Africa’s climate challenge: fair fossil fuel phase-out and funding

Nearly 600 million people across the African continent still lack access to electricity. Close to one billion rely on traditional biofuels for cooking. Africa is also very vulnerable to climate change, even though it has contributed less than 5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions over the past 170 years. Speeding up the move to renewable energy is a key topic on the agenda of the Second Africa Climate Summit in Ethiopia in September. Regional development and climate change specialist Abay Yimere sets out what’s likely to be discussed.

Why does Africa need its own summit on climate change?

African countries have made binding commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. To do this, they will need to shift to renewable energy and stop mining and using fossil fuels like oil and coal. However, many African countries continue to rely on coal, oil and gas, with solar energy accounting for just 3% of electricity generation. Renewable energy currently supplies just 24.1% of Africa’s electricity, 76% of which comes from hydropower, a source increasingly affected by climate change.

Collectively, African countries need between US$1.6 trillion and US$1.9 trillion by 2030 to move away from fossil fuels.

But Africa’s current climate finance needs are between $1.6 and $1.9 trillion. Much of the available climate finance is provided as loans rather than grants, leaving the continent in debt. About 751 million Africans are negatively affected by their governments spending money on repaying high interest external debt instead of investing in climate resilience and sustainable development.

Global energy initiatives also don’t cater adequately for Africa. The World Bank and African Development Bank’s recent Mission 300 project to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030 will leave another 300 million behind.

The 2023 global COP28 climate conference pledged to triple the amount invested in global renewable energy. But as Africa currently only receives about 4% of global climate investment, tripling this amount will not make much difference.

For this reason, the continent needs its own climate summit to bring African countries together to demand fair global responses, including greenhouse emissions cuts from high emitting countries in the developed world. The summit will mobilise for finance and new technologies that are needed for Africa to combat climate change.

Without its own climate summit, Africa runs the risk of being sidelined in a crisis it did not cause.

What did the first summit agree on and how much progress has been made since?

Its first climate summit in 2023 issued the Nairobi Declaration. It agreed that African countries must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030. It called for the long-overdue delivery of the world’s US$100 billion annual climate finance pledge.

The summit also advocated for a fair phase-down of unabated coal and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. African countries pledged a fivefold increase to funding for new renewable energy systems.

They also committed to setting up green industries, climate-aligned trade, and financial system reform. This included prioritising growth over austerity, reforming lending to eliminate surcharges and promoting local currency financing. The declaration also stressed the need for greater technology transfer, fair access to concessional finance, and scalable climate finance.

Progress since the summit remains largely unknown. There have been no progress reports and its promises were not measured.

However, some programmes like the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative have been launched. This initiative aims to drive green industrialisation on the continent.

Similarly, the Continental Circular Economy Action Plan (2024–2034) was launched in July 2025. This aims to create green jobs, empower youth and women, and position Africa as a global leader in climate-resilient, inclusive growth.

What are the main topics for the 2025 summit?

The summit has six agenda items:

1. Reimagining climate finance and investment architecture

These discussions will centre on easier lending terms, restructured debt and funding national projects using domestic currencies. The summit also wants easier access to climate finance,

2. Accelerating renewable energy and technological transformation

Africa has vast solar and wind potential. The summit is expected to discuss ways to get electricity to the 600 million Africans without power by 2030. It will also look at emerging technologies.

3. Scaling nature-based and community-led solutions

Africa’s ecosystems and indigenous knowledge systems hold powerful solutions for both mitigation and adaptation. The summit should champion nature-based approaches and community participation so that climate action is inclusive, culturally grounded, and ecologically sustainable.

4. Strengthening strategic governance and global partnerships

The hope is that these discussions will revive multilateral cooperation and advance technology and knowledge transfer.

5. Harnessing critical minerals for green industrialisation and a just energy transition

Africa holds over 30% of the world’s critical mineral reserves. These resources are used in clean energy technologies, net-zero transitions, and the industries of the future. The summit will need to champion strategies to ensure that these minerals are mined responsibly and fairly.

6. Advancing regional implementation mechanisms

One of Africa’s persistent challenges is the disconnect between policy ambition and effective execution. The summit will need to attend to this.

How do these talk to the major climate challenges faced by African countries?

Indigenous knowledge systems hold untapped potential for climate solutions. When traditional practices are combined with modern technologies, they can strengthen resilience, enhance ecosystem stewardship, and support the emergence of green economies.

In the energy sector, decentralised renewable energy systems provide reliable power to rural communities. This is especially critical during climate extremes. They also reduce emissions. These systems also create jobs, improve health outcomes, and support local enterprises.

For example, civil society organisations like the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance reached out to local communities to ensure that their voices and interests were meaningfully represented. Similarly, institutions such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Group of Negotiators, and the African Development Bank have engaged different organisations. This bottom-up, distributed model of participant mobilisation will promote inclusivity and shared ownership of the summit’s outcomes.

Ultimately, the summit’s success hinges on African leaders’ ability to rally around a shared vision of combating climate change and building resilience. With unity, they can win this fight. They could also position Africa as a global climate leader.

This article is also published on The Conversation. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

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