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Multilateral development banks hit record $137bn in climate finance in 2024 – Report

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Multilateral development banks (MDBs) delivered a record $137 billion in global climate finance in 2024 – a 10% increase that underscores the growing scale of international climate investment.

The majority of this funding flowed to low- and middle-income economies, according to a report published on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, by the European Investment Bank (EIB) with participation from other MDBs, including the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

European Investment Bank (EIB)
The European Investment Bank (EIB) headquarters in Luxemburg

In addition, MDBs mobilised $134 billion in private finance for climate action in 2024, a 33% increase from the year earlier, according to 2024 Joint Report on Multilateral Development Banks’ Climate Finance.

Expanding climate finance will be a central theme at COP30, which is scheduled to take place in Belém, Brazil in November 2025. At the COP29 summit, held late last year in Baku, countries agreed to scale up support for developing countries to at least $1.3 trillion annually from public and private sources by 2035. The findings are expected to inform discussions during the conference.

“Africa is pushing the pedal on actions that transform Africa’s green potential in energy, nature-based solutions, innovation and a vibrant workforce,” said Anthony Nyong, African Development Bank Director for Climate Change and Green Growth.

“And we are putting climate adaptation at the heart of this effort. At the African Development Bank, we are walking the talk, we continuously meet our climate finance annual target and over half of our climate finance goes to helping African countries build resilience, protect livelihoods, and secure a climate-resilience future, while still investing in greener future,”

Key report findings

Low- and Middle-Income Economies

  • Received $85.1 billion in MDB climate finance, representing a 14% year-on-year increase
  • Climate finance in these countries more than doubled over the past five years
  • $58.8 billion (69%) targeted climate change mitigation, while $26.3 billion (31%) addressed adaptation
  • Private finance mobilised for climate investments stood at $33 billion

High-Income Economies

  • Received $51.5 billion in MDB climate finance
  • $46.5 billion (90%) supported climate change mitigation, with $5 billion (10%) addressing adaptation
  • Private finance mobilised for climate investments reached $101 billion

The 2024 Multilateral Development Bank Climate Finance Report was prepared by the EIB with assistance from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It combines data from both institutions as well as from the African Development Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Council of Europe Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank Group, the Islamic Development Bank, the New Development Bank and the World Bank Group.

The report comes as MDBs are taking steps to increase the transparency of their climate financing through digitalisation initiative that will make their data more accessible and user-friendly.

EU court allows climate label for nuclear power, natural gas

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The European Commission may continue to classify nuclear power and gas as climate-friendly, an European Union (EU) court in Luxembourg ruled on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.

The judges had dismissed Austria’s lawsuit against the so-called taxonomy, the court announced.

Nuclear energy
Nuclear power plant

It noted that Austria could still appeal the ruling to the next higher instance, the Court of Justice of the EU.

The EU’s so-called taxonomy listed economic activities that were in line with the bloc’s ambitious climate and environmental goals.

The classification system was intended to help companies and citizens identify climate-friendly projects for investments.

The rules also included gas and nuclear power projects.

Austria had filed a complaint in 2022, accusing the European Commission of green washing nuclear and gas-powered electricity generation.

The Austrian government argued that, under the taxonomy, a sustainable energy source might not lead to severe environmental problems.

Nuclear power, however, is linked to severe environmental risks, it said, while burning gas releases climate-damaging carbon-dioxide, the complaint added.

The EU court, however, found no fault with the commission’s assessment of nuclear energy and gas, and these economic activities were considered sustainable within the definition of the EU taxonomy.

Under the rules, so-called transitional economic activities for which there were no technically and economically viable low-carbon alternatives can be sustainable under this EU regulation.

Investments in gas or nuclear power plants are considered climate-friendly if they used the technologies with the lowest emissions currently available.

The judges concluded that the production of nuclear energy caused virtually no greenhouse gas emissions and that there were currently no sufficient alternative technologies available to meet energy demand consistently and reliably.

