African leaders push for climate investment at Ethiopia summit

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — African leaders met Monday in the Ethiopian capital for the second Africa Climate Summit, where they proposed a new way of thinking about climate adaptation funding and called for the continent to be viewed not as a victim, but as an investment opportunity.

With a population of more than one billion, African countries have been hit hardest by climate disasters such as droughts and floods, which have made millions of people vulnerable. In 2023, at the inaugural summit in Kenya, African leaders made ambitious plans to increase renewable energy, but funding constraints have slowed implementation.

This year’s summit aims to unlock climate financing and accelerate Africa-led solutions and adaptation.

It is “time to replace climate aid with climate investment," Ethiopi