Africa Climate Summit kicks off today in Nairobi

The summit, which is being held in Nairobi, Kenya, comes amid appeals to keep discussions focused on Africa’s environmental concerns.

The Summit is running under the theme "Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World,” and is aimed at seeking answers to concerns on the environmental challenges being faced by the continent.

There is a wide feeling among observers that, as much as the summit is supposed to address the continent’s environmental challenges, it will be dominated by the global north.

The Director of Power Shift Africa, a group aiming to mobilise climate action in Africa, Adow Mohammed, while talking to KFM, a local radio station in Uganda, said that a huge number of side events are being dominated by groups from the West rather than allowing Africans to be at the forefront.

He further said that the global north's decision to take over an event aimed at finding answers to Africa's climate issue is unacceptable and demonstrates how the global north is attempting to control the conversation on Africa's climate future.

Other stakeholders, such as Irene Twongirwe, executive director of the Women for Green Economy Movement Uganda, dismissed this allegation, saying the summit presents an opportunity for climate change activists to seek answers to the environmental challenges faced by the continent.

She also said the summit would also help the continent find solutions to the vast natural resource exploitation that has left Africa facing climate disasters.

African heads of state and government, global leaders, including the UN Secretary-General, development partners, civil society organisations, researchers, academia, and key stakeholders are all attending the summit.