Strengthening resilience and enabling productive economies
Africa’s development trajectory is increasingly shaped by climate risk and energy access. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events affect livelihoods, food systems, and economic stability.
Limited access to reliable and affordable energy constrains productivity across agriculture, industry, and small enterprises. These pressures reflect structural gaps that affect development outcomes across sectors.
ACBF addresses this challenge through targeted capacity development that enables countries and institutions to design, finance, and implement climate adaptation and energy solutions that support productive use.
This work contributes directly to SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy, SDG 13 on climate action, and Agenda 2063’s vision for resilient and sustainable economies.
Where The Challenge Lies
Climate and energy systems across Africa face constraints that limit performance and impact.
Many countries experience limited institutional capacity to access international climate finance, gaps in technical expertise, and weak coordination across sectors.
Climate adaptation efforts often remain fragmented, while energy systems require stronger governance and regulatory frameworks to support reliable and sustainable access.
These constraints affect productive sectors directly.
Climate variability disrupts agriculture, water systems, and livelihoods. Limited access to energy for productive use restricts value addition, enterprise growth, and local economic development.
These interconnected challenges require coordinated and capacity-driven responses to address them effectively.
What We Do Differently
ACBF strengthens institutional capacity to translate climate priorities into practical and scalable solutions. The program focuses on:
We focus on:
Developing institutional capacity
To design and implement climate adaptation strategies and energy policies.
Supporting the preparation of bankable climate adaptation projects
To improve access to international climate finance
Building technical expertise
In climate-resilient development, regulatory governance, and energy systems
Promoting knowledge exchange and coordination across institutions and sectors
This approach enables countries and institutions to move from fragmented interventions to coordinated and scalable solutions. Building technical expertise in climate-resilient development, regulatory governance, and energy systems Promoting knowledge exchange and coordination across institutions and sectors
How We Work: A Systems Active Approach
ACBF delivers this work through complementary programs that strengthen institutional capacity, leadership, and knowledge systems. Key initiatives include:
- Strengthening African Leadership for Climate Adaptation (SALCA) — Which supports institutions to design and implement locally grounded adaptation initiatives
- Strengthening Capacities of African Countries on Adaptation Finance — Which equips national expert teams to develop bankable proposals and access climate finance.
- The African School of Regulation (ASR) — