Africa’s climate agenda turns to finance, implementation and economic transformation ahead of COP31
Africa has called for a shift from climate commitments to measurable action as countries prepare for the upcoming COP31 climate summit in Antalya and Ethiopia’s hosting of COP32 in Addis Ababa in 2027.
The call was made at the conclusion of the 14th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-14) in Addis Ababa, where delegates adopted a set of priorities focused on climate finance, adaptation, technology, carbon markets, food security and economic transformation.
The conference urged African countries to strengthen their influence in global climate governance while ensuring that international commitments translate into national laws, public budgets, investments and measurable results.
A major concern raised at the conference was the gap between Africa’s climate financing needs and the funding currently available. Delegates were told that although Africa accounts for less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent requires about $277 billion annually to implement its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through 2030. Current climate finance flows cover only about 11% of that requirement.
The adopted messages called for climate finance to be predictable, adequate, accessible and structured in ways that do not deepen debt burdens. Delegates also pushed for greater investment in adaptation, early-warning systems and African-owned financing mechanisms.
The conference further called for climate investments to generate wider economic benefits within Africa, including jobs, technology transfer, industrialization and local value addition.
ECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete said Africa’s climate story “should not be defined by vulnerability alone, urging the continent to press for climate justice and greater international support, while harnessing Africa’s assets to help shape the rules, investments and solutions driving global climate action.”
“The conference asks us to move beyond the question of what Africa should seek from COP31 to what Africa should propose to the world.” Said African Union Commissioner Moses Vilakati.
The push for greater African ownership was also reflected in discussions on critical minerals and the energy transition. Delegates called for mineral-producing countries to capture more value through local processing and beneficiation, while regional value chains should be developed through frameworks including the Africa Mining Vision and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The African Development Bank’s James Kinyangi said, “Africa is not merely a victim of climate change. We are a source of solutions,” while Afreximbank’s Olubunmi Obasanjo-Williams told delegates that “vulnerability is not the full African story.”
Kinyangi also noted that Africa has 60% of the world’s solar potential, while the AfDB’s Climate Action Window has mobilised $450.9 million for 37 low-income countries. Obasanjo-Williams said Afreximbank plans to allocate 5% of its long-term loans to climate finance by 2030, with 70% directed towards adaptation.
The conference also highlighted the need for stronger climate data systems, with delegates calling for information to be converted into practical climate-risk intelligence that can support investment and accountability. Indigenous and local knowledge, as well as gender-responsive science, were identified as important components of climate decision-making.
Early-warning systems were another priority, with delegates calling for stronger links between weather observations, forecasting, communication, anticipatory action, financing and emergency response. They also called for wider support for the Systematic Observations Financing Facility and stronger national meteorological and hydrological services.
Agriculture was identified as a central component of Africa’s climate response, with delegates calling for a shift towards climate-resilient agrifood systems that connect production with markets, nutrition, natural resources and livelihoods. Food security was described as a key measure of whether climate action is delivering for African communities.
The conference also linked climate change with growing risks to peace and security, particularly through food, water and energy insecurity, displacement, resource competition and inequality. Delegates called for climate and conflict risks to be incorporated into early-warning, disaster-risk reduction, adaptation and peacebuilding efforts.
Urban areas were similarly placed at the centre of climate adaptation planning, particularly as cities receive people displaced by climate-related shocks. Delegates called for housing, land and basic services to be treated as part of adaptation infrastructure and for cities and local governments to have more predictable access to climate finance.
On carbon markets, CCDA-14 called for carbon pricing systems to reflect national circumstances and be supported by rigorous monitoring, reporting and verification. Delegates also called for Africa to move towards functional carbon markets capable of attracting private investment while generating tangible benefits for communities.
The conference further identified the circular economy as a route towards green industrialization, resilience and job creation. It called for circular economy approaches to be incorporated into national climate and development plans and for a continental roadmap to be developed ahead of COP31 and COP32.
Mithika Mwenda of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance urged delegates to move “from declaration to delivery.”
CCDA-14 was convened under the Climate for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) Programme, bringing together African policymakers, climate negotiators, financial institutions, researchers, civil society, youth, women and private-sector representatives.
The conference concluded with the establishment of working committees tasked with advancing the priorities agreed in Addis Ababa. The committees will follow developments from COP31 and contribute to a consolidated report for the next CCDA, including an assessment of climate finance delivery in Africa and recommendations ahead of COP32, which Ethiopia is scheduled to host in Addis Ababa in November 2027.
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