“The EU climate label is a gradual approach based on a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in stages, while allowing for security of supply,” the court said.

Environmental groups, including Greenpeace, have also filed separate lawsuits.

“A black day for the climate,” said Martin Kaiser, executive director of Greenpeace Germany.

With this classification, billions would flow into gas and nuclear power instead of promoting the rapid transition to renewable energies, he warned.

Pakistan declares climate, agriculture emergency as floods rage on

Pakistan on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, declared a climate and agriculture emergency as authorities raced to rescue at least 1.6 million people at risk of massive flooding in downstream areas.

“We have decided to impose a climate emergency and agriculture emergency,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.

Pakistan
Flooding in Pakistan

He said this during a cabinet meeting, citing the destruction of crops and inundation of thousands of hectares of fertile land.

Rice, cotton and maize crops have been destroyed in 4,400 villages in Punjab province.

An assessment of agricultural losses will be announced next week.

A committee comprising heads of the federal and provincial governments will formulate a comprehensive plan to try to cope with the situation.

The swollen rivers, flash floods, urban inundation and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains, cloudbursts and glacial lake outbursts have killed 928 people since late June, the disaster agency said.

Nearly six million people have been affected by the floods in the northern Himalayan region, north-western mountainous terrain and the central plains so far, the UN disaster agency said.

No less than 1.6 million people are at risk of massive flooding and might need relocation or rescue.

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, as the swollen rivers entered the southern province of Sindh.

“We have already evacuated around 200,000 people and are ready to rescue more,” Sindh’s Chief Minister, Murad Shah, said.

Rescue workers and soldiers backed by boats and helicopters have already evacuated more than two million people in the central province of Punjab.

This includes nearly 300,000 in the past two days, the regional disaster agency said.

Schools were closed and streets were deserted in the port city of Karachi on Wednesday after heavy rains overnight that flooded much of the metropolis.

The monsoon, a season of heavy rains in South Asian regions that runs from July to September, has been unpredictable and harsher in recent years due to climate change.

It has killed thousands of people yearly and affecting millions.

More than 2,000 people were killed in major floods that hit Pakistan in 2022, including subsequent diseases.

NiMet advocates actionable climate resilience through partnership 

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The Director-General/CEO of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, has called for stronger collaborations across sectors to build a climate-resilient Nigeria through actionable early warning systems.

Anosike made the call at the NiMet 2025 Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum held in Lagos on Wednesday, September 10.

Prof. Charles Anosike
NiMet Director-General, Prof. Charles Anosike

He said the forum, themed: “Early Warnings: Raising Awareness on Climate Risks and Promoting Early Action,” is the first of its kind in the Agency’s history.

According to him, the platform is designed to foster collaboration, share progress, co-create solutions and raise awareness on climate risks.

Anosike, also Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), highlighted NiMet’s role as a critical enabler of early warning systems.

The NiMet boss noted that the agency carries out critical services to sectors including aviation, agriculture, marine economy, water resources, health, energy, disaster risk reduction, and construction.

 “Early warnings must not end with forecasts alone; they must inspire understanding and drive decisive action,” he stressed.

Anosike showcased NiMet’s innovations, including:

“Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP): co-produced with stakeholders and translated into local languages for wider uptake.

“Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS): Leveraging partnerships with MTN, Tomorrow.io, UNDP, IFAD, and others to ensure every Nigerian is covered by life-saving early warnings by 2027.

“Aviation Services: Deployment of e-Flight Folders, ISO certifications of five airports, and the Aeronautical Meteorology Bulletin to enhance flight safety.

“Marine and Blue Economy Services: Daily marine forecasts in partnership with NIMASA, NIWA, and LASWA.

‘Public Weather Services: Modernized digital weather studio with advanced graphics and rebranded broadcast wednesday meteorologists.

