Ethiopian minister urges global climate action, declares implementation ‘A New Age’ for Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, September 3, 2025 (FMC) – Ethiopia’s Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa (PhD), today laid out her country’s vision to transform the global climate agenda from ambition to tangible results on the ground.

In her address at Climate Week 2, the minister declared Addis Ababa a “hub of the global south,” uniquely positioned to lead the world in a “new age of implementation.”

The minister opened her speech by stating that the climate emergency is “no longer a distant threat,” but is here, shaping lives and testing economies.

She noted that hosting the Climate Week and the upcoming Second Africa Climate Summit back-to-back reflects Addis Ababa’s growing role as a center for dialogue and action on humanity’s most urgent challenge.

As home to the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and over 140 embassies, the city already represents Africa’s collective voice on the world stage.

Minister Fitsum underscored that by hosting this global platform, Ethiopia reaffirms its role as a place where “ideas are exchanged, partnerships forged, and practical solutions launched.”

She described Climate Week not merely as an event, but as a “bridge between negotiation and implementation,” where commitments are translated into real solutions that benefit communities, restore ecosystems, and advance sustainable development.

“By hosting this gathering, Addis Ababa aspires to be remembered as a landmark of a new age of implementation where results on the ground shape global progress,” she stated.

The minister detailed how Ethiopia’s own journey reflects this spirit. Guided by a 10-year development plan and a homegrown economic reform agenda, the nation has aligned its national policies with its nationally determined contributions and long-term low-emission development strategy.

She highlighted transformative initiatives such as the Green Legacy Initiative, the expansion of clean energy projects, and the transition of cities and communities toward sustainable and inclusive development, as well as the country’s food system transformation journey.

Ms. Fitsum concluded by urging the event to be “bold, practical, and impactful.” She called on participants to strengthen their collective resolve as they journey toward the Second African Climate Summit and COP30 in Belem.

“Let us keep a clear focus on turning commitments into action and ambition into tangible results on the ground,” she said, before inviting President Taye Atske-Selassie to officially declare the Climate Week open.