Saturday 07 / June / 2025
Nairobi: The inaugural Africa Climate Summit kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday, with the continent seeking to change the narrative around climate change.
Delegates hope to showcase the continent as a destination for climate investment, and to seek solutions and investment for a green energy transition.
"If we do not develop adequate response measures to deal with the climate change crisis, it will destroy us," Kenyan Environment Minister Soipan Tuya said in her opening remarks.
The summit aims to develop a common African position ahead of a UN climate conference next month in New York and the COP28 summit in the United Arab Emirates in November.
Mobilising climate funding
The summit anticipates significant deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars to be struck, with market-based financing tools like carbon credits taking centre stage.
These instruments, allowing emitters to offset their carbon footprint, are contentious. Critics argue they permit continued pollution by wealthier nations at Africa's expense.
They are also calling for increased financial assistance from developed countries to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change and transition to a low-carbon economy.
"The climate change debate has entered a new era. It is no longer just about tackling an environmental or development problem, but about addressing climate change in the context of justice," Tuya said
Governments in Africa have also shown interest in debt-for-nature swaps, as these transactions yield savings that can be used to fund conservation.
