Kofi Adu Domfeh asks: A new world disorder of climate change?

Kwaku works with a tight calendar; making a routine business trip every week between Kumasi and Accra, the kind professionals make without a second thought.

On this typical Tuesday, he takes an early morning flight from Kumasi for meetings in Accra, with an evening return flight to Kumasi for another early-morning engagement the next day that could unlock a significant business deal.

By mid-morning upon arriving in Accra, the sun blazed with unusual intensity, draining energy from anyone forced to move between appointments.

Kwaku dashed from one office to another as the sun burnt hot and harsh, but stayed focused on finishing his work to catch his evening flight back to Kumasi.

But without a warning, the clouds gathered. What had been scorching skies just hours earlier began to darken as clouds gathered fast and thick, rolling in with surprising speed. Within minutes, the atmosphere flipped from heatwave to storm warning.

Then came the rain; a torrential downpour. By the time Kwaku reached the airport, the announcement board read flight delayed. Then what he feared hit him; his flight cancelled.

The same skies that had scorched him hours earlier had now grounded him completely.

Despite his careful planning, he could not return to Kumasi that evening, missing a scheduled meeting for the following day.

In just one day, Kwaku experienced two extremes — intense heat and a disruptive storm — both powerful enough to alter personal and professional outcomes.

What once felt like isolated weather incidents now seem connected, part of a broader pattern of climate volatility that was becoming harder to ignore.

Climate change is no longer an abstract headline or distant environmental debate; it is operational risk, an economic loss and human disruption happening in real time.

UN Climate chief calls for new era of climate action

Last Thursday, the UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, addressed a press conference hosted by the COP31 President Designate, Minister Murat Kurum in Istanbul, Türkiye, where he stated that climate action can deliver stability in an unstable world of arms and trade wars.

“We find ourselves in a new world disorder. This is a period of instability and insecurity. Of strong arms and trade wars. The very concept of international cooperation is under attack. These challenges are real and serious. 

“Climate action can deliver stability in an unstable world of arms and trade wars. In the face of the current chaos, we can, and must, drive forward a new era of international climate cooperation,” he said.

The UN Climate Change’s plan for a new era of climate action was divided into three eras: first was to uncover the problem and respond; and the second was to get serious about solutions in building the Paris Agreement.

Simon Stiell acknowledged the Agreement did not solve the climate crisis, but showed that nations can deliver change on a major scale when they stand together.

“In the decade since Paris, clean energy investment is up tenfold – from two hundred billion dollars to over two trillion dollars a year. And, in 2025, amidst all the economic uncertainty and gale-force political headwinds, the global transition kept surging forward: clean energy investment kept growing strongly, and was more than double that of fossil fuels. 

“Renewables overtook coal as the world's top electricity source. The majority of countries produced new national climate plans that will help drive their economic growth up and – for the first time – global emissions down. And, at COP30, nations said with one voice: the global transition is now irreversible, the Paris Agreement is working, and together we will make it go further and faster,” he emphasized.

Trump challenges climate science 

While the UN Climate chief is strongly advocating climate adaptation for resilience building, US President Donald Trump has continued his attack on climate science by revoking a landmark ruling that greenhouse gases endanger public health.

The key Obama-era scientific ruling in 2009 underpins all US federal actions on curbing planet-warming gases.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided that key planet-warming greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, were a danger to human health.

But the reversal, according to the White House, is necessitated by the drive to make cars cheaper with an expected ease in the cost of production.

"This radical rule became the legal foundation for the Green New Scam, one of the greatest scams in history," said President Trump, who has snubbed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change twice.

The exit of US from the Paris Agreement means that America will no longer be bound by the agreement's requirements, such as submitting plans to reduce carbon emissions.

As the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind only China, environmental groups say the latest move by the US is by far the most significant rollback on climate change, amidst skepticism of the potential cost savings being touted by the Trump administration.

The Third Era of Climate Action

The UN Climate Chief has observed an unprecedented threat to the decade of international climate cooperation that has delivered more real-world progress.

“From those determined to use their power to defy economic and scientific logic, and increase dependence on polluting coal, oil and gas – even though that means worsening climate disasters and spiralling costs for households and businesses. These forces are undeniably strong, but they need not prevail,” stated Stiell.

His solution to the chaos and regression is for countries to stand together, building on successes and working more closely with businesses, investors, and regional and civic leaders to deliver more real-world results in every country.

