African leaders adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration at the Africa Climate Summit earlier this month, pledging to press for global financial reforms, scale up adaptation finance, and mobilize billions for local climate solutions.
The document reflects lessons from the first summit in Nairobi two years ago. But civil society groups say its credibility will hinge on whether governments deliver — and whether new mechanisms to track progress are actually implemented.
The nonbinding declaration calls for urgent reform of multilateral development banks to increase concessional finance and lower borrowing costs. It emphasizes that adaptation finance must come in the form of grants, not loans, to avoid deepening already fragile debt burdens. It also endorses new initiatives, including the Africa Climate Innovation Compact, or ACIC, and the African Climate Facility, or ACF, announced by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, which aim to mobilize $50 billion annually to support African-led solutions. Ethiopia hosted this year’s summit.
About the author
Ayenat Mersie
Ayenat Mersie is a Global Development Reporter for Devex. Previously, she worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as National Geographic and Foreign Policy and as an East Africa correspondent for Reuters.
