AU, Partners Launch Climate Finance Push for Green Infrastructure in Africa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD, the African Development Bank (AfDB), UNECA, GIZ, and the European Union, has launched a high-level workshop in Addis Ababa to accelerate the mobilisation of climate finance for infrastructure projects across the continent.

The initiative supports the AU’s flagship Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), aiming to close Africa’s infrastructure and climate financing gaps.

With Africa facing an annual infrastructure financing deficit of up to USD 170 billion, and climate finance representing only a fraction of the USD 3 trillion needed continent-wide by 2030, this strategic gathering seeks to fast-track investment into priority energy and transport projects.

The four-day event, running from June 9 to 12, 2025, is structured around two thematic roundtables.

The Transport Sector Roundtable (June 9–10): Focuses on green corridors, rail networks, and aviation infrastructure, including projects such as the VICMED Corridor, the Central Corridor Railway, and the Mombasa–Nairobi–Kampala Standard Gauge Railway.

The Energy Sector Roundtable (June 11–12): Targets renewable energy, regional transmission infrastructure, and power market integration, with spotlight projects including the Luapula Hydropower Project, Jafara Solar and Wind Initiative, and the SAPP Carbon Market Initiative.

Each roundtable will feature Project Structuring Clinics, where project promoters will present live cases to technical and financial experts for hands-on guidance and investment alignment. The recommendations will inform preparations for the Luanda Infrastructure Financing Summit in October 2025.

“Africa must not only build infrastructure—it must build green, resilient infrastructure,” said Amani Abou-Zeid, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy. “This workshop is a concrete step toward making our regional projects more bankable and climate-smart.”

Key goals of the workshop include: enhancing the bankability of cross-border infrastructure; identifying innovative financing solutions, including blended finance; aligning infrastructure planning with Africa’s climate commitments and Just Transition agenda; and strengthening cooperation between AU institutions, member states, private investors, and climate financiers.

The initiative is part of the PIDA Priority Action Plan 2 (PAP2), which identifies 69 priority regional infrastructure projects requiring over USD 160 billion by 2030. These projects are designed to boost regional trade, connectivity, and climate resilience in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Paris Agreement.

The workshop’s participants include representatives from AU institutions (AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, AfDB, UNECA), national and regional infrastructure bodies, RECs, private sector stakeholders, and leading climate finance actors such as the Green Climate Fund, GET.invest, and Global Gateway Africa.

The Addis Ababa gathering marks a critical milestone on the road to the Luanda Summit, which will serve as a premier platform to present Africa’s pipeline of bankable, climate-aligned infrastructure projects to international investors, development partners, and sovereign wealth funds.