Onome Amuge
African leaders this week sought to reposition the continent as a major player in the global energy transition, unveiling sweeping plans on renewable power, climate finance and critical minerals at the Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa. Yet campaigners warned that without structural reforms to international finance, the ambitions risk entrenching old patterns of dependency.
Among the headline announcements was the launch of the Africa Climate Innovation Compact (ACIC) and the African Climate Facility (ACF), which aim to mobilise $50 billion annually for local climate solutions. The emphasis is on renewable energy deployment and green technology innovation, with leaders committing to a continent-wide target of 300 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2030.
The summit also marked the debut of Africa’s first Green Minerals Strategy, intended to position the region in global clean-tech supply chains through beneficiation and value addition rather than raw material exports. The African Union Commission said it would explore the creation of a Coalition of African Critical Mineral Producers, a potential OPEC-style bloc designed to strengthen bargaining power in negotiations over cobalt, lithium and other transition minerals.
Climate advocacy groups hailed the ambition but stressed that financing remains the Achilles’ heel. Regina Baiden, Africa regional director at 350.org, described the renewable target as “not just about megawatts, it is about justice, dignity, and resilience for people across the continent.” She added: “Ambition without finance is a broken promise. Climate finance is not charity, it is a legal obligation.”
The Addis Ababa Declaration, the summit’s outcome document, issued one of the strongest calls yet from African leaders for a rethinking of global climate finance. It demanded grants rather than loans, debt relief, and trillions in support for the transition. It also condemned unilateral trade measures such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, warning they could cost African economies billions annually.
Still, campaigners said the declaration fell short by relying on existing multilateral development banks, carbon markets and investment frameworks. Critics argue these institutions have historically entrenched inequality by funnelling capital through intermediaries rather than directly to communities. “Africa already has the solutions and expertise to drive renewable energy and resilience. But the continent is too often denied the resources, or drowned in debt, to implement them,” said Alia Kajee, global campaign project manager at 350.org.
Analysts note that Africa’s attempt to lead on renewable energy and green minerals faces a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, the continent is home to 60 per cent of the world’s best solar resources and some of its largest reserves of transition metals. On the other, limited domestic manufacturing capacity and fragile fiscal positions leave governments reliant on external capital and foreign partners.
The danger, campaigners say, is that Africa could become locked into a familiar role as a supplier of raw inputs as well as green minerals, carbon credits and low-cost manufacturing , rather than capturing the higher-value segments of the global transition. Ensuring community ownership, worker participation and democratic control over the green shift will be essential, they argue, if the transition is to be equitable.
