On 4-6 September 2023, the Government of Kenya and the African Union convened the
inaugural Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi. Commitments were made by governments, the
private sector, multilaterals, banks, philanthropists, and other organisations, that set out
concrete, systematic and sustainable plans to make the step change that is needed to progress towards Net Zero, and international climate goals on finance and adaptation.
Twenty Heads of State and Government attended alongside the UN Secretary General, the
President of the European Commission and the US President’s Special Adviser for Climate
Action, John Kerry. African Union Member States agreed the “African Leaders’ Nairobi
Declaration on Climate Change,” which provides a compelling new narrative for the
climate conversation in Africa, and around the world.
Africa as a continent has contributed less than 4% of global emissions but has disproportionate suffered the impacts of the climate change with floods and acute lack of rains, heatwaves and the spread of invasive species. The Nairobi Declaration will serve as Africa's common position in global climate change processes, including COP28. The pact serves as a clarion call for the global community to urgently act to reduce emissions, fulfil obligations, deliver on pledges made before, and support the continent in addressing climate change.
The declaration urges developed nations to honour their commitment to provide $100 billion
annually in climate finance and calls for delivery on and beyond the following priority areas:
Adaptation and resilience; climate finance commitments; global carbon taxation; green growth
and investments; loss and damage; multilateral financial reforms; natural assets and
biodiversity; ocean sustainability; phasing out fossil fuels; and urgent action on emissions
reduction.
His Excellency , President William Ruto was able to announce combined investment of nearly
USD 26 billion from public, private, and multilateral development banks, philanthropic foundations, and dedicated partners in the development finance community.
Highlighting the imperative to deepen local and global cooperation for shared prosperity, Joseph N’gang’a, CEO of Africa Climate Summit, said:
"Africa is affected by the climate crisis, but [the summit] highlights that investing in the continent's future can significantly benefit thecregion and the world. Africa requires funding, innovative policies, and enhanced cooperation. We have the power to address this crisis through global collaboration. Our message calls for urgency and hope."
Oshun Partnership’s Executive Director, Sarah Beeching was the Senior Adviser to the Africa
Climate Summit CEO. In partnership with Vivace, Oshun supported the delivery of summit,
created the political process to generate and verify commitments and ran the high-level
segments of the programme. Sarah said:
“The Africa Climate Summit will prove a pivot point in the narrative around climate action. The whole world is in this together, collectively we can find the solutions to climate change. This summit showed there is the political will to do so.”