“Research and Training: Certified Regional Training Centres in Lagos, Katsina, Kaduna and Akure to strengthen human capacity in meteorology,” he said.

He further cited recent infrastructure upgrades supported by President Bola  Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, (SAN) including the installation of advanced satellite and meteorological equipment.

The CEO urged stakeholders to continue providing constructive feedback and support, saying:

 “Together, we can make early warnings count, reduce risks, protect investments, and secure the future of our nation in the face of a changing climate,” he added.

The Forum also featured goodwill messages from key partners.

The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, commended NiMet’s role in providing timely forecasts that guide disaster preparedness.

Represented by the Director, South West Zonal Operations, Mr. Saheed Akiode, Umar pledged deeper collaboration with NiMet for effective risk reduction.

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), represented by Mr. Farouk Ahmed, highlighted the critical impacts of climate change on aviation safety, operations, and infrastructure.

He described the Forum as timely for proffering localised solutions to climate change resilience and early warning systems.

By Fabian Ekeruche and Itohan Abara-Laserian

ACS2: Africa moving from margins of global decision-making to the centre – Mohamed Adow on Addis Ababa Declaration

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The Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative is Africa’s most ambitious effort yet to turn our energy and resource wealth into engines of climate-smart industrial growth. From a declaration at the COP28 climate summit in 2023 to the landmark Cooperation Framework signed in Addis Ababa this week, where the continent’s leading financial institutions committed over $100 billion to its implementation, we now have a framework built for speed, real projects, and jobs, says Mohamed Adow, Founder and Director, Power Shift Africa

Mohamed Adow
Director of Power Shift Africa, Mohamed Adow

I would like to take this opportunity to laud the leaders of Africa, and particularly the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, for the inspiring outcome of the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), which represents a decisive turning point for our continent and the world at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty and climate urgency. In an era where many nations hesitate or backslide, Africa’s most climate- vulnerable regions have over the last three days sent the unambiguous signal that this continent is not only committed to action, but also determined to lead.

Through this summit, Africa has stepped into a new role as a driver of global climate ambition. For instance, the commitment to generate 300GW of renewable energy by 2030 is absolutely transformational. With 40% of the world’s renewable energy potential, Africa has the resources to power its own just transition and contribute to the global energy shift.

Yet today, the continent attracts a mere 2% of global renewable energy investments. This imbalance is indefensible and unsustainable, and for the just transition to succeed, capital must flow where potential is greatest, and that potential is greatest in Africa.

Our ambition is not just 300GW of power, but 300GW driving African factories and value chains, from batteries to green steel and digital infrastructure for the Artificial Intelligence era, all underpinned by Africa’s green minerals. Through the Africa Green Minerals Strategy (AGMS) and the Africa Green Industrialisation

Initiative (AGII), we have the execution platforms to industrialise green, trade regionally, and compete globally. With unity, clarity, and speed, Africa can transform its resources into dignified jobs and climate-resilient prosperity

Indeed, AGII is Africa’s most ambitious effort yet to turn our energy and resource wealth into engines of climate-smart industrial growth. From a declaration at the COP28 climate summit in 2023 to the landmark Cooperation

Framework signed in Addis Ababa this week, where the continent’s leading financial institutions committed over $100 billion to its implementation, we now have a framework built for speed, real projects, and jobs. By mobilising capital, powering net-zero industrial clusters, aligning African Continental Free Trade Area standards, and building skills, AGII is moving from promise to delivery.

On green minerals, this summit charted a new course for Africa. The continent holds the world’s most critical reserves of cobalt, lithium, and other transition minerals, essential for the clean energy future, and I’m glad to note that the era of extract-and-export is finally coming to an end. Africa’s new strategy is to move up the value chain, ensuring these resources fuel not just global decarbonisation but also African industrialisation, jobs, and development.

