The international community must help unblock financing for the African continent and ease the mounting debt burden on its countries as Africa has a chance to "guide the globe" on climate action, Kenyan President William Ruto said, preparing to open a landmark climate summit in Nairobi on Monday.
Ruto noted that an African position on climate action would be to "save lives and the planet from calamity," according to his social networks.
"We aspire to chart a new growth agenda that will deliver shared prosperity and sustainable development. Africa is committed to taking advantage of this unique opportunity to guide the globe towards inclusive climate action," he added.
Joseph Nganga, Ruto's appointee to head the summit, said the conference would demonstrate that "Africa is not just a victim but a dynamic continent with solutions for the world".
Security has been tightened and roads closed around the summit venue in central Nairobi, where the government says 30,000 people have registered to attend the three-day event, media said. Civil society groups are expected to protest near the summit at its opening against what they call its "deeply compromised agenda" and focus on rich-nation interests, the outlet reported.
A draft version of the final declaration reportedly puts the spotlight on Africa's vast renewable energy potential, young workforce, and natural assets. Those include 40% of global reserves of cobalt, manganese, and platinum crucial for batteries and hydrogen fuel-cells.
However, there are daunting challenges for a continent where hundreds of millions of people currently lack access to electricity, according to the media. Reminders of political instability in the region came last week, with a military takeover in Gabon little more than a month after a coup in Niger.
Countries in Africa are also hamstrung by mounting debt costs and a dearth of finance, media said.
Despite hosting 60% of the world's best solar energy resources, Africa has roughly the same amount of installed capacity as Belgium, according to a commentary published last month by Ruto and the International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol.
Currently, only about 3% of energy investments worldwide are reportedly made in Africa.
Senior Associate in climate and trade in the clean economy program of an independent think tank E3G Charra Tesfaye Terfassa said the summit should balance optimism with a tough assessment of the challenges to "chart a new path for Africa to be a key part of the global conversation and benefit from the opportunities of the transition."
The Nairobi meeting is expected to draw several African heads of state, the United Nations head Antonio Guterres, the chief of the European Union Ursula von der Leyen and other leaders.