This is the third era of climate action; an era to speed-up and scale-up implementation of actions.

“It must start with a relentless focus on delivering – or even exceeding – the targets agreed in the first global stocktake, in 2023. Doubling energy efficiency and tripling clean energy by 2030. Transitioning away from all fossil fuels, in a just, fair and orderly manner. Strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability, and ensuring more climate finance reaches people everywhere, especially the most vulnerable,” said Simon Stiell.

The expectation is for countries to be on track to meet the commitments by the second global stocktake in 2028, in boosting resilience, growing economies, and slashing emissions.

“The fact is climate adaptation is the only path to securing billions of human lives, as climate impacts get rapidly worse,” said Mr. Stiell. “As climate disasters hit food supplies and drive inflation, resilient supply chains are crucial for the price stability populations are demanding.  And they are increasingly unforgiving of governments who don’t deliver it.

“So more than ever, climate action and cooperation are the answer: not despite global instability, but because of it. There is a huge amount of work before us, this year and in the years to come”.

As vulnerable people and communities in Africa are already suffering the extremes of weather conditions, the UN conference of parties (COP31) in Antalya is expected to deliver for people, prosperity and planet.

For professionals like Kwaku, what used to be a routine of moving between two cities for work has suddenly felt uncertain; the weather is no longer background noise, it is deciding outcomes.

Amidst the reality of climate science and the challenge to the impact of the science, what would a new world disorder of climate change mean for people like Kwaku?

Kofi Adu Domfeh is a journalist and Climate Reality Leader| adomfeh@gmail.com

Climate Change: AGN Chair to mobilize strong expertise to project Africa’s interest in global climate negotiations

 The Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Dr. Nana Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, has called on African countries to strengthen unity and collective action as global multilateralism continues to weaken.

 

Addressing the first strategic meeting of the AGN under Ghana’s leadership, Dr. Amoah warned that Africa as one of the regions most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change cannot afford the erosion of multilateral cooperation.

 

“With Africa’s well-documented vulnerabilities to climate change, the continent cannot afford to let multilateralism die,” he stated.

 

Dr. Amoah reaffirmed his commitment to mobilizing the broad expertise within the AGN to ensure Africa maintains a strong and coordinated presence in global climate negotiations, despite growing geopolitical and economic pressures.

 

“The strength and success of the AGN lie in our ability to work together, even under difficult circumstances,” he said. “My chairmanship will harness the collective expertise within the AGN family to project Africa’s interests at a time when the spirit of multilateralism is clearly under strain.”

 

The strategic meeting, held virtually, marks the first under Ghana’s chairmanship and focused on preparations for the upcoming African Union Summit scheduled for 11–15 February 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 

Ahead of in-person engagements leading up to the mid-year UN Climate Conference in June, the meeting was guided by the following objectives:

 

Reviewing outcomes and priority issues from COP30 and their implications for continental policy processes;

 

Consolidating AGN positions and negotiation priorities to inform strategic engagement during the African Union Summit; and

 

Reviewing the AGN Chair’s priority agenda and aligning it with Lead Coordinators and country focal points perspectives.

 

The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) is a technical body of the three-tier African negotiating structure that engages in the technical negotiations during the UN Conferences of the Parties (COPs) and the inter-sessional negotiations on Climate Change. It was established in 1995 with the objective of representing the interests of Africa in the international climate change negotiations, with a common and unified voice.

 

Ghana takes the reigns of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change

Ghana has taken the reigns of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) for January, 2026 to December, 2027. , in line with the two-year sub-regional rotational mandate of the group.

 

Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah from Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), will lead the group in the next two years, taking over from Tanzania’s Dr. Richard Muyungi. 

 

“It was indeed an honour to chair this esteemed group. I thank each and everyone one of you for the support you rendered to the United Republic of Tanzania and to me personally. I welcome Ghana and Dr. Antwi as he takes the leadership of the group,” said Dr. Muyungi in his farewell message to the group.

 

Dr. Amoah commended the United Republic of Tanzania for the leadership and pledged his readiness to continue championing Africa’s climate narrative. 

 

“On behalf of the West-African sub-region, Ghana is ready to continue from where Tanzania has left off. We will need everyone on board to drive the African climate agenda. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all the very best in the remaining days of the festive season,” he said.

