At the Second African Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa, Tunisia called for “equitable and accessible” climate financing, stressing the need to support the most vulnerable countries facing global warming.
The summit, held under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development,” served to solidify the continent’s common position ahead of COP30 in Brazil. Tunisia, represented by an interministerial delegation, championed an inclusive ecological transition, specifically advocating for African climate policies to account for Mediterranean and Saharan specificities.
Tunisia’s own climate action highlights the financing challenge: implementing the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for – requires an estimated billion. Of this, billion is dedicated to mitigation and billion to adaptation. However, Tunisia can only mobilize percent of the total from its own resources, making the remainder dependent on international support, primarily through grants and lines of credit.
The country is actively grappling with intensified climate change effects, including prolonged droughts, floods, and severe pressure on water resources.
Diplomatically, Tunis insisted that “countries of the South must not be excluded by inadequate eligibility conditions or complex procedures” for accessing climate funds. This position aligns with calls from African leaders for fair financing, enhanced technology transfer, and a shift in role from being merely executing partners to decision-makers in international negotiations. Tunisia also highlighted local initiatives in wastewater reuse and the development of green startups as replicable models for South-South cooperation.
MK/ak/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA