AMCEN 2025 In Summary

The 20th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-20) concluded in Nairobi, Kenya, as African ministers adopted collective stands on climate and environmental action. The July 14-18, 2025, session had 35 environment ministers and delegations from 53 African countries converge to coordinate the continent’s reaction to pressing climate and environmental challenges.

It was Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, Konan Jacques Assahoré, who established the tone for action in a keynote address urging action now. This call to action shaped a high-level ministerial meeting that made key decisions on the conservation of the environment and governance.

Accelerating Climate Finance

Ministers insisted that climate ambitions of the continent should be supported with actual climate finance. Developed countries were called upon to meet their UNFCCC and Paris Agreement commitments, including:

• Doubling adaptation finance by 2025

• Enabling the loss and damage fund to help developing countries adapt to climate change impacts,

• Rebuilding multilateral financial institutions to meet the unique needs of African countries.

AMCEN-20 also urged increased coordination within countries at the national level between finance and environment ministries, with climate and biodiversity priorities mainstreamed into national plans and budgets.

Halting Open Burning and Dumping of Waste

Among the key achievements was the endorsement of a regional roadmap to eliminate open dumping and burning of waste by 2040, with the milestone of 60% reduction by 2030. The ministers recognized open burning as one of the principal causes of urban air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The commitments were:

• Promotion of circular economies

• Enhancement of both national and local waste management systems

• Engagement of public and private partnerships for investments in waste management infrastructure.

Closing Plastic Pollution

The AMCEN ministers reiterated Africa’s robust support of the current negotiations of the global plastics treaty and called for radical measures to restrict hazardous plastics, increase transparency regarding chemicals utilized in manufacturing, and provide equitable financing for treaty implementation in developing countries. Technology transfer, capacity building, and funding was highlighted to assist African nations in transition to eco-friendly plastic alternatives.

Ecosystem and Wetland Protection

There was renewed commitment to mainstreaming ecosystem and wetland conservation into national development planning, legal protection, and encouragement of nature-based climate change adaptation measures. Ministers recognized the important IPLC stewardship role and called for direct assistance to IPLC-led conservation efforts.

Clean Energy and Critical Minerals

The conference had a brush with the global energy transition in Africa, which calls for the pursuit of clean energy goals in tandem with stringent environmental, social, and governance (ESG) safeguards. The ministers demanded the following:

• Upkeep of ESG standards in the production of critical minerals

• Transparency in benefit sharing with impacted communities

• National frameworks for responsible resource management.

There was further universal support for clean cooking technologies such as LPG, bioethanol, and electricity to reduce reliance on wood fuel and charcoal, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.

Africa on the Global Environmental Stage

AMCEN-20 strengthened Africa’s negotiating stances for the major upcoming meetings, including COP30 and UNEA-7, and supported regional coordination frameworks. Ministers underscored that the next global environmental involvement for Africa would be based on AMCEN’s 2025–2027 strategic plan focused on policy coherence, institutional coordination, and progress monitoring.

Key Decisions of AMCEN-20

• Climate finance: Urged for affordable, predictable financing and better budgetary mainstreaming.

• Circular economy and waste: Adopted a road map to prohibit open waste burning and dumping by 2040, and supported scaling up circular economy initiatives.

• Plastic pollution: Backed negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty.

• Wetlands and ecosystems: Increased protection efforts and recognized Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as custodians.

• Clean energy: Called for the de-risking of dependence on biomass and increasing clean sources.

• Critical minerals: Demanded ESG norms and equitable community benefit.

• International talks: Create outlines of united African positions in international forums.