On food systems, ACS2 prioritised resilience and transformation. Climate change is already reshaping African agriculture, threatening food security for hundreds of millions. The Summit pointed us all to the urgency of scaling climate-smart agriculture, investing in sustainable practices, and placing farmers, especially women and smallholders, at the centre of solutions. Food is not only a survival issue but also a sovereignty one, and Africa is signalling it will no longer be left at the mercy of external shocks.

With the Addis Ababa Declaration, Africa has shown that it is moving from the margins of global decision-making to the centre, offering renewable power to fuel industries, minerals to drive the energy transition, and food systems that can be models of resilience. Africa is ready to lead; the question is whether the rest of the world is ready to follow.

ACS2: PACJA, partners launch Climate Justice Impact Fund, Just Resilience Framework

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On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and partners officially launched the Climate Justice Impact Fund for Africa (CJIFA) alongside the Africa Just Resilience Framework (JRF).

The two instruments are designed to place African communities at the heart of climate action and finance.

PACJA
Dr Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of PACJA

The launch marks what the promoters describe as a historic step in Africa’s climate resilience journey, addressing the long-standing injustices in global finance.

Speaking at the event, Dr Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of PACJA, said that Africa is bearing the heaviest brunt of climate change. At the same time, it continues to receive a disproportionately small share of resources. He urged that existing financing systems remain rigid and exclusionary, often overlooking the realities and innovations of African Communities.

“CJIFA was born to change this narrative,” said Dr Mithika, adding, “It is a flexible, Africa-owned financing mechanism designed to support locally led adaptation, build the capacity of community-based organisations and de-risk indigenous innovations so that they can be scaled and sustained.”

Joachim Beijmo, the Head of Regional Development Cooperation (Africa) at the Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said that Sweden supports the local actors and organisations. He said that a lot of financing is available, but it is not being accessed by local communities.

“Climate Finance should be flexible, supporting local ownership, innovative and inclusive,” stressed ambassador Beijmo.

Adam Drury, the UK’s Ambassador to the African Union, said the fund came at the right time, reminding that the continent is warming faster than the rest of the world, while also facing unprecedented climate change impacts. He called for inclusive access to climate finance.

“Climate finance should reach the marginalised groups. More finance needs to go to adaptation, not just mitigation, because resilience is best built by the people who live in that environment,” emphasised Amb Drury.

Shampi Anna, the Programme Manager of Northern Vision CBO and one of the beneficiaries of CJIFA grants, shared a success story emanating from the fund her organisation received from CJIFA. She said that, among many initiatives the organisation successfully implemented, they were able to witness the scale-up of activities by neighbours.

“When we started drawing water using solar pumps into fishponds and later draining it into farms, it gave successful results. We were happy to see neighbors replicating the same in their own garden,” said Ms Shampi.

Joseph Ng’ang’a, the CEO of ACS1 and AFCEN, commended the achievements of CJIFA and promised that AFCEN is committed to contributing 1% of their revenue towards adaptation efforts. He emphasised that PACJA would demonstrate a model for financing local communities that traditionally struggle to receive funding.

“By deploying 64 grants across 17 countries, we can avoid creating new initiatives and instead focus on maximising the impact of our existing projects,” said Joseph Ng’ang’a.

Launched as a flagship initiative of PACJA, CJIFA seeks to dismantle barriers to local participation in climate solutions by providing direct financial and technical support to grassroots actors, particularly community-based organisations, Indigenous groups, women-led initiatives, youth enterprises, and informal networks across Africa. Since its establishment, CJIFA has supported over 64 grantee partners across 17 African countries.

By Idowu Ojuade

Images: Renaissance Africa, Nigerian Navy commit to improving Nigeria’s oil and gas production

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The leadership of the Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited on Monday, September 8, 2025, paid a courtesy visit to the Headquarters of the Nigerian Navy, yesterday in Abuja.

The visit was aimed at reiterating the company’s commitment to continue to collaborate with key government institutions in the drive to improve Nigeria’s production and export of oil and gas from the Niger Delta.

