• Ethiopia’s bid is expected to be confirmed next week, ahead of Nigeria’s.
• The city aims to leverage its green growth strategy and renewable energy model.
• Africa seeks stronger climate financing and adaptation commitments.

Addis Ababa is expected to be officially designated next Tuesday as the host city of the 32nd United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP32), scheduled for 2027. The information was reported by Reuters, citing André Corrêa do Lago, president of COP30 currently taking place in Belém, Brazil.

Submitted last September, Ethiopia’s bid competes with that of Nigeria. Strongly backed by the African Group, it would mark Africa’s return to the global climate stage five years after COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

For Addis Ababa, the designation carries significant symbolic weight. As the capital of the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the city already serves as a key hub for international negotiations. Ethiopia now hopes to turn that diplomatic role into an environmental advantage.

The Ethiopian government highlights a national strategy based on green growth and climate resilience. The country, which generates over 90% of its electricity from renewable sources, aims to become a regional model for energy transition. It plans to use the COP to attract international funding, strengthen public-private partnerships, and accelerate adaptation to recurrent droughts.

Africa, responsible for less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, remains the most vulnerable region to climate impacts, including drought, food insecurity, and pressure on natural resources. Hosting the COP offers the continent a rare opportunity to assert its own priorities: adaptation, resilience, fair financing, youth engagement, and the role of African land in the green transition.

The announcement of the COP32 host comes as the organizer for COP31 in 2026 remains undecided. Australia and Turkey are still competing for the role, and if talks stall, the event could be relocated to Bonn, Germany, home to the UN Climate Secretariat.