H.E. Dr. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya;

Honourable Ministers;

Representatives from International Organisations;

Representatives of Civil Society Organisations;

Invited Guests;

Distinguished participants;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

All protocol duly observed.

On behalf of H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, I am pleased to welcome you all to the African Climate Summit and to thank all delegations from Africa and the world at large for setting aside time your busy schedules to participate in this inaugural African Climate Summit.

Your participation is a clear demonstration of your unwavering commitment to collectively shape the future of climate action in Africa and across the world.

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to express our sincere gratitude to the Government and People of Kenya for the warm reception and hospitality accorded to all delegations since their arrival in this beautiful city of Nairobi.

I would also like to commend the organisers from the different Ministries and partner organisations under the leadership and strategic guidance of H.E Dr. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, who worked around the clock on the technical and logistical arrangements required to this Summit successful.

The primary goal of this summit is to propel our collective efforts on climate change and sustainable development forward. Together, we aim to elevate the discourse surrounding climate change, and rally support for a finance architecture which is specifically tailored for Africa, while also bearing in mind the resilience and survival of our continent's abundant resources, as we accelerate our transition towards a climate-resilient future.

The Summit is organized in parallel with the Africa Climate Week (ACW 2023); one of four Regional Climate Weeks planned this year to build a momentum ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Dubai, UAE, in December this year, which will conclude the first global stocktake, and chart the way for fulfilling the Paris Agreement's key goals.

The fundamental driver of success for Africa’s green transition will be the availability of resources for investment. This must be accompanied by strengthening the capacity of African countries to mobilize their own resources, and built on the foundations of solid and inclusive economic growth. As a continent, previous growth models have been predicated largely on export of Africa’s raw materials with minimal value addition. A continuation of this trajectory will undoubtedly reinforce Africa’s vulnerability.

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, the African Continent remains a key player in charting the way towards a low carbon future. Despite being the least contributor, Africa has been hit hardest by the climate crisis. Our strength lies in our unity and on the fact that we are a continent that is vibrant, fast-growing, youthful, energetic and diverse.

Our solutions lie in large-scale investment in climate resilience, centered on energy access to drive sustainable industrialization. This would be one of the fastest drivers for poverty reduction, while also fundamentally changing the nature of Africa’s economic model, with large-scale investment in sustainable value chains.

Policy frameworks already in place to support the implementation of climate action include: - the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan; the Continental Green Recovery Action Plan; and the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather and Climate Services) which guides the development and application of weather and climate services on the continent.

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

As I conclude, I would like to emphasise that this inaugural Africa Climate Summit provides an opportunity for Africa to consolidate its united voice on matters of climate change, sustainable development and to mobilise support for the implementation of continental programmes and policies such as the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan, which covers all the items to be addressed by the Summit.

Africa’s potential in fostering its sustainable development and , its green transformation must be designed and led by African countries and African institutions and this should be centred on the mobilization of new and additional resources that can be deployed urgently.

As a continent, we will continue to hold our partners, accountable to promises made. We will count on the support of our partners present here today, as well as all relevant stakeholders to support the implementation of the Summit outcomes.

I thank you for your attention and I look forward to fruitful deliberations.

Asante sana, Muito Obrigado, Merci Beaucoup, Shukran