On September 11, 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) closed with a resounding message: Africa is not a victim of climate change but a driver of global solutions and the next climate economy. Convened under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development”, leaders adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action, signaling Africa’s readiness to lead with ambition and partnership.

Key outcomes included the launch of the Africa Climate Innovation Compact and African Climate Facility, pledging $50 billion annually to scale African-led solutions in energy, agriculture, water, and resilience. The Africa Green Industrialization Initiative, backed by $100 billion, will channel investment into renewable energy and green industries. Leaders emphasized the urgent need for global financial reform and reiterated that adaptation finance is a legal obligation, best delivered as grants to avoid deepening Africa’s debt.

Energy access was placed firmly at the heart of Africa’s climate agenda. With 600 million people lacking electricity and nearly 1 billion without clean cooking, leaders reaffirmed the Mission 300 Agenda and the Clean Cooking Initiative, aiming to reach 300 million and 900 million Africans respectively by 2030. Importantly, leaders also called for Africa’s share of global renewable energy investments to grow from 2% today to 20% by 2030, reflecting the continent’s potential as a renewable powerhouse.

ACS2 also strengthened support for locally-led action through the Africa Just Resilience Framework and the Climate Justice Impact Fund for Africa, which are already disbursing resources to grassroots actors in 17 countries. This recognition that communities, women, and youth must be central to solutions is a step forward in building inclusive resilience.

For civil society and the ACCESS Coalition, these outcomes show that collaboration across governments, development partners, and local communities is possible and necessary. The path from Addis to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, must now focus on turning pledges into impact.

Our Call to Action:

  • Development partners and Multilateral Development Banks to operationalize the $50 billion pledge, publish detailed disbursement plans and prioritize concessional financing including significant grant financing over loans to avoid deepening debt burdens to African countries.
  • Partners to recognize that climate justice requires energy justice and scale investments in just energy transitions, ensuring households, communities, and small enterprises see real benefits.
  • African governments to establish energy compacts aligned with Mission 300 amongst other global targets featuring comprehensive implementation and engagement plans with specific timelines, budgets and accountability frameworks.
  • ACCESS Coalition commits to track progress on ACS2 commitments. We will spotlight successes, highlight on areas requiring urgent attention and amplify community voices throughout because the 600 million people without electricity and 900 million Africans without clean cooking cannot wait for another summit to turn on the lights and have access to clean cooking solutions.
  • Civil Societies to advocate for international climate finance reforms and hold all parties accountable through regular monitoring and public reporting while demanding for meaningful participation in project design and implementation to inform delivery of inclusive, people-centered climate and energy solutions.

African leaders, civil society, and key stakeholder needs to sustain the momentum together to ensure the Addis Ababa Declaration drives implementation beyond words.

ACS2 has shown what Africa can achieve through unity and cooperation. But unity without urgency is just hope without action. Now, the task ahead is shared, specific and timebound: deliver finance and implementation that  that transform lives on the ground. The countdown to COP 30 has already started and every day matters.

The outcome depends on our shared commitment. Will ACS2 be remembered as the summit that finally bridged the gap between climate ambition and energy justice? Or will it join the long list of conferences that promises everything and little was delivered. The next ACS will measure our success not by announcements made but lives transformed. This is our shared mandate.