The second edition of the Africa Climate Summit aims to serve as a platform to inform, frame, and influence commitments, pledges, and outcomes. The Summit will bring Africa’s shared vision of climate action on advancing Africa led solutions and how to finance them, collaboratively championed by the AUC and Ethiopia as the host. The Summit emphasizes the need for Africa to harness climate financing strategies that address the impacts of climate change while contributing to both climate adaptation and mitigation interventions and ensuring green development. The Summit recognizes Africa’s potential for global climate solutions, emphasizing the need for fair and equitable allocation of resources and support, particularly for African nations that have historically contributed the least to climate change but are disproportionately affected by its impacts, yet the continent has immense potential for climate change rectifications for the region specifically, and the globe in general.

The ACS-2 is Africa’s moment to lead global climate action. Ahead of COP30 and building on ACS-1, ACS-2 will unify Africa’s voice to shape global climate negotiations. It will push for fairer global finance systems, prioritizing renewable energy, nature-based and technology-based solutions, adaptation, and community-led solutions. This vision empowers African communities, especially youth and indigenous groups, to shape a prosperous, climate-resilient future. The Summit will seek to elevate the climate change crisis as a justice and fairness issue, resonating with the African Union theme of the year (2025), “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations”.

The ACS-2 is firmly guided by key principles, including a strong commitment to multilateralism and the imperative to restore trust in the global governance processes established to tackle climate change impacts. The Summit is built on principles that reflect a shift in how climate action is approached: It upholds international rights frameworks, providing the legal and moral foundation for just and equitable climate action; recognizes the interdependence of nations and the need for a new, respectful model of sustainable development that reduces emissions in developed countries, scales up adaptation efforts, and ensures access to green technologies for the world’s most vulnerable; prioritizes transparency and accountability, ensuring that climate policy decisions are informed by science and responsive to the needs of low-income countries; and, champions partnerships that promote nature- and people-centred investments, offering innovative and sustainable solutions to climate challenges.

ACS2 is a pivotal moment for Africa to reshape its role in the global climate finance landscape - not only for the continent but for the globe as well. The Summit provides an opportunity for an African Leaders Addis Ababa Declaration on Accelerating Global Climate Solutions and Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development accompanied by a Call to Action, urging African Union Member States and development partners to lead its implementation.

Expected outcomes of the ACS2 include to:
➢ Position Africa as a unified force to influence COP30, G20, and UNGA outcomes.
➢ Drive concrete reforms to scale grant-based climate finance
➢ Showcase African-led climate solutions with potential for global impact
➢ Strengthen national and local systems and country platforms to manage and deliver climate finance
➢ Build strategic partnerships to support just transition and climate justice across the continent

Expected outputs are:
I. Adoption of the African Leaders Addis Ababa Declaration on Accelerating Climate Action and Finance for Africa’s Green Future and Call to Action.
II. Launch of flagship Report on initiatives and strategic partnerships for national, regional, continental and global levels.
III. Mobilization of green investment commitments, including showcasing of multi-billion-dollar projects across various sectors
IV. Announcements of progress on major ongoing continents and international climate global initiatives.
V. A clear roadmap for the implementation of the Summit’s declaration, announcements, and investment commitments

The second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) is a high-level convening of leaders, implementing entities, partner organizations, and investors from Africa and the globe. Its central aim is to accelerate climate action by identifying scalable solutions and unlocking transformative, scalable, and impactful climate finance solutions, particularly for the continent’s most vulnerable populations.

The Summit calls upon African Union Member States and the partners to:
I. Contribute to and champion the outcomes of the ACS-2 to ensure that they’re tailored to Africa’s unique needs and priorities
II. Seize the opportunity to elevate climate-resilient and green development initiatives as a vehicle for equity, prosperity and long-term sustainability
III. Build and strengthen effective cross-regional partnerships to meet the needs for financial, technical, technological and knowledge-based support; and
IV. Ensure that the commitments made at the summit are actionable and aligned with Africa’s broader development goals

The ACS2 Summit underscore essential strategies for tackling climate challenges in Africa and how finance can be leveraged to scale climate action structured as follows:

Pre-Events (5-7 September): Inclusive Climate Action

These pre-events prioritize centering marginalized voices and community-led solutions in climate governance. They aim to ensure that grassroots actors including women, youth, Indigenous groups, and local communities actively co-design climate strategies. By fostering dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, these sessions strive to create equitable and representative climate initiatives.

Day 1 (8 September): Nature-Based Solutions, Technology, Energy & Resilient Infrastructure

This day focuses on harnessing Africa’s natural capital and technological innovations to drive green growth. It emphasizes positioning Africa’s ecosystems and clean technologies as pivotal engines for decarbonization and sustainable development, integrating natural ecosystems with technological advancements to create resilient infrastructure.

Day 2 (9 September): Climate Adaptation & Resilience

This day confronts the urgent need to strengthen Africa's resilience to climate impacts. Integrating scientific knowledge and nature-based approaches, it explores scalable solutions to enhance community adaptation and safeguard development. Key themes: Food Systems, E- mobility, Sustainable Cities, and Minerals.

Focused on unlocking capital and elevating homegrown innovation, this day seeks to transform climate finance from mere aid to strategic investments in local solutions. It promotes financial mechanisms that empower African nations to effectively tackle climate challenges through community-driven initiatives.

Day 3 (10 September): Climate Finance & Africa led Solutions.

Focused on unlocking capital and elevating homegrown innovation, this day seeks to transform climate finance from mere aid to strategic investments in local solutions. It promotes financial mechanisms that empower African nations to effectively tackle climate challenges through community-driven initiatives.

The Summit will be held at the Addis International Convention Center (AICC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.