 

Dr. Amoah has about twenty years’ experience in public service and has dedicated his public service life to international climate diplomacy, public policy and capacity development of African youth in climate change negotiations.

He plays a key role in coordinating Ghana’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) project and has served as a Lead Negotiator for the G77 and China for NAPs within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process. He is actively engaged in Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) implementation, National Communications (NCs), and Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs).

He is a leading authority on climate policy and governance, with extensive experience in international climate negotiations, policy development, and national climate resilience planning. He has played a pivotal role in shaping Ghana’s climate change strategy and representing the country at major global platforms, including the UNFCCC and currently serves on the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board.

Dr. Amoah's leadership at the EPA has been instrumental in driving Ghana’s commitments to climate action and sustainable development forward. Additionally, Dr. Amoah is a part-time lecturer at the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies at the University of Ghana. He has been teaching and supervising graduate students research work since 2019.

The AGN is a technical body of the three-tier African negotiating structure that engages in the technical negotiations during the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) and the intersessional negotiations on Climate Change. It was established in 1995 with the objective of representing the interests of Africa in the international climate change negotiations, with a common and unified voice.

The AGN prepares and drafts negotiating text and common positions at COPs, guided by decisions and key messages from the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), the highest decision-making tier and the African Ministerial Conference on Environment and Natural Resources (AMCEN), the second highest decision-making tier.  

Its structure comprises of Lead Coordinators and Strategic Advisors, thematic coordinators, former AGN Chairs and UNFCCC focal points of all African Member countries and the Secretariat. 

 

Environmental Protection: Communities in Ghana can resist illegal mining without losing their livelihoods

Awakwai is a farmer in the Sika Nti community at Asankragua in the Western Region. When he migrated to the community to work on a cocoa farm to make a living, he entered into a land tenure arrangement to farm his cocoa. But he will soon lose the land as the owner sold the land out for mining. 

 

Without a farm and any alternative source of income, the young man was faced with a dilemma: the choice to either to live on empty stomach or take up employment at an illegal mining site, locally known as ‘Galamsey’.

 

The Chief of Jomoro, Nana Kwame Ketebu II, acknowledged that “any survival that affects the environment is unsustainable.”  

 

He also observed “the current situation of galamsey is seen in the nature of our rivers; in the nature of our forests; in the nature of destruction of the environment”.

 

Two years ago, Preferred by Nature, a global non-profit organisation, started working with partners on its first cocoa project called “Wassa Amenfi Cocoa Landscape Initiative (WACLI)” in Ghana to support farmers facing low-income levels, climate change, market pressure and declining yield.

 

“In doing so, the same question always kept coming back to us from many different actors across many different sectors; how can you work with cocoa without addressing the issue of galamsey?” said Jakob Nordborg Ryding, Senior Director of Strategic Projects at Preferred by Nature.

 

He noted that galamsey is currently one of the most severe risks to farmers, communities and Ghana’s cocoa future. “It’s contaminating rivers, it’s degrading soils, it’s dividing communities,” he said.

 

With over 30,000 hectares of cocoa farms lost, Ghana’s environmental and agricultural destruction through illegal mining is driving socio-economic collapse. There is high farmer displacement and social fragmentation, and most young people are dropping out of schools to work in mining.

 

Rikolto and Preferred by Nature are mobilising cocoa communities against Galamsey destruction for long-term livelihoods and health. They are adopting a three-pronged approach in community mobilization, alternative livelihoods, rehabilitation and alliances to halt and reverse the Galamsey crisis.

 

“Together with Rikolto, we will strengthen communities to advocate and organize against galamsey; we will create income and business opportunities that help vulnerable farmers resist galamsey and improve the long-term viability of cocoa farms; and we will begin the phytoremediation and agroforestry to restore the damaged mining areas and ensure the land is productive again,” explained Jakob at the project launch in Accra.

 

The project is described as a starting point, a platform to test real solutions on the ground through the direct involvement of the communities, while expecting all stakeholders to act.

 

According to Abdulahi Aliyu, Global Director, Sustainable Cocoa and Coffee Programme at Rikolto, the communities are aware of the negative effects of galamsey, especially when they are compelled to buy sachet water to irrigate their crops. And he believes these communities are willing to stop the menace of galamsey. 

 

“Children are abandoning school to look for jobs on galamsey sites,” he observed. “If we want to talk about descent income for smallholder farmers, do we factor the issue that farmers buy water to apply chemicals on their farms which adds up to the cost of production?”

