The Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC), in partnership with the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) on Climate Change, and Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA), will convene a high-level side event during the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS-2) in Addis Ababa.
Panel Discussion
- Claiming the Future: Ecological Sovereignty and Agency in the Greater South
- Monday, 8 September 2025 | 10:30–11:30
- Addis International Convention Center (AICC)
- Free entrance. Register now: https://africaclimatesummit2.et/
Opening remarks
H.E. Manssour Bin Mussallam
Secretary-General of the Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC).
Panellists
Dr. Richard Muyungi
The Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) on Climate Change and serves as a Special Envoy and Advisor to the President of Tanzania on environment and climate change.
Dr. Dawit Solomon
Regional Program Leader – Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) – International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
Ms. Rebecca Kalume
Coordinator of the Climate Justice Impact Fund for Africa (CJIFA) and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Coordinator at the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).
Dr. Getahun G. Wodaje
Director of the office of Climate Action and Resilience Enhancement (CARE), The Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC).
At a time when climate shocks, biodiversity loss, and entrenched inequalities threaten both ecosystems and national sovereignty, the OSC is advancing its Ecologically-Driven Development (EDD) model—a justice-centred framework that integrates ecological integrity, social equity, and economic transformation.
Organised through OSC’s Climate Action and Resilience Enhancement (CARE) office, this discussion will bring together leaders, policymakers, and innovators to explore how ecological sovereignty and agency can drive climate-resilient, self-determined, and future-ready development in the Greater South.
Key discussion themes will include
- Governance models that place ecological integrity and national self-determination at the core of decision-making.
- Equitable, locally driven just transitions in energy, food, and urban systems.
- Reforming climate finance to ensure fairness, access, and alignment with resilience priorities.
- Strengthening multilevel governance and South–South cooperation to accelerate implementation.
Expected outcomes of the session include stronger networks for regional collaboration, clear implementation pathways for ecologically-driven strategies, and momentum for a Southern-led “1.5°C Survival Pact” ahead of COP30 and other global negotiations.