EnviroNews captures the moment:

Renaissance Africa
The Chief of Policy and Plans of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Dewu; flanked by the General Manager, Relations and Sustainable Development, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited; Dr. Igo Weli (right); and the company’s Chief Production Officer, Mesh Maichibi, during a visit to the Naval Headquarters, Abuja, on Monday. to discuss security of critical national oil and gas assets in the Niger Delta

African Youth Congress 2025: Young leaders set agenda for green growth, resource governance

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Accra is hosting what promises to be one of Africa’s most significant youth-led gatherings on climate action and sustainable development. More than 2,000 young leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and development partners from across Africa have gathered for the 2025 African Youth Congress on Natural Resources and Environmental Governance (AYC-NREG).

The in-person attendees and online participants will explore innovative, youth-led solutions to manage the continent’s vast natural wealth for sustainable development.

Chibeze Ezekiel
Chibeze Ezekiel

Under the theme: “Transforming Africa’s Natural Resource Governance through Youth-Led Solutions,” the congress runs from Thursday, September 11 to Saturday, September 13, 2025.

The Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND) is organising AYC-NREG 2025, which is endorsed by the Minister of State for Climate Change & Sustainability at the Office of the President. The Minister’s office sees the congress as a means to collate more vital input to undertake its mandate of tackling urgent challenges posed by climate change. It will steer Ghana toward a sustainable future, which other African countries can replicate in addressing climate and environmental crises through youth participation.

Youth Voices in Governance and Green Entrepreneurship

The essence of this youth-led congress is that Africa is home to 30 percent of the world’s mineral reserves 8 percent of natural gas, 12 percent of oil, and 65 percent of the planet’s arable land, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Notwithstanding all of this wealth, the continent continues to face deep challenges including poverty, youth unemployment, inequalities and environmental degradation.

The situation obviously necessitates a new approach, one that places young people at the centre of solutions. Hence, the timeliness of AYC-NREG 2025 which, according to SYND’s Executive Director, Chibeze Ezekiel, is not just another conference.

“It is a call for a paradigm shift, for a new generation of African youth with the mindset and conscience to eradicate poverty, fight corruption, and ensure our natural resources are managed for the prosperity of all,” he stated in an interview.

Reflecting over young people’s natural capabilities that should be identified and nurtured, Chibeze noted: “Young people are gifted with energy, abilities, potential and innovative ideas that can be nurtured and maximised profitably to demonstrate their value in Africa’s transformation agenda.”

Hence, the need to create the opportunities for African youth to bring their potentials to bear, such as through AYC-NREG 2025 that has provided a forum for them to showcase their role and relevance in transforming the continent’s natural resource governance.

The Congress agenda includes a high-level session featuring key government officials, private sector actors, development partners, the diplomatic corps and a Guest Speaker who will address the formal opening. There will also be break-out sessions and side events on thematic issues.

Youth Unlocking Opportunities

One of the major thematic discussions is Africa’s energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The importance of this discussion is underpinned by the fact that more than 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, despite the continent’s critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and manganese that are central to clean energy technologies.

This situation presents a clear inconsistency because, while Africa holds the keys to the global green economy, its people risk being left behind. So, youth innovators at the congress will showcase solutions in renewable energy, off-grid power systems, and clean cooking technologies. The discussions will focus on governance structures that ensure communities benefit equitably from the continent’s resource wealth.

Side events will focus on agribusiness, sustainable tourism, digital technologies, waste management, and climate change finance. These are the sectors that hold untapped opportunities for Africa’s youth to lead value addition and diversification, reducing the continent’s over-reliance on raw commodity exports.

Building a Lasting Legacy Beyond 2025

Since its humble beginnings in 2023 as a national conference in Ghana, the initiative has rapidly evolved and grown into a continental platform, attracting young leaders from 11 African countries in 2024 to dialogue on issues such as responsible mining, food sovereignty, and the energy transition.

