Africa’s participation in the global green transition should directly translate into industrial development, value addition, and strengthened economic sovereignty, according to Nana Dr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Speaking at a high-level dialogue on Africa’s green industrialisation and climate diplomacy held alongside the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr Amoah emphasised that climate engagement must move beyond raw material exports toward building local manufacturing capacity and economic resilience.
“The question before us is no longer whether Africa will participate in the global green transition, but whether Africa will industrialise through that transition,” he said, outlining the need for Africa to manufacture solar panels, batteries, and green hydrogen components on the continent, supported by skills development and technology transfer.
The dialogue, which brought together representatives from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Green Climate Fund, the Climate Vulnerable Forum, and other partners, also addressed trade, finance, and infrastructure challenges.
Dr Amoah highlighted the risks posed by unilateral trade measures, carbon border adjustments, and green subsidies, urging African states to leverage the AfCFTA to aggregate markets and protect policy space for differentiated green industrial strategies.
On climate finance, he stressed the importance of adequate, predictable, and patient funding under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, cautioning that fragmented, project-level financing would limit Africa’s ability to scale transformative industrial projects. He called for regional and programmatic investment platforms capable of reshaping entire sectors and value chains.
Echoing these concerns, Ambassador Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, noted that Africa’s high cost of capital and debt burdens remain major barriers to large-scale renewable energy and industrial projects. He advocated for reforms to the global financial architecture and blended financing mechanisms to mobilise private investment.
Both speakers emphasised that Africa’s green transition must be integrated with infrastructure development, industrial capacity expansion, and coordinated implementation under frameworks like the AfCFTA to ensure the continent captures value and competes effectively in global green markets.
Dr Amoah reaffirmed the commitment of the African Group of Negotiators to align climate diplomacy with Africa’s long-term economic transformation, insisting that the UNFCCC must support not just environmental goals, but Africa’s industrialisation agenda.
