10 things to note from the Addis Ababa Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action

African leaders at the Africa Climate Summit 2 in Addis Ababa

At the Second Africa Climate Summit, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the start of September this year, leaders adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action. A stark departure from the usual rounds of bland promises, the declaration took the tone of Africa losing its patience. And that is for a good reason. For decades, the continent has been politely asking the world to take climate justice seriously. Now, the tone has shifted, and Africa is not begging, but demanding. This declaration matters because it reframes Africa as an actor, not an afterthought. It says climate finance must be fair, adaptation must be prioritised, and Africa’s resources must benefit Africans first. For the Global South, this is a template, because Latin America, South Asia, and island states share the same frustrations with debt, unfair finance, and climate double standards. By spelling out an unapologetic agenda, Africa has given the Global South something to rally around.

 Here are 10 things from the declaration that cut through the noise:

1. Stop calling loans “climate finance”

Climate finance has become a cruel joke. Most of the so-called “support” Africa receives comes in the form of loans with strings attached, at higher interest rates than what rich polluters pay, and which leave African treasuries strapped while droughts and floods keep draining resources. The Addis Ababa Declaration finally calls this what it is, which is climate injustice masquerading as generosity. Africa is insisting on grants and concessional funds, not another round of debt that kicks the can down the road. This matters because the continent shouldn’t have to pay, literally, for problems it didn’t create.

2. A $50 billion war chest

Numbers matter, and this declaration doesn’t hide behind vague talk of “mobilising resources.” Africa has set its sights on $50 billion annually, raised through its own instruments like the Africa Climate Innovation Compact (ACIC) and the African Climate Facility (ACF). This money could roll out continent-wide solar grids, fund climate-smart irrigation systems, and rebuild coastal defences before the next cyclone hits. Of course, the big question is whether African governments can coordinate, avoid corruption, and actually get the money flowing where it’s needed. But compared to the endless waiting game for the North to cough up its long-promised $100 billion, Africa’s plan at least shows ambition and agency.

3. Tear down the rigged finance system

Here’s the ugly truth: Africa pays more to borrow money for green projects than rich countries do to drill for oil. Credit rating agencies and international lenders treat African nations as if they’re always one step from default, regardless of their actual economic performance. This “climate penalty” means renewable energy projects cost more in Africa than anywhere else. The Addis Ababa Declaration agrees that the financial system is broken, and demands that it has to change. Unless international finance is restructured to give the continent fair credit ratings, lower borrowing costs, and predictable funding flow, Africa will never be able to scale climate solutions fast enough; and these reforms are the difference between progress and collapse.

4. Africa is a powerhouse, not a victim

For too long, the narrative has been that Africa is the climate victim; from droughts in the Horn to floods in Nigeria and cyclones in Madagascar. Yes, we agree, this is all true, but that’s not the whole story. The Addis Ababa Declaration flips the script, branding Africa as a climate solutions hub. It notes that the continent has the world’s best solar potential, vast wind corridors, geothermal hotspots, and hydropower resources. It also has the minerals that the world’s green technologies depend on. What it hasn’t had is recognition, and the Declaration asks the rest of the world to stop patronising Africa as a victim in need of saving and start recognising it as a partner with the tools to lead the global green transition.

5. Nature as strategy, not decoration

Tree planting campaigns usually get filed under “soft” projects, and while these are nice, they are not game-changing. Africa disagreed in Addis. The Declaration elevates nature-based solutions into a strategic climate weapon. Projects like the Great Green Wall, Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, and forest landscape restoration initiatives are stabilising weather cycles, creating jobs, and keeping rural economies alive. Nature, the leaders in Addis noted, is an infrastructure that works across generations, not just election cycles. If the world is serious about resilience, then nature has to be treated as core strategy, not charity-funded side projects.

6. On agriculture, adapt or collapse

If African farming doesn’t change, millions will starve. Rainfall patterns are collapsing, pests are spreading, and soils are degrading under climate stress. The Addis Ababa Declaration pulls no punches here as it calls for climate-smart agriculture, indigenous knowledge, and resilient food systems as the only way to stop climate change from gutting Africa’s food supply. Farming is the backbone of most African economies and livelihoods, and adaptation here is not optional. Either farming evolves, or hunger becomes the defining story of Africa’s next generation.

7. Adaptation at the top of the agenda

Yes, we know. And yes, we agree, too. Global climate politics has long treated adaptation like the side salad to mitigation’s main dish. Africa is done with that nonsense. The declaration makes adaptation the centrepiece, arguing that you can’t tell people to wait for emissions cuts in 2050 while their homes are already under water. Operationalising the Loss and Damage Fund is a central demand as it gives the continent quick, predictable, and accessible finance. For Africa, adaptation is survival politics.

8. Resilience over pity

Yes, Africa is vulnerable to climate shocks. But the Addis Ababa Declaration refuses to let “vulnerable” mean “pitiful.” Instead, it reframes vulnerability as the fuel for resilience and innovation. The continent is investing in early warning systems, resilient cities, and community-led adaptation. That matters because it rejects the aid-driven narrative that frames Africans as helpless victims waiting for rescue. Vulnerability may be Africa’s reality, but resilience is the story Africa wants the world to hear.

9. Power for all, not just the elite

Roughly 600 million Africans live without electricity. The Addis Ababa Declaration treats this as both a scandal and an opportunity. The push for renewable energy infrastructure is looking at whether kids can study after sunset, whether hospitals can keep the lights on, and whether small businesses can survive. The leaders noted that Africa’s energy transition can’t be about flashy megaprojects that power mines while villages stay dark, arguing that is has to be equitable by reaching rural communities and informal settlements. Otherwise, the green transition becomes just another story of elites getting richer while the poor stay in the dark… literally.

10. Industrialisation on African terms

Finally, the declaration ties climate action to economic sovereignty. Africa has the critical minerals, think cobalt, lithium, rare earths, that fuel the global green economy. Right now, it exports them raw for pennies while the profits are captured in factories in Europe, China, and the US. The Addis Ababa Declaration says enough is enough, and warns that green industrialisation, fairer trade rules, and domestic value chains are non-negotiable. If Africa is going to power the world’s transition, it’s going to get more than scraps in return.