By Ayomide Otitoju
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil (10–21 November), the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) introduced an innovative, interactive format to highlight its climate initiatives, hosting informal, coffee-style dialogues that allowed participants to engage directly with Bank experts.
The discussions focused on accelerating sustainable and resilient development in Africa amid mounting climate threats.
Al-Hamndou Dorsouma, Manager of AfDB’s Climate and Green Growth Division, opened the session, noting that African countries, despite contributing less than four percent of global emissions, are already experiencing rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and heightened vulnerability.
Other Bank representatives included Davinah Milenge, Chief Programme Coordinator for Climate Change and Green Growth, who presented special initiatives such as circular economy projects across Africa, and Gareth Phillips, Manager for Climate and Environmental Finance, who highlighted the African Green Banks Initiative.
James Kinyangi, Coordinator of the ClimDev Special Fund and the Climate Action Window, gave a presentation on these financing mechanisms, while Arona Soumaré, Chief Regional Specialist on Climate Change for West Africa, led a dialogue on the Bank’s climate efforts in the region, emphasizing synergies between the Rio Conventions on climate, biodiversity, and desertification.
Participants actively engaged with the panel. Kenyan visitors Reilo Idagiza Sirali and Lydia Wanjo praised the format as “an original idea,” with Wanjo saying, “It was as if we had met over coffee to discuss serious issues about the future of the planet.” Maria Micah Maua, part of the Kenyan youth delegation, noted she had gained insights on the just energy transition, nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and the Bank’s circular economy initiatives.
“At the African Development Bank, our role is to help unlock Africa’s potential through integrated and transformative action,” Dorsouma said. He highlighted the Bank Group’s new strategic direction under President Sidi Ould Tah, centered on four priorities: improving access to capital; reforming financial systems to boost resilience; harnessing Africa’s demographic transformation through innovation and green job creation; and building climate-resilient infrastructure and value chains.
Dorsouma added that initiatives such as the circular economy, climate information services, and green finance directly support these priorities, demonstrating how the Bank integrates innovation, information, and investment to drive large-scale climate action.
