ADDIS ABABA, Feb 14 – President William Ruto has urged African states to capitalise on shifting global climate investments to position the continent as the premier destination for green industrialisation.
He said Africa’s vast renewable energy resources make it uniquely suited for climate adaptation and clean energy investments.
The President noted that global energy-transition investment reached a record high of about $2.3 trillion (KSh299 trillion) in 2025, underscoring the steady shift toward low-carbon energy systems and technologies.
“The global economy is moving toward lower-carbon production, electrified value chains and technology-intensive industry. In this context, reliable and affordable power is becoming a core driver of competitiveness,” he said.
President Ruto spoke on Friday while chairing a meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The meeting was attended by President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania; Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Alupo; Seychelles Vice-President Sebastien Pillay; Algeria’s Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb; ministers; representatives of the African Union Commission; and development partners.
The President said green industrialisation represents a strategic pathway to strengthen African economies and create sustainable jobs for the continent’s youthful population.
He cited the Nairobi Declaration adopted at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit in 2023 as setting a clear direction toward climate-positive growth.
“Our climate agenda is inseparable from development, energy access and industrialisation,” he said.
President Ruto emphasised that Africa must lead in placing climate priorities at the centre of economic planning and investment decisions.
He commended the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa and the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative as practical vehicles for achieving the continent’s climate goals, with support from the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“Notably, the Green Industrialisation Initiative secured commitments of $100 billion (KSh13 trillion) from African financial institutions at the second Africa Climate Summit,” he added.