 

Mr. Aliyu noted that Ghana is losing its pride in the golden bean as cocoa is under the threat of illegal mining, known popularly as ‘galamsey’, hence the need for urgent action.

 

In turning the tide through the mobilization of cocoa communities against Galamsey, the project will introduce citronella cultivation and the setting up of processing plants to build resilient local economies.

 

The path to sustainable change will involve the establishment of three pilot processing plants, expansion of citronella cultivation, initiation of phytoremediation trials and full community ownership before project exit.

 

Some 3,000 farmers, including 1,500 women and 1,500 men from 12 communities in three districts, will be targeted, and the focus area will the proactive inclusion of women and youth in citronella processing ownership.

 

The 5-year (2025-2030) initiative titled “Turning the tide: Mobilizing cocoa communities against galamsey destruction for long-term livelihoods and health” with support from the Civil Society in Development (CISU) Denmark, has the overall goal to empower vulnerable cocoa-dependent communities to resist, consolidate, and sustainably reverse the advance of Galamsey.

 

The Head of Cooperation of the Danish Embassy in Ghana, Ms. Rikke Enggaard Olsen, believes the project is important as it empowers the local communities and builds partnerships to take action against galamsey.

 

“For a country that supplies around 20% of the world’s cocoa, the stakes couldn’t be higher faces by an issue such as galamsey. Cocoa is not just an export commodity; it represents jobs, community identity and multi-generational aspirations. 

 

“When farmlands are destroyed and water sources contaminated, communities lose their resources that they need for sustainable growth,” she stated. 

by Kofi Adu Domfeh

COP30: Africa looks up to tripling adaptation finance by 2030

UN chief António Guterres has called on governments to have the courage to agree a balanced political package that is concrete on funding adaptation, credible on emissions cuts, and bankable on finance. 

 

For the first time, he rallied behind a demand from the world’s poorest countries to triple finance to help them adapt to more extreme weather and rising seas to $120 billion a year by 2030. 

 

Addressing the COP30 Climate Change talks in Belem, Brazil, he noted that communities on the frontlines are watching the UN summit for action.

 

“Counting flooded homes, failed harvests, lost livelihoods and asking ‘how much more must we suffer?’… they have heard enough excuses, they demand results,” he stated.

 

For Mr. Guterres, “tripling adaptation finance by 2030 is essential.” He believes it is also possible and desirable and he hoped developed countries would accept to engage in this objective at COP30 if their concerns on emissions reductions are addressed. 

 

The Africa Day at COP30 was marked under the theme: “Africa at the Forefront of Climate Action: Sustainable Financing for Resilient and Inclusive Green Growth”, reaffirming the continent’s united call for a new era of climate finance that delivers for people, planet, and prosperity.

 

Discussions focused on mobilizing sustainable, equitable, and innovative finance to accelerate Africa’s green industrialization. Leaders highlighted that Africa’s future lies in leveraging its abundant natural resources for value addition and local manufacturing from processing critical minerals to scaling renewable energy solutions.

 

“Africa already stands at the forefront of global climate action, shaping solutions that are both locally grounded and globally relevant”, said Dr. Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth of the African Development Bank Group.

 

For decades, Africa’s climate narrative has been defined by contradiction. The continent hosts 20% of the world’s carbon sinks and contributes less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet receives under 10% of adaptation finance and only 3% of total climate funding, this shortfall carries existential consequences.

 

Developed countries have repeatedly failed to honour their financing commitments, and Africa’s adaptation needs continue to outpace the resources available.

 

The commitment of developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion by 2025 already slipping away.

 

The latest estimate of developing countries’ annual climate adaptation needs for 2035 outstrips current funding by at least 12 times, with rich nations providing just $26 billion in 2023, according to the annual UN Adaptation Gap Report. 

 

If current trends continue, developed countries are set to miss the 2025 target that they committed to at COP26 four years ago, UNEP’s report said. 

 

As COP30 entered its final stretch, African Non-State Actors on climate justice, under the umbrella of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance, called for “an outcome that protects our societies and economies, strengthens resilience, and advances a fair and development-centred global transition”.

 

The group demanded for more than triple adaptation finance by 2030, with a clear public-finance pathway, and “a fully capitalised fund for responding to Loss and Damage with new, additional, predictable finance, and as a guarantee mobilized from public sources”.

