Introduction

The 13th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-XIII) will be a strategic technical convening providing a critical technical foundation for the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) It will be held between 5–7 September 2025 in Addis Ababa. It will gather a wide range of stakeholders—governments, academia and research communities, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and private sector actors—to influence African-led and evidence-based climate action towards enhanced resilience, green growth, and climate finance at scale and supporting the implementation of the and aligned with the AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022 -2032).

CCDA-XIII, with its theme of "Empowering Africa's Climate Action with Science, Finance, and Just transition," is aligned well with ACS2's theme of "Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa's Resilient and Green Development." CCDA-XIII will adopt ACS2's three-day thematic format, discussing nature- and technology-driven solutions, adaptation and resilience scaling, and transforming climate finance from aid to investment. During the process, CCDA-XIII will be providing a critical technical foundation to guide the united Africa's voice to ACS2 and Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Belém with the long-term objective of supporting policy coherence, evidence-based advice, as well as continent-wide priorities. Hence, it will concretize the continent's shared vision for climate justice, green economy, and financial change by connecting science, policy, and investment; prioritizing voices and bottom-up governance; and scaling African solutions as global blueprints for prosperity and resilience.

Objectives

The overall objective of the CCDA-XIII is to consolidate and articulate Africa's common, evidence-based, and investment-worthy climate agenda that enhances resilience, triggers green growth, and enhances institutional capacity for leading engagement in global climate negotiations and implementation of continental priorities that directly inform ACS2 and COP30 and aligned with the AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022 -2032). Particularly, the conference will aim to:

• Strengthening climate governance and institutional readiness to implement integrated climate policies across key sectors, improve transparency, and build Africa’s negotiation leverage in global climate discourses.
• Harnessing nature-based and technology-driven climate solutions, guided by scientific knowledge of current and future climate risks, to inform adaptation and mitigation planning, improve early warning systems, enhance climate information services, and foster scalable solutions for enhanced resilience and green job.
• Advancing gender-responsive locally led adaptation initiatives, while shaping Africa-specific modalities for accessing and tracking the Loss and Damage Fund—including for non-economic losses, taking into consideration risks related to mobility, peace and security.
• Shifting climate finance from aid to strategic investment by catalyzing innovative financial instruments—such as debt-for-climate swaps, blended finance, direct access modalities, and green investment—to attract public and private capital.
• Fostering equitable and inclusive just transitions by focusing on access to electricity, inclusive value chains for transition minerals, and the creation of decent green jobs ensuring fair labor conditions, gender parity, and community benefit-sharing.
• Promote awareness and understanding of climate risks across the continent, targeting policymakers, African leaders, and institutions to support informed decision-making and build public and political will for climate action.

Thematic Pillars

1. Pillar 1: Climate policy, governance, and institutional readiness
2. Pillar 2: Nature, technology, and climate intelligence
3. Pillar 3: Climate adaptation, resilience, loss and damage
4. Pillar 4: Climate finance
5. Pillar 5: Equitable just transition to facilitate Africa's development

Expected Outcomes

CCDA-XIII findings lead the way to unified, evidence-based, and solution-oriented African voice—not only at ACS2 and COP30, but at the G20, UNGA, and anywhere else. Thus, CCDA-XIII is expected to deliver the following outcomes:

• A technical position paper consolidating recommendations across the five pillars for submission to the African Leader’s the Addis Ababa Declaration;
• Guidance notes and policy briefs on GST-1 integration, carbon market access, and the Loss and Damage;
• Press releases on investment-ready and evidence-based climate action agenda that improves resilience, green growth stimulation, and institutional preparedness for effective global climate negotiations and continental priority implementation

Participants

CCDA-XIII participants will be a representative mix of stakeholders, including:

• Governments and negotiators of African countries;
• Regional economic communities (RECs), Regional Climate Centres;
• UN agencies, multilateral and bilateral partners;
• Private investors, commercial banks, and climate-focused funds;
• Think tanks, academia, and research and policy institutions;
• Civil society, private sectors, youth and women organizations, Indigenous networks, and local innovators as well as actors from national and subnational levels.

Documents

Draft Concept Note