The Fourteenth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-XIV) has opened in Addis Ababa, bringing together policymakers, negotiators, researchers, development partners, financial institutions, civil society, youth and private sector representatives from across the continent to chart Africa's path from climate commitments to implementation.
The conference is being convened under the ClimDev-Africa Programme, a joint initiative bridging climate science and policy, by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank Group, the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance and Afreximbank. This year's theme is "From Pledges to Implementation: The Belem-Antalya-Addis Roadmap."
The conference takes place after the Seventh Africa Climate Talks and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies meetings, and ahead of COP31. The conference comes at a pivotal moment for Africa's climate agenda. Discussions focus on scaling climate finance, adaptation, resilience, science, carbon markets, critical minerals, food systems and peace, while strengthening Africa's priorities for COP31 and laying the groundwork for Ethiopia's stewardship of COP32 in 2027.
Opening the conference, Claver Gatete, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA, emphasized the need for Africa to move beyond advocating for its interests and to play a greater role in shaping global climate solutions.
"For many years, Africa has rightly worked to ensure that its concerns are heard in global climate negotiations. We must continue to do so. But our ambition should go further. Africa must also help shape the solutions. This means bringing credible African proposals on finance, adaptation, energy, trade, technology and climate governance into the global climate process," he said.
Africa contributes less than four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions but remains among the region's most vulnerable to climate change. At the same time, Gatete noted that the continent possesses vast renewable energy resources, critical minerals, a growing market and a young population that can help drive sustainable development and climate action.
James Kinyangi, Coordinator of the ClimDev-Africa Special Fund (CDSF) at the African Development Bank, the multi-donor financial investment arm of the broader ClimDev-Africa Programme, highlighted the Fund's Phase II ambition to mobilize $100 million and leverage $300 million by 2030 to strengthen climate resilience across Africa.
"Africa has moved from pledges to promises. Now we must move decisively from promises to implementation. The Belem-Antalya-Addis Roadmap is our opportunity to ensure that climate finance, adaptation and resilience commitments translate into tangible benefits for our people. Africa is not merely a victim of climate change. We are a source of solutions, and those solutions must be financed and delivered at scale," he said in remarks made on behalf of Anthony Nyong, Director of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department.
Highlighting the priorities of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), Chair Nana Antwi-Boasiako said:
"Success will look like protecting the policy space for sustainable development as Africa, having a sense of predictable financing for climate adaptation and mitigation, and then also a faster implementation plan for Africa."
CCDA-XIV will conclude with the adoption of the Addis Ababa Climate Action Messages, setting out Africa's priorities for COP31 and a shared continental roadmap towards COP32.
The Fourteenth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa takes place from 7-9 September, 2026.
