30, Africa must stand not as a bloc of negotiators, but a continent of solutions, fulfilling the vision of Agenda-2063 for prosperous, resilient and innovative future.
“We must make Africa the place where the world sees climate goals achieved where reforestation is not a pilot project but a culture, where climate-smart agriculture feeds millions.
“Where green corridors connect cities and rural areas shared economy of life, to achieve this, our partnerships must evolve we ask our global partners to invest with us because we are visionary.
“Not to fund us because we are impacted, but to turn vision into reality, I propose the launch of an African climate innovation compact.
“A bold, continent-wide partnership uniting our universities, research institutions, start-ups, rural communities and innovators. By 2030, the compact should aim to deliver 1,000 African solutions,’’ he said.
Ahmed attributed Africa’s story at climate summits to lack of finance, lack of technology, lack of time, saying it begins with what we lack, let us begin instead with what we have.
He mentioned that such would help to tackle climate challenges in energy, agriculture, water, transport and resilience, saying Africa would not only meet its needs but bolster exports.
Ahmed also said that to power growth beyond national borders and advance pan-African prosperity, the compact will be funded and owned by Africans in partnership with the world, but never beholden to it.
“We will also claim climate data sovereignty mapping our own forests, measuring our own carbon and pricing our own ecosystems.
“Climate data is not just science it is the new currency of power. It is time to replace climate aid with climate investment.
“The returns will be measured in avoided emissions, millions of jobs, enhanced food security, stabilised regions and a more resilient global climate.
“Africa did not cause this crisis, yet Africa can lead in solving it. We have the solutions to produce green and clean power.
“To restore degraded land, to capture carbon, we know what needs to be done. Now is the time to scale what works,” Ahmed said.
In her remarks, Dr Fitsum Assefa, Ethiopia’s Minister of Planning and Development and National Coordinator of the ACS2, described the summit as a place stakeholders commit to working closely together with speed, at scale and with integrity.
“Together, we defined the planning framework and established national coordination structures fit for a summit of this scale: clear governance, roles and decision lines.
“We convened multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder consultations policymakers, youth and community leaders to co-create the concept note and shape the detailed agenda,” she said.
By Fortune Abang
