Young delegates must dream big, speak boldly and work together across borders to drive Africa’s just and green transition, Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh said Friday as he opened the Africa Youth Climate Assembly.
The gathering, held Sept. 5–6 at the historic Adwa Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa, brought together youth leaders, dignitaries and partners as a pre-event to the Second Africa Climate Summit.
Temesgen said Africa is among the most vulnerable to climate impacts but remains the most hopeful.
With most of the continent’s population under 30, he said youth innovation and determination will be vital for solutions that safeguard Africa’s future.
Ethiopian leaders emphasized that AYCA 2025 is more than a symbolic platform.
Planning and Development Minister Fitsum Assefa said Africa contributes less than 4% of global emissions yet bears the heaviest burdens, and she called youth “the architects of tomorrow’s solutions.”
Women and Social Affairs Minister Ergogie Tesfaye invoked an African saying that “the young can run fast, but the elders know the road,” urging collaboration across generations.
Delegates are meeting under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development.”
Temesgen urged governments and partners to invest meaningfully in youth enterprises and leadership, saying their role will be decisive in shaping the outcomes of the Africa Climate Summit.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Bantu Gazette