The 2025 edition, is set to be the biggest yet. With its combination of high-level policy dialogue, grassroots innovation showcases, and youth-focused exhibitions, the Congress aims to leave a lasting legacy, Chibeze said.

“It should be a legacy that clearly depicts African governments intentionally creating policy-backed enabling environment for youth participation and inclusion, providing incentives to support youth-led businesses or enterprises.”

He added that governments should spearhead provision of relevant education and skills training for young people to pursue their own aspirations. They should further create a special support system for youth-led interventions, devoid of the complex and frustrating situations in complying to statutory requirements.

Chibeze also wants to see the Private Sector providing financial support to young people in business and going into partnership agreement with potential youth-led organisations. They should also dedicate certain aspects of their businesses such as procurements and service delivery specifically to youth-led businesses as a way of helping them to grow and upscale.

A Future Shaped by Youth Participation

On the practical outcomes to be expected from the AYC NREG 2025, the SYND Executive Director, would like to see young people finding new ways of enhancing their advocacy and youth-led solutions in their respective countries. He emphasized that the impact stories to be shared at the meeting will demonstrate the important role of young people’s participation in the management of the continent’s rich natural resources.

Chibeze was certain that once the congress ends, participants will demonstrate their commitments to key actions by engaging their respective country governments to secure their buy-in through policy change to trigger opportunities that will cover more young people.

In looking ahead, he pointed out that Africa’s youth population, which is projected to double by 2050, “means countries need to be very intentional on how our natural resources are managed.”

This is because population increase means more demand for natural resources which are already being depleted at a fast rate.

Therefore, Chibeze cautioned: “Following the act of ‘business-as-usual’ will lead to serious unintended consequences including security threats in the near future.” To forestall such a development, he urged African governments to “prioritise the involvement and engagement of young people on better ways of managing our natural resources, since that will determine the welfare of their future”.

By Ama Kudom-Agyemang

ACS2: GreenFaith Africa demands urgent action to combat climate change

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GreenFaith Africa has called on leaders and other key stakeholders to intensify quick actions to tackle the global climate crisis that is threatening human existence.

The group made this call on Monday, September 8, 2025, at the ongoing Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) holding in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

GreenFaith
GreenFaith members at the ongoing Second Africa Climate Summit, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

In an opening speech by Bishop Roje, he said the faith leaders and communities across Africa, representing Christians, Muslims, Indigenous people, Hindu, Baha’i, Buddhist and other spiritual traditions, call for urgent, just and faith-rooted climate action that centres people, the planet and the common good.

In the joint statement issued by GreenFaith Africa, Christian Aid, Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), and the Green Anglican Movement, the four organisations said despite endowed resources in Africa, structural drivers exacerbate climate change owing to continued approval and expansion of fossil fuel projects, which could lock the region into decades of carbon‑intensive development.

As clearly documented through high‑impact cases in East and Central Africa, these climate changes generate local harms, displacement, ecosystem destruction and rights violations, deeply affecting women in disproportionate ways.

At the same time, climate finance flows remain far short of adaptation and loss & damage needs and are frequently channelled as loans or through complex modalities inaccessible to grassroots and faith‑based organisations.

Debt servicing diverts public resources away from social protection, adaptation and resilient infrastructure, while investment models often bypass local priorities and customary systems of stewardship.

The group called for partnership‑oriented architecture for climate action in Africa – one that bridges spiritual leadership, traditional ecological knowledge and scientific expertise; that channels finance directly to communities and faith‑led initiatives; and that embeds human rights, gender and disability inclusion into the design, governance and accountability of all climate investments.

They also called on the governments, financing institutions and partners to:

● Deliver climate finance at scale and fully honour and accelerate the $100 billion pledge.

● Ensure at least 50% of new finance is for adaptation and loss & damage, prioritise grants over loans, and operationalise participatory governance for funds.

