Lucy Ogalue
The 13th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-XIII) has ended in Addis Ababa with a call for urgent action and increased investment to drive a coherent African climate agenda.
The three-day meeting, which closed on Sunday, was convened by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the African Development Bank, African Union Commission and Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance.
According to the organisers, the outcomes of the conference will feed into the Addis Ababa Declaration, a key technical document for the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) and Africa’s common position ahead of the COP30 negotiations in November.
In his closing remarks, Mr Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of ECA, said the conference provided a platform to link evidence with ambition and to move Africa from commitments to action.
“This conference was not an end in itself. It is a bridge linking evidence with ambition, technical depth with political momentum, and Africa’s aspirations with concrete action,” he said.
Gatete outlined six priority areas for Africa’s climate response, including adaptation and loss and damage, climate science and data, climate finance, just transitions, protection of ecosystems, and African leadership in global climate action.
He stressed that adaptation must remain central to global climate efforts, adding that Africa cannot alone shoulder the continent’s estimated 160 billion-dollar adaptation gap.
He also called for the urgent operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund on fair and accessible terms.
On finance, Gatete noted that Africa’s climate response must go beyond aid dependence, urging reforms in the global financial system to reduce borrowing costs, restructure debt and scale up innovative tools such as green bonds and debt-for-climate swaps.
He further highlighted the need for Africa’s energy transition to be “green and just,” noting that more than 600 million people on the continent still lack access to electricity.
“Together, we can ensure that these outcomes do not remain words on paper but translate into action that transforms lives across our continent,” he said.
The ECA chief commended Ethiopia for hosting the conference and reaffirmed Africa’s commitment to shaping its own climate future.
The conference brought together policymakers, scientists, civil society representatives and development partners.
(NAN)
 has ended in Addis Ababa with a call for urgent action and increased investment to drive a coherent African climate agenda.The three-day meeting, which closed on Sunday, was convened by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the African Development Bank, African Union Commission and Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance.){kind=link}