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0 The African Climate Foundation has released its 2026 to 2030 strategy, warning that Africa faces a defining period for its climate future as scientists flag the risk of a super El Niño event.
The African Climate Foundation (ACF), the continent’s first African-led regional climate foundation, released the strategy in Accra on May 26, framing it as a response to accelerating climate pressures and a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape around energy and development finance. The strategy argues that the central question facing Africa is no longer whether climate action is necessary but whether the continent’s climate transition will be shaped by its own institutions and priorities or determined by external actors.
“Commitments have multiplied, but implementation has lagged,” said Saliem Fakir, ACF Executive Director and founder.
Fakir warned that each year of delay raises the costs of action, and that the consequences of inaction fall most heavily on communities that contributed least to the crisis. He said the potential arrival of a super El Niño later in 2026 makes the urgency of the strategy’s release particularly acute. Scientists have warned that such an event could bring severe droughts, heatwaves and food crises across the continent, compounding the structural vulnerabilities the strategy is designed to address.
The ACF pointed to one of the starkest imbalances in global climate finance as context for its approach: despite contributing only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa receives approximately 3% of global climate finance flows. The foundation argued that the challenge for African countries is therefore not primarily about securing more commitments from international partners but about building the systems, institutions and partnerships capable of translating existing ambitions into measurable progress. It said the goal must be investment that strengthens resilience, builds local capability and supports long-term economic transformation, not simply capital that passes through without leaving institutional roots.
Professor Carlos Lopes, ACF Chairman, described the shift in Africa’s relationship with global climate discussions as fundamental. He said the continent now brings its own priorities, perspectives and capabilities to those conversations and that the task is no longer to absorb what external actors prescribe but to shape the agenda in ways that reflect African realities.
The 2026 to 2030 strategy places greater emphasis on country-led implementation platforms, climate-resilient economic development, green industrialisation, adaptation and institutional capacity-building. The ACF describes its role as catalytic, working to align philanthropy, governments, civil society and investment partners around shared priorities rather than leading or substituting for the momentum African actors are already generating. The foundation also argued that Africa’s climate transition must be equitable and inclusive, with outcomes closely linked to health, gender, youth, justice and economic opportunity.
The ACF has deployed more than US$41 million through over 467 grants and investments since its founding in 2020, and operates with more than 60 professionals across the continent. It maintains dedicated country programmes in South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zambia, while its grant-making has reached 35 African countries.
NewsGhana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, Roger A. Agana, https://www.newsghana.com.gh/african-climate-foundation-launches-strategy-as-el-nino-warning-looms/
