By Luganda David Nsiyonna- NECJOGHA Reporter
ADDIS ABABA – A landmark United Nations event aimed at accelerating climate solutions and advancing crucial climate issues is underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The UN Climate Week, which began on Monday, brings together governments, financiers, businesses, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples to fast-track the delivery of climate pledges and actions on the ground across Africa and around the world. The gathering serves as a critical preparatory event for the COP30 global climate conference in Brazil this November.
Hosted by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and organized by UN Climate Change, the week’s outcomes will feed directly into the second Africa Climate Summit, scheduled for later this month. This strategic alignment is intended to ensure that Africa’s climate priorities are elevated and well-represented on the global stage.
Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, described the event as a vital moment in the world’s climate journey. “Climate Week in Addis Ababa is a chance to share and scale up real-world solutions, and help spread the real-life benefits of climate action to more people across Africa and around the world,” he said, citing benefits such as more resilient economies, jobs, better health, and more secure, affordable clean energy.
A central feature of the week is the Implementation Forum, which runs from Wednesday through Thursday. According to Noura Hamladji, UN Climate Change Deputy Executive Secretary, the forum’s purpose is to connect the international climate process to people’s daily lives and real economies. The program also includes new Implementation Labs focusing on key challenges and opportunities, including adaptation finance, strengthening public-private sector partnerships, and scaling up climate actions in agriculture and food systems.
Ethiopia’s Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa, highlighted the importance of the event’s timing. “This strategic alignment ensures that Africa’s climate priorities do not remain regional aspirations but are elevated into the global agenda,” she said. “What we build in Addis Ababa through both the Africa Climate Summit and Climate Week will strengthen implementation, unlock finance, and set the stage for COP30 and beyond.”
Mosses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission, echoed this sentiment, stating that the connected events create a unified platform to turn dialogue into practical, scalable climate solutions and funding.
The official outcomes of Climate Week are expected to be shared via news release on Thursday afternoon and will be posted on the UNFCCC website. The opening ceremony, which was livestreamed, included remarks from H.E. Taye Atske Selassie, President of Ethiopia, and Ms. Noura Hamladji.