 

Africa CSOs are seeking a fast-track support for resilient agriculture, water and health systems, coastal protection, and community adaptation complimented with early warning systems.

 

“For millions, adaptation is not an abstract goal. It is the difference between rebuilding and being swept away, between replanting and starving, between staying on ancestral lands or losing it forever,” said António Guterres.

 

The UN chief has urged wealthy governments, climate funds and development banks to step up and prevent further tragedies.

 

“It’s about survival, it’s about justice – and for Indigenous peoples, it is also about protecting cultures and homelands that sustain our planet’s vital ecosystems,” he noted.

 

He says it is the responsibility on big emitters to do more while ramping up emissions-cutting efforts.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

COP 30: Climate finance remains Africa’s top priority

African climate negotiators have outlined a unified set of priorities for the major UN climate change conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, highlighting climate finance as top priority.

 

Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Dr. Richard Muyungi, says COP30 must deliver “ambitious, balanced, fair and just outcomes across adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, and climate finance,” emphasizing that negotiations must be anchored in the latest science and the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR–RC).

 

He warned that despite contributing less than 4% of global emissions, Africa faces rapidly intensifying climate impacts and requires outcomes that reflect its “special needs, developmental context, and heightened vulnerability.”

 

The negotiators called for a clear alignment between financing flows and the ambition reflected in countries’ next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0).

 

Key demands include concrete steps to operationalise US$1.3 trillion annually by 2030 and the US$300 billion climate finance goal.

 

This year’s global climate summit kicked off in the Amazonian city of Belém in Brazil, amid a warning from United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, that the world is not doing enough to combat the crisis, and strategic compromises over the elements of the official agenda of the summit.

 

At the opening plenary, the UN climate chief said the world is not moving fast enough to confront the climate crisis but was quick to note that global cooperation had at least prevented “an impossible future” of runaway heating.

 

“We have so much more work to do. We must move much, much faster; both in reducing emissions and in strengthening resilience,” he told delegates.

 

Stiell credited the Paris Agreement, adopted 10 years ago, with bending the curve of projected global heating from as high as 5°C to below 3°C, saying “it is still perilous, but it proves that climate cooperation works”.

 

He said success now depends on two interlinked pillars: stronger, more credible national climate plans, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); and the financing to make them possible.

 

“Plans without finance cannot reach their full potential,” he said.

 

Finance is the great accelerator

 

Stiell pointed to the Baku to Belém Roadmap, a new initiative that seeks to increase global climate finance from about US$300 billion a year to US$1.3 trillion by 2035, describing it as a shared investment in “stability and prosperity” and noting that countries acting fastest on clean energy would reap the greatest economic benefits.

 

“Every dollar invested in climate solutions brings multiple dividends; jobs, cleaner air, better health, resilient supply chains, and stronger energy and food security,” he said.

 

Supporters hailed the roadmap as an ambitious but necessary step to close the gap between climate pledges and real-world funding.

 

Brazil, hosting COP30 under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, described the roadmap as “a blueprint for collective resolve.” The Brazilian delegation urged negotiators to focus on fairness and delivery rather than rhetoric.

 

 “The science is clear, the moral imperative undeniable. What remains is the resolve,” they said.

 

Mohamed Adow, founder and director, Power Shift Africa, said: “COP30 must deliver the priorities for Africa and the wider developing world which are clear: we need a fair deal that delivers finance for adaptation in vulnerable countries and supports a just transition to renewable energy.

 

“These are not acts of charity, but investments in a stable, liveable planet. We need to see the sharing of clean energy technology by the global north with the global south, and we need to see more national climate plans published by all countries, laying out how we’re going to accelerate the momentum towards a safe and prosperous planet for us all.”

 

Over the next two weeks, the COP30 Presidency is understood to be positioning the summit as a political reckoning that will test whether the Paris Agreement, the crown jewel of international climate diplomacy, can still deliver results at scale.

 

Growing fatigue in climate process

 

Since 2015, global emissions have plateaued but not fallen fast enough. The 1.5°C target, the threshold scientists warn the world must stay below to avoid catastrophic consequences, is slipping out of reach.

 

The Belém conference comes amid growing fatigue and distrust in the global climate process, particularly over financing and equity. The Baku to Belém Roadmap aims to restore faith by setting a long-term financing goal, but key questions remain unanswered: who pays, how much, and under what terms.

