At COP30, held in Belém, Brazil, the African Development Bank Group introduced a new, more interactive way to showcase its climate solutions by hosting informal, coffee-style dialogues that allowed participants to engage directly with bank experts.
The discussions focused on accelerating sustainable, resilient development amid the threat of climate change.
Al-Hamndou Dorsouma, the bank Group’s Climate and Green Growth Division Manager, opened the discussions.
He explained that African countries, despite contributing less than four per cent of global emissions, are experiencing rising temperatures, extreme weather events and increasing vulnerability.
The bank was also represented by Davinah Milenge, Chief Programme Coordinator for Climate Change and Green Growth, who outlined the Bank Group’s special initiatives, including those related to the circular economy in Africa.
Gareth Phillips, Manager for Climate and Environmental Finance, described the bank’s green finance initiatives with a particular focus on the African Green Banks Initiative.
Meanwhile, James Kinyangi, Coordinator of the ClimDev Special Fund and the Climate Action Window, captivated audiences with a presentation on these two financing windows.
Also, Arona Soumaré, the bank’s Chief Regional Specialist on Climate Change for West Africa, led a dialogue on the institution’s climate activities in the region, which is considered a global climate change hotspot.
Soumare addressed, in particular, the bank’s commitment to creating synergies between the Rio Conventions on climate, biodiversity, and desertification.
The bank representatives fielded several questions and comments. Reilo Idagiza Sirali and Lydia Wanjo, two Kenyan visitors, praised the “original idea” behind this session. “It was as if we had met over coffee to discuss serious issues about the future of the planet,” said Wanjo.
“It was very interesting – I learned a lot about the just energy transition, nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and the Bank’s measures on the circular economy,” said Maria Micah Maua, a member of the Kenyan youth delegation to COP30.
“At the African Development Bank, our role is to help unlock this potential through integrated and transformative action,” said Dorsouma.
He noted that under the leadership of President Sidi Ould Tah, the bank has just adopted a new strategic direction centred on ‘Four Cardinal Points, which are improving access to capital to unlock Africa’s financial potential and increase investment; reforming and strengthening financial systems to build resilience and increase the continent’s influence; harnessing Africa’s demographic transformation through innovation, skills and job creation, particularly for the green transition; and building climate-resilient infrastructure and value chains to ensure long-term sustainable growth.
Doursouma said, “The initiatives we are discussing today – the circular economy, climate information services and green finance – contribute directly to these priority areas and illustrate how the bank integrates innovation, information and investment to drive large-scale climate action.”
