Africa Climate Summit (Nairobi, September 2023)
The Africa-Europe Earthshot launched at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, September 2023.
An esteemed set of speakers took the stage and endorsed the Africa-Europe Earthshot concept. Wanjira Mathai (WRI Africa) opened the session, before Hubert Danso (Ai Group) summarised the Earthshot. James Mwangi moderated a panel of Jacqueline Novogratz (Acumen), Laurence Tubiana (ECF) and Sir Mo Ibrahim (MIF), and we heard closing remarks from Nigerian former VP Yemi Osinbajo. Kenyan Climate Envoy Ali Mohamed also offered his endorsement for the Earthshot, in a pre-recorded video.
Summit for a New Global Financing Pact (Paris, June 2023)
The Africa-Europe Earthshot community drew upon learnings in Nairobi to convene stakeholders at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris two months later. Discussions centred on the need for a roadmap for scaling up investment in clean energy, nature-based solutions and green industrialisation in Africa.
Adriano Maleiane, Prime Minister of Mozambique, spoke to Mozambique’s potential as a renewable energy hub, the need to build up resilience across the continent and the importance of strengthening a long-term vision and goals for Africa.
Adriano Maleiane, Prime Minister of Mozambique, speaking at the Africa-Europe Earthshot session at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact
Gervais Ndirakobuca, Prime Minister of Burundi, echoed these sentiments, noting an unfairness in how Africa is treated compared to other continents. Both leaders called for a new financing pact that accounts for Africa’s resources, potential and sustainable development priorities.
Gervais Ndirakobuca, Prime Minister of Burundi, speaking at the Africa-Europe Earthshot session at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact
Dr Mo Ibrahim called for new governance models around investing in Africa’s private sector, in line with a need to re-risk the money invested in the continent. He recognised the challenges African companies and countries face as they try to develop without incurring new debt, and encouraged leaders to focus on the benefits that Africa can bring the world with the right scale of investment.
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Dr. Mo Ibrahim speaking at the Africa-Europe Earthshot session at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact
Ibrahim Governance Weekend (Nairobi, April 2023)
Ibrahim Governance Weekend (IGW) in Nairobi played host to the Earthshot’s first in-person convening. Decision makers and changemakers from across the continent came together to focus on unlocking investment at the scale required to urgently realise a just energy future for Africa and the world. This growing momentum demonstrates support for action to ensure Africa becomes the green industrial hub of the world.
In Nairobi, Kenya’s Climate Envoy Ali Mohamed outlined Kenya’s plans for the Africa Climate Summit (4-6 September) and celebrated the transformational potential of African climate action. He also uplifted the importance of partnership with the European Union and the benefits of expanding fair and equitable access for African-produced low-emission products and carbon credits to European markets.
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B Team CEO Halla Tómasdóttir & Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo offered his reflections on Africa’s position in the world, with a focus on the opportunity of “Climate Positive Growth for Africa.” Based on the concrete example of Nigeria’s solar energy potential, he articulated how Africa’s low-emission energy, energy carriers and products can equip Europe to green its economies faster and more affordably. Both Envoy Mohamed and Vice President Osinbajo repeated Kenyan President William Ruto’s statement that the challenge facing the continent is not one of “us versus them” but rather “us versus the existential threat of climate change.”