Addis Ababa, Ethiopia —  President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud delivered a stirring keynote at the opening session of the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), reinforcing Somalia’s position as both a climate victim and a proactive leader. His remarks underscored the urgent need to transform well-intentioned pledges into tangible climate action.

President Mohamud began by acknowledging Somalia’s outsized suffering from climate change—despite its negligible carbon footprint. He highlighted how the catastrophic drought from 2021 to 2023 affected 7.8 million people, nearly half the nation, driving food insecurity, livelihood loss, and widespread displacement.

He then outlined Somalia’s recent milestones in national climate policy. The country became the first East African nation to submit its updated Nationally Determined Contribution, demonstrating leadership in regional climate commitments. Through the Green Somalia Initiative, the government has pledged to plant 10 million trees as a symbol of reforestation and ecological rehabilitation. In addition, Mogadishu has established a National Climate Fund to pool resources and strengthen domestic resilience, while a $100 million partnership with the Green Climate Fund launched in 2024 aims to bolster long-term adaptation and mitigation.

In his speech, President Mohamud urged the international community to move beyond lofty declarations and provide finance at the right scale and on the right terms. He stressed the importance of predictable, timely disbursements that reach frontline countries like Somalia directly.

“Decarbonizing the global economy is inseparable from delivering development in Africa,” he said, framing climate finance as both a moral duty and a strategic necessity.

The Somali leader’s call for action was firmly aligned with the summit’s broader theme of transformative delivery. He urged a continental shift from rhetoric to collective commitment, insisting that African nations must demand equitable and accountable climate support. His remarks echoed regional leaders’ calls for unity in shaping a common African position as the world heads toward COP30.

Other speakers at the summit reinforced these points.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted the Green Legacy tree-planting campaign and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as examples of Africa’s potential to drive green solutions rather than remain cast as victims. Civil society leaders pressed for innovative financing mechanisms, including taxing polluters and wealthy nations to close adaptation funding gaps. The upcoming Addis Ababa Declaration is expected to solidify a unified African stance. Data presented at the summit showed that while Africa requires an estimated $70 billion annually for adaptation, only $15 billion was delivered in 2023.

Kenya’s President William Ruto issued a sharp rebuke of the West, accusing developed nations of breaking what he termed a “climate blood pact” and warning of deepening inequities.

President Mohamud’s remarks captured the urgency of this moment. By combining a clear-eyed portrayal of Somalia’s vulnerability with bold national commitments and an uncompromising call for accountability, he underscored a central message: declarations must now translate into development. For Somalia and for Africa, survival depends on it.