• Ruto's remarks come months after he hosted the African Climate Summit, where African leaders collectively agreed to put the continent "at the heart of global climate change efforts and especially climate adaptation."

During the African Development Bank (ADB) Annual Meeting on May 29, 2024, in Nairobi, President William Ruto called for an urgent, transformative action to address the impacts of climate change on the African continent.

"The space of African economic growth and development has not kept pace with the rest of the world," Ruto told the gathering of African leaders and development experts. "More concerning is the pace of African development remains far behind its undeniable potential."

Ruto pointed to the persistently high rates of poverty and unemployment across the continent, as well as the growing threats of conflict, economic refugees, and what he termed "climate refugees" due to the rising recurrence and severity of climate-related disasters.

"The effects of climate change in Africa deserve our serious attention," Ruto said. He noted that the direct impacts and response to climate change negatively affect African countries' fiscal positions through reduced revenues and reallocating resources away from critical public investments.

Ruto's remarks come months after he hosted the African Climate Summit, where African leaders collectively agreed to put the continent "at the heart of global climate change efforts and especially climate adaptation."

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"Climate change and debt are now firmly integrated, trapping governments in a vicious cycle where increasing losses and damage from climate impact leads to rising costs of mobilising resources for public investments," Ruto said.

With high financing costs and restrained government budgets, Ruto emphasised that developing countries struggle to invest in low-carbon, climate-resilient development. He called for a financial architecture integrating climate change and public finance challenges at the centre, enabling African nations to achieve their development goals and commitments under Agenda 2063.

"There is tremendous urgency in developing and implementing transformative interventions to turn things around for our continent," Ruto said. "The frequency of extreme weather events continuously diminishes the resources available for public investment and provision of critical public goods such as health, education and other social services."

ADB President Dr Akinwumi Adesina echoed Ruto's concerns, stating that "the devastating effects of climate change are everywhere; from droughts to floods, from cyclones to unpredicted weather patterns, loss of lives and property and enormous fiscal costs to countries."

He also praised President Ruto for hosting the African Climate Summit in 2023.

Moreover, Adesina announced that the ADB is on track to reach its goal of mobilising $25 billion in climate finance.