Addis ababa: Africa's participation in the global green transition must lead directly to industrialisation, value addition, and strengthened economic sovereignty, Nana Dr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has stated. He asserted that the continent's climate engagement should be rooted in green industrial development rather than merely exporting raw materials.
According to Ghana News Agency, Nana Dr Amoah made these remarks during a high-level dialogue on Africa's green industrialisation and climate diplomacy, held alongside the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event gathered representatives from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Climate Vulnerable Forum, and other development partners.
He explained that AfCFTA's strategic vision aims to not only boost intra-African trade but also transition the continent from an extraction-driven economic model to one focused on value addition, industrial capacity, and economic sovereignty. The AGN Chair highlighted that Africa's involvement in the UNFCCC process is moving from negotiation to implementation, with global climate rules influencing investment flows, regional markets, and industrial opportunities.
Reflecting on the outcomes from COP30, Nana Dr Amoah identified three priority areas for Africa: the Just Transition Mechanism, climate-trade dialogue, and climate finance under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement. He stressed that Africa's interpretation of a just transition must extend beyond worker protection to encompass national development and shared prosperity, including local manufacturing of solar panels and green hydrogen components.
He cautioned that a green transition keeping Africa at the bottom of global value chains, limited to raw material exports, would not be just. On trade, he noted the challenges posed by unilateral trade measures, carbon border adjustments, and green subsidies to African economies. He emphasised the role of the AfCFTA in overcoming scale challenges and safeguarding policy space for green industrial strategies.
Regarding finance, Nana Dr Amoah highlighted that Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement mandates developed countries to provide financial resources to developing nations. He called for climate finance that is adequate, predictable, and patient, addressing Africa's high cost of capital and supporting debt sustainability.
Ambassador Ali Mohamed, Special Envoy for Climate Change for the Government of Kenya, echoed these sentiments, pointing out Africa's high borrowing costs and debt burdens as significant constraints on green industrialisation. He stressed the need for reforms in global financial architecture and stronger credit enhancement mechanisms to make large-scale renewable energy and industrial projects financially viable.
Ambassador Mohamed also highlighted infrastructure and industrial capacity gaps that could limit Africa's ability to benefit from the energy transition. He suggested that expanding renewable energy generation should be complemented with investments in infrastructure, skills development, and technology transfer, under frameworks like the AfCFTA, to build regional value chains capable of global competition.