In September, Addis Ababa, the capital City of Ethiopia received journalists, leaders, diplomats, and community groups from across Africa. These individuals came together for the second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2). Under the theme Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s resilient and Green Development, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the chairperson of the African Union Commission said the summit should promote the initiatives from the previous summit.
‘Addressing Africa’s climate finance gap is essential, as it impedes our development efforts amid pressing challenges,’ Mahamoud said in his welcome message.
Putting media at the catalyst of carrying Africa’s manifesto, a high-level forum was held ahead of the summit on ‘Climate Security, Just Transition and the Role of Media in Advancing Climate Justice.” This was organised by the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) in partnership with the African Union Commission, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), GIZ and Oxfam.
The power of journalists
At the opening of the forum, Pascal Delisle, deputy head of the European Union delegation to the African Union, told journalists that they are important in shaping Africa’s destiny, especially on matters of the climate. ‘You help inform people across Africa and contribute to build peaceful, democratic and prosperous societies,’ he said. This message, that Africa needs strong media to tell its climate story fairly and truthfully and fearlessly, was echoed by Omar Faruk Osman Nur, president of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ). ‘This will be achieved when stories are told accurately, courageously, and inclusively, when media helps citizens see their struggles and their resilience reflected in the broader continental narrative,’ Osman said.
Fighting lies with truth
Participants said the media should not only report facts but also fight false stories and help African voices be heard. ‘Facts are more important than ever because lies are spreading fast. Facts are part of the foundation of journalism, especially in a context of growing disinformation,’ Delisle cautioned. For too long, African climate stories have been reduced to images of famine, floods, and displacement. While those are real, they represent only one side of the story. Across the continent, communities are innovating.
From solar micro-grids and clean cooking initiatives in Uganda to drought-resistant farming systems like solar irrigation in Kenya. Yet these stories rarely make headlines. This gap is not accidental. Many African media outlets lack regional reach, leaving space for external narratives to dominate. ‘The EU-AU Media Fellowship, is one initiative aimed at closing this gap. This is done by equipping African journalists to tell Africa’s climate story from the ground up, ensuring that narratives are shaped by those who live them,’ Delisle noted.
Climate and peace are connected
Africa’s climate problems are linked to peace and safety. Droughts and floods make life harder, especially in places already facing war or conflict. Speaking in a multi-stakeholder dialogue a the pre-summit forum on aligning media policy messages for ACS and shaping Africa’s common position for COP30, Elise Nalbandian, the head of Oxfam AU liaison office pointed out a scenario when food is air dropped in Sudan due to climate and security effects.
Solving climate problems, Delisle said, is key to peace in Africa. A case in point, in 2024, more than 62 million people in East Africa did not have enough food. Climate disasters and conflict made things worse. About 25 million people had to leave their homes because of war or weather. Bankole Adeoye, AU commissioner for political affairs, peace and security added to this by noting that climate change affects peace, wealth, and the planet. Africa, he said, needs smart partnerships to find solutions.
Climate finance is about fairness
If the Addis summit underscored the power of media, it also exposed the deep injustice at the heart of Africa’s climate struggle, financing. ‘Climate finance is not an act of charity; it is a matter of justice,’ is one song that sang on the lips of majority at the pre-summit and the summit itself. Despite contributing just 0.09 percent of historic global carbon emissions, IGAD countries face some of the harshest climate impacts according to Oxfam led climate finance shadow report for intergovernmental authority on development regional ecomomic community.
Yet international climate finance flows remain far from sufficient. Between 2013 and 2022, the region received $23.3 billion (about Shs80 trillion) in reported climate-related development finance. But when adjusted for debt servicing and fees, the ‘real value’ drops to $17.4 billion (about Shs60 trillion). Comparing this to the $41.8 billion (about Shs145 trillion) needed every year to meet Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) leaves it at a 96 percent gap. On a per capita basis, the inequity is even starker. An average citizen in the IGAD region (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda) receives about $8 (about Shs27,780) in climate finance annually. Yet the actual need is closer to $137 (about Shs475,528) per person.
Loans, debt, and a broken system
Not only is the funding inadequate, but much of it comes in the form of loans. Across IGAD, 41 percent of climate finance between 2013 and 2022 was delivered as concessional loans, with an additional five percent as non-concessional loans. For countries already buckling under debt, this is devastating. ‘Loans are an unsuitable and unjustifiable mechanism for climate finance. They push countries and communities into further debt distress and severely undermine the ability of countries to invest in adaptation, loss and damage, and development objectives,’ the IGAD report warns. Africa contributes very little to global pollution, only 0.09 percent, but suffers the most.
Yet, it gets very little money to deal with climate change. Between 2013 and 2022, East Africa got $23 billion (about Shs80 trillion) in climate finance. But after paying debts and fees, only $17 billion (about Shs60 trillion) was useful. The region actually needs $42 billion (about Shs147 trillion) every year. That’s a 96 percent gap. Each person in the region gets about $8 (about Shs27,780) per year. But they need $137 (about Shs475,528).
Local solutions matter
When international finance is falling short, what about local innovation? The IGAD report highlights promising models such as Kenya’s Financing Locally-led Climate Action (FLLoCA) and Uganda’s Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility. These initiatives channel resources directly to local communities, empowering them to design and implement adaptation projects. Such approaches not only ensure that funds reach the most vulnerable but also enhance accountability and resilience. However, currently, only 11percent of climate finance in IGAD is delivered through local actors, while 70 percent goes through national governments. For communities facing repeated cycles of drought and flooding, the difference between survival and collapse often depends on whether funds can reach them in time.
Partnerships and the power of unity
While the gaps are glaring, there are signs of progress. The EU’s Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package has launched 138 flagship projects across Africa, including the RISED Ethiopia renewable energy project. The Africa-Europe Green Energy Initiative aims to provide 50 GW of new renewable energy capacity and electricity access to 100 million people by 2030. ‘Together, the EU and AU carry the voices, hopes and dreams of more than 1.9 billion people and represent more than 40 percent of the UN’s membership. Together, we can be a powerful force for change,’ Delisle said. This partnership, he stressed, is not about a ‘homogeneous global North’ dictating terms to a ‘homogeneous global South,’ but about mutual respect and collaboration.
Media shaping Africa’s narrative
Anthony Bellanger, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), added that the media must stand at the heart of this collaboration. ‘Africa has journalists with courage and commitment. What they need is support to continue telling the stories that matter, the stories of resilience, solutions, and justice,’ Mr Bellanger said. Bridging narratives with action, the summit reminded participants of a truth that climate justice will not come from numbers alone. It will come from stories that reveal the human cost of financing gaps, the courage of local communities, and the urgency of global solidarity.
‘Too often still, African stories are about crises and conflicts and not about opportunities and successes. This challenge is enhanced by the growing threat of disinformation in Africa, making your work even more the necessary cornerstone of protecting democracy, safeguarding freedoms and keeping societies informed and very empowered,’ Delisle observed. Bankole Adeoye called this a moment for ‘smart partnerships’ alliances that not only expose the challenges but also amplify solutions. Africa, he said, cannot afford to have its climate story told by others.
Mandate.
‘Together, the EU and AU carry the voices, hopes and dreams of more than 1.9 billion people and represent more than 40 percent of the UN’s membership,” Pascal Delisle, Deputy Head of the EU delegation to the African Union.