Ruto Calls for Climate Finance as Africa Prepares for COP31
Ruto said the gap between climate pledges and actual delivery remained a major concern as African countries face growing climate-related risks.
President William Ruto has called for increased climate financing to help Africa turn climate action into investment, jobs, economic growth and greater resilience. Photo: President Ruto.
By Robert Mutasi
President William Ruto has called for stronger delivery of climate commitments, saying Africa needs greater access to finance to turn climate action into investment, jobs, economic growth and resilience.
Ruto spoke in New York on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, while chairing a meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The meeting brought together African leaders and climate officials to advance the continent’s common position ahead of the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP31, in Antalya, Türkiye. The discussions also began preparations for COP32, which will be hosted by Ethiopia in Addis Ababa in 2027.
Ruto said the gap between climate pledges and actual delivery remained a major concern as African countries face growing climate-related risks.
“The world does not lack climate pledges, it lacks delivery,” Ruto said, calling for climate action that can generate investment, employment, stronger economies and greater resilience.
He identified access to finance as the main constraint facing Africa’s climate agenda. The President called for adaptation commitments to be honoured and for affordable capital, guarantees and risk-sharing instruments to be expanded.
According to Ruto, such financing mechanisms could help unlock investment in renewable energy, green industries and infrastructure designed to withstand climate-related shocks.
The President also argued that climate action should be viewed as an economic opportunity rather than solely as a cost. He said Africa could use its renewable energy potential and growing markets to support green industrialisation and create jobs while protecting communities and the environment.
The African Union said the meeting reaffirmed the need for a coordinated African position at COP31, with priorities including adaptation finance, resilience, renewable energy, clean cooking, green industrialisation and climate-positive growth.
AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said Africa continues to face significant climate impacts despite its historically limited contribution to global emissions. He called for increased and accessible adaptation finance, support for addressing loss and damage, technology transfer and capacity building.
The AU also stressed the importance of affordable and predictable climate finance while warning against financing arrangements that could worsen Africa’s debt vulnerabilities.
The meeting comes as African countries prepare for COP31, scheduled for November 9 to 20, 2026, in Antalya. The conference agenda includes climate finance, adaptation and implementation of existing climate commitments.
Ruto said Africa should maintain the approach set out in the Nairobi and Addis Ababa Climate Declarations, which frame climate action around investment, green competitiveness and economic transformation.
He said preparations for COP32 in Addis Ababa should focus on adaptation, implementation, investment and climate-positive growth, giving African countries a platform to advance their priorities in global climate negotiations.
The African leaders’ meeting therefore sets the stage for further negotiations ahead of COP31, with climate finance expected to remain central to Africa’s efforts to secure greater support for adaptation and green development.
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