Addis Ababa, September 8, 2025 (FMC) — Ahead of COP30, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on Africa to redefine its role on the global climate stage, urging the continent to act not merely as a bloc of negotiators but as a source of solutions that fulfill Agenda 2063’s vision for a prosperous, resilient, and innovative future.
The Prime Minister made the remarks in his inaugural keynote address at the second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), which officially opened in Addis Ababa today with the participation of heads of state and government from across Africa and beyond.
“We must make Africa the place where the world sees climate goals achieved,” Prime Minister Abiy asserted, challenging the traditional narrative that portrays Africa as a continent defined by scarcity.
“Too often, Africa’s story at climate summits begins with what we lack—finance, technology, time. Let us begin instead with what we have,” he emphasized, highlighting Africa’s youngest population, abundant creativity, rich natural resources, and vast potential for renewable energy.
Prime Minister Abiy presented Ethiopia’s home-grown initiatives as examples of Africa-led climate solutions. He cited the Green Legacy Initiative, which has planted over 48 billion seedlings in seven years, and the *Yelemat Tirufat* (Bounty of the Basket) program, which is reshaping food systems, reducing imports, and boosting rural incomes through climate-smart irrigation and sustainable practices.
He also spotlighted the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), nearing inauguration, as “a continental symbol of self-reliance, unity, and clean energy,” generating over 5,000 megawatts of renewable power.
Calling for a shift in global partnerships, Prime Minister Abiy urged international actors to move from aid to investment. “We ask our world partners not to fund us because we are impacted, but to invest with us because we are visionary,” he stated.
The Prime Minister unveiled the African Climate Innovation Compact, a bold continental initiative linking universities, research institutions, startups, rural communities, and innovators. The compact aims to deliver 1,000 African solutions addressing climate challenges in energy, agriculture, water, transport, and resilience by 2030.
On the importance of data sovereignty, Abiy said, “We will map our own forests, measure our own carbon, and price our own ecosystems. Climate data is not just science—it is the new currency of power.”
Through these initiatives, Prime Minister Abiy positioned Africa as a continent capable of industrializing sustainably while protecting its ecosystems, demonstrating that climate action and economic growth can advance hand in hand.