The Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) officially opened today at the Addis International Convention Center (AICC), with Ethiopian Prime Minister H.E. Abiy Ahmed Ali (Ph.D) delivering the inaugural keynote and declaring the summit underway.

In his address, Prime Minister Abiy highlighted Ethiopia’s signature environmental and energy initiatives as models of Africa-driven climate solutions. He pointed to the Green Legacy Initiative, which has restored degraded land through mass tree planting, and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is powering clean energy and strengthening regional integration.

❝Ethiopia’s Green Legacy has cooled our land and restored our soil; the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is powering a clean, shared future and driving Pan-African regional integration for a greener tomorrow. As COP30 approaches, Africa must stand not as a bloc of negotiators but as a continent of solutions. We call for real investment, not charity, and proudly present Ethiopia’s bid to host COP32 in 2027,❞ Abiy declared.

The Prime Minister further proposed the creation of an Africa Climate Innovation Compact, an ambitious program aimed at producing 1,000 African climate innovators by 2030. He emphasized that the initiative should be financed and owned by Africans while leveraging global partnerships for implementation.

Themed “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” ACS2 brings together heads of state, policymakers, scientists, and civil society leaders from across the continent and beyond. The summit, jointly organized by the Government of Ethiopia and the African Union Commission, runs from 8–10 September 2025.

By putting forward Ethiopia’s bid to host COP32 in 2027, Prime Minister Abiy underscored Africa’s determination to not only influence but also host global climate negotiations, positioning the continent as a source of climate innovation and sustainable development.