 

Omar Elmawi, Convenor of the Africa Movement of Movements, noted: “We cannot keep sailing blindly into a climate apocalypse while pretending everything is merry. COP30 must be the turning point, where words become action, and promises become justice. Over eight billion people globally are looking at Belém to be the moment we will all look back to and celebrate and not one we curse.”

 

For Africa, COP30 is a moment of reckoning. The continent contributes less than 4 per cent of global emissions but bears the heaviest costs of climate change, from droughts and cyclones to collapsing agricultural yields and energy insecurity.

 

African negotiators have consistently argued that without predictable, affordable finance, developing nations cannot deliver on their commitments. The Baku to Belém Roadmap could be transformative if implemented fairly, ensuring that new funds reach life-saving adaptation projects in vulnerable communities, not just emissions reductions in middle-income economies.

 

African countries are also demanding a rebalancing of the climate finance equation to include more grants, fewer debt-driven instruments, and direct access for local governments and institutions.

 

The hope is that the roadmap will address long-standing inequalities that have left Africa sidelined when it comes to green investment.

 

 

An honour beyond measure: Dining with the Asantehene at the 29th GJA Awards

Sitting beside His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, at the royal banquet to celebrate journalists during the 29th GJA Media Excellence Awards in Kumasi was, for me, a moment of profound honour and humility.

It was more than just a seat at a royal table – it was a symbol of recognition for the tireless work journalists continue to do in advancing truth, accountability, and national development. 

As Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, I saw this as not merely a personal privilege but an affirmation of the collective efforts of journalists in the region. It underscored the respect our noble profession commands when we uphold integrity and professionalism.

Sharing that space with the Asantehene reminded me of the deep relationship between traditional authority and the media—two institutions that shape society through influence, wisdom, and service. His Majesty’s gracious presence and inspiring words reinforced my conviction that the media must remain a force for unity, development, and positive change.

The 29th GJA Awards in Kumasi marked a milestone, not only for the Association but for the entire region. Hosting this national event in the Ashanti capital reflects the growing recognition of our media’s strength, vibrancy, and leadership.

 

I consider the experience a stamp of honour on our collective journey to elevate journalism in Ashanti and beyond. It fuels my resolve to continue leading with purpose, empowering colleagues, and championing ethical and impactful storytelling that drives Ghana forward.

Climate Crisis: Cities unite to tackle deadly extreme heat and transform urban spaces

A new global coalition of cities has pledged urgent, coordinated action to tackle one of the most dangerous impacts of the climate crisis: extreme heat.

 

Announced on the first day of the C40 World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Cool Cities Accelerator will help urban leaders protect residents, safeguard economies, and redesign cities for a hotter future.

 

The initiative brings together 33 founding cities representing over 145 million people from every region of the world. This includes 5 cities in Africa: Accra (Ghana), Durban (Ethekwini – South Africa), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Nairobi (Kenya), and Tshwane (South Africa).

 

C40 established the Accelerator with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, and with implementation support from ClimateWorks Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Z Zurich Foundation, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and IBM.

 

Extreme heat is already the deadliest weather-related hazard worldwide, responsible for nearly half a million deaths each year. Without decisive action, the number of people exposed to life-threatening urban heat is projected to increase fivefold by 2050. These 33 cities are committed to taking that decisive action.

 

​​The vast majority of deaths caused by extreme heat are preventable through timely access to cooling, hydration, medical care, public health interventions, and improved infrastructure. These preventable deaths typically occur when individuals—especially vulnerable populations such as the elderly, outdoor workers, or those without access to air conditioning—are not adequately protected during periods of dangerously high temperatures.

 

The Cool Cities Accelerator provides a science-based, practical framework for cities to take both immediate and long-term action.

 

Participating cities will collaborate, share best practices, and issue progress reports protecting residents now by establishing clear heat leadership, strengthening early warning systems, and ensuring access to cooling during emergencies within two years.

 

They will also look at transforming cities for the future by improving building standards, expanding urban tree cover and shade, and future-proofing critical infrastructure within five years.

 

"Extreme heat is no longer a distant threat—it's a daily reality affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions around the world," said Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "Through the Cool Cities Accelerator, we're proud to support mayors who are investing in bold, science-based solutions to future-proof health systems, ensuring they can withstand 21st century challenges. Local leaders are not just responding to the climate crisis today—they're redesigning urban life to protect people, strengthen economies, and build a cooler, safer future for all."

