AGN Aligns with AMCEN to Shape Africa’s Unified Climate Strategy Ahead of COP30

Dr Richard Muyungi, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), speaking at the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-20)

The 20th ordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-20) has convened under the theme, ‘Four Decades of Environmental Action in Africa: Reflecting on the Past and Imagining the Future’.

The session aims to strengthen collaboration among institutions and enhance the implementation of global and regional environmental frameworks to address environmental challenges facing the continent.

Dr Richard Muyungi, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), speaking at the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-20), which is being hosted by the Government of the State of Libya in Nairobi, has outlined the key priorities guiding the group’s preparations ahead of COP30. Dr Muyungi says a central focus in the coming months is aligning AGN’s negotiating position with the guidance issued by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), ensuring Africa speaks with a united and coherent voice on the global stage.

Dr Muyungi also confirmed that the AGN will take part in the upcoming Africa Climate Week and the second edition of the African Climate Summit (ACSII) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where further coordination and strategy-building will take place. He also noted that the AGN Secretariat is currently being operationalised within the African Union framework, a significant step toward institutionalising Africa’s negotiating capacity and strengthening its voice in international climate forums.

He said the AGN remains firmly committed to science-based decision-making, grounding its advocacy and negotiation strategies in evidence and data. For the year ahead, the group will prioritise three key areas: securing equitable climate finance for African countries; promoting access to clean cooking solutions, particularly through the Mission 300 initiative; and advancing progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), a critical element for climate resilience across the continent.

Meanwhile, the African Union Commission has announced that the theme and priorities for the upcoming Second Africa Climate Summit will be “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa's Resilient and Green Development.”

The summit, the AUC says, aims to build on the momentum of the inaugural Africa Climate Summit and align with the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Its key objective will be to position Africa, not as a passive recipient of climate aid, but as a green driver of global climate solutions. The continent, adds the AUC, will use the summit to champion climate finance, advocate for just transitions, and assert its influence in shaping global climate discussions.

The summit will be anchored on two strategic pillars: showcasing African-led solutions, including nature-based approaches such as carbon sinks, technology-driven climate innovations, and smart agriculture; and unlocking adaptation by mobilising climate finance, building national institutional capacity, promoting North–South cooperation, and scaling up access to blended finance models.

Inviting African leaders and entrepreneurs to the summit, the AUC says the meeting will serve as a platform to elevate Africa’s leadership in climate action while pushing for the financial and technological support required to achieve a just, green, and resilient future.