Africa  Civil society  calls  for Action  at  the second Africa Climate  Summit

September  08, 2025, marked the official opening of the second  Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Convened by the African Union and the Ethiopian Government, the Second Africa Climate Summit is expected to provide a platform for policymakers, practitioners, businesses and civil society to advance Africa’s climate agenda and sustainable development priorities.

 Speaking at the opening of the summit (ACS2), Dr Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of PACJA, delivered a strong civil society statement urging leaders to turn promises into concrete action.

 In his speech, Dr Mithika stressed that the legitimacy of climate decisions rests on their ownership by people, not just governments.

“If we succeed, Addis will be remembered as the moment Africa shifted from vision to delivery, from rhetoric to results. If we fail, we will prove the sceptics right that our summits inspire speeches but not solutions,” emphasised Mithika.

This summit is running under the theme: “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development”. Dr Mithika said that climate action in Africa hinges on finance through both international flows and domestic integration into fiscal policies, budget, debt negotiations and investment framework. Read the full speech delivered by  Dr Mithika here.