 

"Extreme heat is a silent killer and an increasingly urgent global threat," said Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities. "The number of days that major capitals experience temperatures above 35°C has increased 54% over the past twenty years. Cities are showing real leadership by taking practical steps to protect communities, safeguard economies, and create more liveable urban environments.

 

In support of the Cool Cities Accelerator, The Rockefeller Foundation is providing a grant of approximately USD 1 million to develop the targets for heat adaptation and provide technical assistance for cities to implement solutions that mitigate the dangerous effects of extreme heat.

 

The Cool Cities Accelerator is part of C40 Cities' broader mission to support bold, science-based climate action in the world's largest and most influential urban areas. By sharing strategies and scaling proven solutions, cities can act faster and more effectively than they could alone.

 

Together, participating cities represent a global movement to save lives, strengthen resilience, and create thriving, heat-resilient cities for generations to come.

 

 

Clean Energy: Finance commitments reach $1.6trillion with $284billion mobilized towards achieving global goals

New commitments to boost renewable energy and increase access to electricity and clean cooking technologies by 2030 have brought the finance and investment pledged through the United Nations to US$ 1.6 trillion, with $284 billion already mobilized.

 

According to the fourth edition of the Energy Compacts Annual Progress Report, which is being launched at the EnergyNow SDG7 Action Forum on the margins of the UN General Assembly, shows expanding action under the Energy Compact voluntary commitments on both energy access and transition.

 

Of the $284 billion mobilized or deployed since 2021 through the Compacts, the majority has been private sector investment in renewable power generation.

 

The report cites figures from the 2025 Tracking SDG7 Report that over $4 trillion total investment is needed annually to reduce the ranks of 660 million people living without electricity and over 2 billion still cooking with polluting fuels, while setting the world on a climate action trajectory towards net-zero emissions by 2050 and averting ever-worsening climate impacts.  

"The world is entering a decisive moment for energy," noted the leadership of UN-Energy – Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator of UNDP and Co-Chair of UN-Energy; Damilola Ogunbiyi, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy; and Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which serves as the Secretariat for UN-Energy.  
 
"Choices made today will determine not only whether we achieve our climate and development goals, but also how future generations experience prosperity, equity, and security," the three UN-Energy leaders added. "The Energy Compacts are proving that transformation is possible [..], that solutions to advance the global energy transition are no longer abstract – they are investment-ready and being scaled, adapted, and delivered."  

Expanding results on energy transition and access

Progress on achieving affordable and clean energy for all – Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 – has been moving forward, but not at the scale and pace needed to meet the deadline of the 2030 Agenda or the climate targets under the Paris Agreement.

 

The Energy Compacts progress report outlines commitments from governments and the private sector, which include planned spending by countries for both domestic and international action to increase energy access, efficiency and renewables, as well as private sector investment slated in these areas.

 

Since the Energy Compacts were launched in 2021 – in connection with the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy – 209 commitments have been registered and substantial results generated, according to the report.

By providing new and improved electricity connections, Energy Compact proponents have enhanced electricity access for 285 million people, a significant increase of 108 million people in the past year.

 

Progress on enhancing clean cooking access by Energy Compact proponents remain slower, with 33 million people added since 2021, up from 23 million last year.

 

Tracking SDG 7

 

The latest Tracking SDG7 Report showed that population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to outpace access gains, leaving approximately 14 million additional people without clean cooking solutions every year.

Updated figures also show how Energy Compacts have had positive impacts on a wide range of SDG goals, such as improving electricity access at over 10,400 health facilities (SDG3), and by helping to deploy over 2.8 million electric vehicles and over 336,000 charging stations (SDG11).

The report includes guidance on how national governments, regions and cities, private companies, financial institutions, UN agencies and civil society organizations can submit their own Energy Compact commitments through an online process.

The report notes that, as countries roll out their updated national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, incorporating energy targets through national Energy Compacts can serve as an important tool, citing Indonesia and Nepal as examples. Case studies in the report highlight the diversity of Energy Compacts, ranging from a woman-led, solar-powered digital community centre in Guatemala to a Japanese business that enables customers to track the source of their electricity, as needed to work towards 24/7 carbon-free energy.

The report was prepared by UN-Energy, the coordination mechanism which includes nearly 30 UN and international organizations that work on energy issues, with data compiled and analysed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL).