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Sifelani Tsiko
Fact Check
Africa must forge a collective voice to advocate for faster climate action and climate financing ahead of COP30 – the 30th United Nations Climate Change conference which will be held in Brazil in November this year, President Mnangagwa has said.
He said this in a message read on his behalf by Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Evelyn Ndlovu at the Second Africa Climate Summit, which is underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“As we move toward COP30, I urge all of us to deliberate with a shared sense of purpose. Let us forge a common position for the Africa Group of Negotiators. The time for deliberation is now, and the time for action is upon us,” the President said.
A Zimbabwean delegation is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the Second Climate Week meeting, which sets the tone for the upcoming Africa Climate Summit (ACS2).
Minister Ndlovu is leading the delegation which is attending the meeting running under the theme: “Dialogues for Ambition and Implementation.”
“Climate change presents a formidable and existential threat to the very foundation of our development, our fragile ecosystems, and the health and prosperity of our people. This challenge is made even more complex by the persistent socio-economic headwinds that our nations must navigate,” President Mnangagwa said.
“The frequent and intense droughts, devastating heat waves, and destructive cyclones, are not merely weather events, they are direct assaults on our national aspirations, and a compromise on our people’s future.
“This is why we have convened today to forge a unified path forward. No nation, no matter its strength, can face this crisis alone. It is imperative that we strengthen our international cooperation, guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, to achieve the climate action our world so urgently demands.”
Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, desertification and floods are driving food insecurity, loss of livelihoods and displacement in Africa.
Co-organised by Ethiopia and the UNFCCC, the Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), from September 8 to 10, 2025 spotlights “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development.”
The Zimbabwean delegation joined fellow African leaders, policymakers, experts, and civil society actors in advancing climate ambition and showcasing locally driven solutions aligned with the Paris Agreement.
Throughout the discussions, participants engaged in high-level consultations, exhibitions, side events, and networking sessions designed to turn climate commitments into concrete action.
One of the outcomes of the summit is the Addis Ababa Declaration, which reflects Africa’s unified commitment to tackling the climate crisis with innovative and practical strategies.
“This Declaration is a roadmap for our climate action. It highlights our challenges, priorities and commitments for the continent’s resilient and green development. It will help to shape Africa’s common position ahead of the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30), ensuring that our voice is heard as a cohesive block, so that the continent’s concerns are adequately addressed,” said President Mnangagwa.
“The stark reality is that climate change is posing an unprecedented threat to the continent’s food security, peace and security. In order to overcome these challenges, we need to champion sustainable food systems and invest in climate smart agricultural practices.”
The Kampala Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (2026- 2035) Declaration (CAADP), he further said, provides a strategic roadmap that emphasizes climate resilience as a core objective for agricultural development.
“It is therefore imperative that the CAADP Declaration be integrated in the Addis Ababa Declaration, to create a synergistic framework in pursuit of food security that is climate resilient,” the President said.
COP30, the upcoming 30th United Nations Climate Change conference, will be held in Belém, Brazil, from November 10 to 21, 2025.
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