● End new fossil fuel expansion immediately and adopt binding timelines for a just phase‑out, while massively scaling decentralised renewables and community ownership models.

● Implement debt‑for‑climate swaps and debt relief tied directly to investments in renewable energy, adaptation, and nature‑based solutions.

● Legally recognise and protect community and indigenous land tenure, sacred sites and customary stewardship; require prior, free and informed consent for all extractive and land‑intensive projects.

● Ensure meaningful, quota‑driven inclusion of women, youth and People With Disabilities (PWDs) in climate decision‑making, and tailor accessible funding streams for grassroots and faith‑based organisations.

● Scale up financing for water security and agroecological approaches, privileging locally led, nature‑based resilience projects.

 On energy and just transition, the group advocated for an immediate, time‑bound end to new fossil fuel exploration and major carbon‑locking infrastructure across Africa and for African states to endorse and align with global efforts such as the Fossil Fuel Non‑Proliferation Treaty; accelerate investment in decentralised, community‑owned renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal, small hydro) that prioritises energy access, local jobs and energy sovereignty, especially for rural and informal settlements; and rights‑based, just implementation in energy transition.

Accordingly, on gender, women, youth and PWDs, they requested guaranteed, meaningful participation of these constituencies in national climate planning, NDC revisions & implementation, project design and governance of finance mechanisms; targeted climate finance support for women‑led and youth‑led initiatives and accessible funding modalities for organisations of PWDs; and prioritisation of grant‑based funding to avoid exacerbating debt and inequality.

The faith-based organisations declared their willingness to partner in gender‑responsive climate education, leadership formation and community recovery programmes that defend dignity, end discrimination, and harness youth innovation and indigenous knowledge.

 By Nsikak Emmanuel Ekere, Addis Ababa, Ethopia

ACS2: Nigeria pledges equity in pursuit of Net-Zero 2060 ambition

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As leaders gather to attend the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), which is currently being held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to a just and rapid transition to a low-carbon economy.

Faruk Yabo Yusuf, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, who headed the nation’s delegation to the gathering, promised at a High-Leaders’ Event that equity and pragmatism would be used to accomplish this.

ACS-2
Nigeria’s delegation at the ongoing Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS-2) in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia

According to him, Nigeria recognises the resilience of several communities across Africa, which continue to face the most severe consequences of climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions. He noted this as a significant issue that Nigeria will address in collaboration with other nations.

The PS listed some key efforts that the government of the country has demonstrated to prove its commitment to combating the climate crisis, which include the Climate Change Act 2021, the development of an inclusive Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0, and a framework for reporting yearly achievements.

Furthermore, while speaking on what Nigeria has done regarding its energy sector, he hinted that the nation was fast-tracking gas-to-power projects while scaling up solar and wind initiatives under its “Mission 300” agenda.

“Pilot projects on green and blue hydrogen, as well as utility-scale energy storage, were being deployed to improve grid reliability,” he stated.

Climate-smart agriculture programmes to reach millions of smallholder farmers and expansion of flood control measures and resilient housing are some other key areas of interventions. Additionally, some other are a nationwide rollout of clean cookstoves and LPG cylinders aimed at reducing household air pollution by 60% by 2030.

Yusuf said in terms of climate finance, Nigeria planned to mobilise significant funds in the next five years, with at least 40 per cent directed to adaptation and resilience for the most vulnerable and front-line communities.

He disclosed that the nation would rely on public-private partnerships, blended finance, green bonds, and carbon markets to scale climate solutions.

“Nigeria is determined to partner with all member states, institutions, and donors,” he said, “to translate climate ambition into concrete, scalable, and impactful action, as envisaged in the African Union Agenda 2063.”

Finally, the head of the Nigerian delegation urged African countries to increase access to technology, improve regional power sharing, and use green guarantees to reduce the risk of climate investments.

By Etta Michael Bisong, Abuja