“No nation can survive this crisis alone,” he warned. “Only bold, united, and sustained collaboration can avert climate catastrophe. Isolation is not a winning strategy—it is courting failure.”
Speakers throughout the day echoed the same call for unity. In a panel focused on elevating the African Union’s role in global climate leadership, Brian Kagoro, managing director of programs at Open Society Foundations, noted that African leadership has traditionally approached climate development from the state level, rather than as a unit. “We were willing to forego the collective agenda that would enable us to get greater benefits,” he said, proposing that leaders present a unified, continental wide bargaining council for global negotiations, along with an African-led climate finance mechanism.
Abiy also unveiled the African Climate Innovation Compact—a continent-wide partnership that would bring together stakeholders such as universities, research institutions, rural communities, and other innovators to deliver 1,000 African climate solutions around issues such as energy, agriculture, and resilience. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of focusing on Africa-led climate solutions—and positioning the continent as a leader in adaptation and the green economy. “We are not here to negotiate our survival,” he said during the opening ceremony. “We are here to design the world’s next climate economy.”
Coverage of the Second Africa Climate Summit is presented by the Pan Africa Climate Justice Association.