Article - 14/08/2025 | The original version of this article is published on the Africa Climate Summit 2 website.
Two significant events this year are expected to shape the trajectory of global and African climate action: the second Climate Week of 2025 (CW2) and the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) will be held consecutively in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Together, these platforms offer an opportunity to advance Africa’s climate agenda on the world stage, ensuring that the continent’s priorities are reflected in international climate discourse and efforts to mobilize climate finance.
Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2): Africa’s Continental Platform for Climate Action
ACS2, under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” is a major continental gathering built on two strategic pillars: “Showcasing Africa-led Climate Solutions” and “Unlocking Climate Finance.” The Summit is convened under the leadership of the Government of Ethiopia in collaboration with the African Union Commission from 8-10 September 2025, with a pre-summit event from 5-7 September 2025. It will serve as a platform to advance nature-based and technological solutions, scale renewable energy deployment, mobilize climate finance, and promote climate adaptation and resilience.
The Summit is intended as a moment for Africa to articulate solutions rooted in the continent’s realities, challenges, and opportunities. Africa’s young population, rich natural resources, and rapidly evolving economies – coupled with the continent’s ambitious policies and strategies, including Agenda 2063: ‘The Africa We Want’ – create scope for progress towards a sustainable, green, resilient, and inclusive development pathway. ACS2 will highlight these opportunities, encourage collaboration between countries on the continent, and seek commitments from governments, the private sector, and development partners, and present Africa’s climate priorities as a unified voice at COP30 and beyond.
Second Climate Week: Accelerating Implementation
The second Climate Week of 2025 (CW2) takes place from 1-6 September 2025 in Addis Ababa, immediately before ACS2, under the theme “Dialogues for Ambition and Implementation.” Organised by UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) and hosted by Ethiopia, it is designed to translate climate ambition into tangible action, convening Parties, non-Party stakeholders, and practitioners from around the world. Participants will share knowledge, forge partnerships, and explore globally relevant solutions, ensuring that discussions feed directly into African and global climate negotiations and implementation pathways, including ACS2 and COP30 in Brazil later this year.
This alignment offers the opportunity to connect the outcomes of CW2 with those of ACS2, integrating Africa’s ambitions into global climate frameworks and enabling opportunities for partnerships and investments.
Strategic Links: Driving Impact Through Coordination
The timing and thematic coherence between ACS2 and CW2 are deliberate and strategic. ACS2 provides the platform for Africa to define its climate agenda through a uniquely African lens – emphasizing nature-based solutions, technology and innovation, green industrialization, renewable energy, climate finance, and adaptation strategies that protect vulnerable populations.
Following ACS2, the outcomes of the CW2 will be shared with a global audience, enabling discussions with Parties to the UNFCCC, international financial institutions, multilateral development banks, private investors, and global climate coalitions. This approach not only raises the profile of Africa’s climate priorities, but also aims to create the conditions to unlock the scale of climate finance and investments required for transformational change on the continent.
Mobilizing Finance and Partnerships for Africa’s Climate Prosperity
One of the core objectives of ACS2 is to accelerate the mobilization of climate finance tailored to Africa’s development context. The Summit aims to channel capital towards clean energy projects, climate-resilient infrastructure, and sustainable agriculture, among others.
The outcomes of ACS2 will be reflected in discussions during COP30, where negotiations and deliberations will focus on NDC 3.0 and the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap, which aims to mobilize at least $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to support climate action in developing countries. As a continent disproportionately affected by climate change yet undertaking ambitious, locally-led climate actions, African countries aim to ensure their needs are appropriately considered in this pledge.
Looking Forward: A Unified African Front for Climate Action
ACS2 and CW2 together mark a crucial moment in Africa’s climate journey. By building on the outcomes of ACS2, Africa can present a unified voice and play a leadership role in the global climate arena, ensuring that the continent’s unique needs and solutions inform international policies and funding flows.
As preparations for these events continue, all stakeholders – governments, development partners, private sector actors, civil society, and the global community – are encouraged to participate in both CW2 and ACS2 at the Addis International Convention Center (AICC) from 1-6 September and 5-10 September 2025, respectively.
Stay connected through the ACS2 website, the African Union Commission website and the UNFCCC website for the latest updates, event details, and opportunities to engage.
