Africa Climate Summit adopts Nairobi Declaration

Among the leaders who attended the summit were Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), Idriss Deby (Chad), Julius Maada Bio (Sierra Leone), Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibout), Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Isaias Afwerki (Eritrea), Hage Geingob (Namibia) and Felix Tshisekedi (DRC) and Joao Lourenco (Angola).

Former Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire of Somalia were also present.

The summit also witnessed substantial commitments totaling a remarkable Sh3.4 trillion ($23 billion) for green growth, mitigation, and adaptation efforts across Africa.

Some of the notable highlights include: A transformative partnership investing Sh8.7 billion ($60 million) over two years in expanding grid access in rural Burundi.

A Sh654 billion ($4.5 billion) commitment from the United Arab Emirates to boost renewable energy.

Substantial contributions from European nations, and significant investments from private sector entities like Masdar, PowerGen, Leapfrog, Cross Boundary and Husk Power, emphasising renewable energy initiatives.

The signing of Kenya's Green Hydrogen Strategy with the European Union, which is expected to drive and accelerate green manufacturing and create thousands of new, high value jobs in addition to attracting large private investment.

A notable increase in adaptation financing, reflecting a deep commitment to Africa's sustainable future and energy systems.

ACS also endorsed the establishment of an African Climate Commission to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Nairobi Declaration and other climate actions across the continent.

The commission will be chaired by President Ruto and co-chaired by Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Patricia Scotland, the secretary-general of the Commonwealth.

The leaders agreed to use every available opportunity in the busy multilateral calendar, from the G20 meeting, the United Nations General Assembly in a fortnight, the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund soon thereafter to advance their common position and vision for Africa's climate agenda.