Addis Ababa:  The United Nations and the Government of Ethiopia have called on African nations to use the upcoming Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) to deliver a strong and united message ahead of the COP30 climate conference in Brazil this November.

Scheduled for September 8–10 in Addis Ababa, ACS2 is expected to serve as a pivotal platform for shaping Africa’s climate agenda. Leaders, ministers, and negotiators will discuss strategies to strengthen the continent’s voice on climate action and ensure that Africa’s priorities are addressed at the global stage. Central to the summit will be the adoption of the Addis Ababa Declaration, aimed at consolidating a common African position on climate finance, adaptation, green industrialization, and loss and damage.

Ethiopia’s government, hosting the summit, emphasized that the continent’s vulnerability to climate change must be matched with greater international support. “Africa is ready to supercharge climate action, but COP30 must enable the continent to do so,” the joint statement from Ethiopia and the UN stressed.

Discussions are also expected to advance the development of a Common African Position linking climate change with peace and security. This framework would acknowledge the growing impact of climate-driven crises on conflict and instability across the continent.

Key areas of focus for ACS2 include mobilizing substantial climate finance, scaling up adaptation projects, and leveraging Africa’s renewable energy resources and critical minerals for green industrial growth. Leaders are also preparing to push for tangible progress on the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, ahead of its next board meeting in Manila in October.

The summit comes just weeks before COP30, set to take place in Belém, Brazil, from November 10–21. Preparations for COP30 have been overshadowed by logistical concerns, including soaring accommodation costs in Belém that threaten to limit participation from developing countries. Brazil has introduced measures such as chartering cruise ships to expand lodging capacity, but the expenses remain a pressing challenge.

COP30 is expected to pursue ambitious targets, including scaling annual climate finance to $1.3 trillion by 2035 and launching Brazil’s proposed Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a $125 billion initiative to support conservation of tropical forests.

For Africa, the Addis Ababa summit is seen as a crucial step in ensuring its priorities are firmly placed on the COP30 agenda. Leaders hope that a strong, unified African voice will help secure more equitable financing, accelerate adaptation efforts, and move the debate on loss and damage from rhetoric to real resources.