The Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) concluded Wednesday with African leaders renewing their commitment to scaling up renewable energy while urging the international community to step up financing for a just transition.
In a joint declaration, leaders reaffirmed Africa’s ambition to generate 300 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2030 and called for a tenfold increase in global renewable energy investments on the continent — from the current 2 percent to 20 percent. The Addis Declaration, the summit’s outcome document, emphasized that without fair financing and international cooperation, Africa’s transition risks being stalled.
The discussions echoed the principles of the proposed **Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a global initiative built around three pillars:
Global Just Transition— mobilizing finance, technology transfer, and debt relief to ensure no nation or community is left behind.
Fair Phase Out— ending new coal, oil, and gas projects and ensuring wealthier nations lead in cutting fossil fuel production.
International Cooperation— creating frameworks to finance and accelerate the shift to renewables.
The summit also pressed developed nations to honor climate finance pledges for adaptation and mitigation, while calling for reforms to make global financing more accessible and non-debt creating. Debt relief mechanisms, leaders said, are vital for easing the financial strain on many African countries already grappling with climate-related shocks.
Civil society voices added weight to the summit’s conclusions. Seble Samuel, Head of Africa Campaigns & Advocacy at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, warned that Africa’s ambition could be undermined without adequate support.
“Africa has the potential to lead the renewable energy revolution, but the conditions must be right. International cooperation is essential to unlock a global transition rooted in justice,” Samuel said.
Omar Elmawi, Convener of the Africa Movement of Movements, described ACS2 as a “landmark moment” for the continent.
“Leaders boldly called for at least US$1.3 trillion in climate finance by 2035, insisting that 20% of global renewable financing be directed to Africa, and crucially, in the form of grants rather than loans,” he said. “But the inclusion of ‘transitional fuels’ risks locking the continent into new gas projects, creating stranded assets. And pushing delivery of finance to 2035 may come too late for communities already on the frontline of the climate crisis.”
Momentum is also growing around the Fossil Fuel Treaty, with 17 nations in the Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia already engaged in discussions. Advocates argue that African countries could play a pivotal role in shaping its terms to secure finance, technology, and cooperation for a renewable-driven future.
As the summit concluded, leaders and campaigners alike emphasized that the challenge now lies in moving from declarations to delivery — ensuring Africa’s ambitious climate goals translate into real action for the continent and the world.
