High-Level Development Partners Adopt “Blueprint for Catalysing a Resilient Africa,” Setting Direction for AAAP 2.0
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airobi, Kenya – 5 September 2025: Co-chaired by the Republic of Kenya and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), the High-Level Development Partners Committee today adopted a communique—“A Blueprint for Catalysing a Resilient Africa”—to guide the next phase of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP 2.0). The communique consolidates lessons from AAAP’s first phase (2021–2025) and aligns partners on a focused, scaled plan through 2030.
AAAP’s first phase established one of the world’s leading adaptation-finance mainstreaming efforts, embedding climate resilience solutions into $25 billion of international financial institution (IFI) investments across infrastructure, agriculture, and essential services—reaching over 200 million people and supporting more than 1 million jobs in 40 African countries. The program delivered strong value for money, including a leverage ratio of 1:1,370 (vs. a 1:100 target), benefit-to-cost ratios of 3–5:1, and an IRR above 20%. Partners identified opportunities to further strengthen monitoring and evaluation, deepen gender and social inclusion (already above 70%), and integrate learning more systematically.
AAAP 2.0: Focus, urgency and private-finance leadership
With the world nearing a 1.5°C overshoot and Africa requiring ~$500 billion in adaptation finance by 2030, the communique calls for a step-change in mobilization—particularly from the private sector—while preserving the catalytic role of development finance. AAAP 2.0 will concentrate on three mutually reinforcing goals:
- Climate-prepare Africa’s food systems—empowering smallholder farmers to drive resilient growth;
- Future-proof infrastructure and urban zones—leveraging nature to withstand climate extremes and enable investment;
- Unlock resilient finance—crowding in domestic and international capital, reinforcing national financial systems, and scaling responsible, market-ready instruments.
To translate vision into impact, AAAP 2.0 will operate through three delivery channels: a Transmission Belt for channeling cutting-edge expertise into bankable solutions; a Capability Accelerator to build institutional capacity with regional and national partners; and an Innovation Hub to curate learning, innovation, and locally led action. Community leadership, gender and social inclusion, youth empowerment, and job creation will be mainstreamed across all operations.
AAAP 2.0 will expand beyond traditional IFI partners to include new multilateral development banks, commercial banks, national DFIs, philanthropic organizations, and regulators—working in closer concert with AU institutions (including AUDA-NEPAD), regional economic communities, and centres of excellence. The next phase emphasizes systems change and national ownership, including replicable digital tools, codified curricula and masterclasses, and standards, guidelines, and taxonomies to help transform markets. The communique notes alignment with the establishment of a new headquarters on the continent to anchor long-term sustainability.
Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, President & CEO, Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), said:
“Adaptation is Africa’s growth strategy. The numbers from Phase 1 speak for themselves—strong leverage, robust benefit-cost ratios, and transformative reach. With AAAP 2.0 we will deepen national ownership, expand partnerships with banks and markets, and hard-wire resilience into food systems, cities, and finance so Africa can thrive in a warming world.”
The Co-Chairs’ Summary is being submitted to the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) for political guidance, ensuring alignment with continental priorities.
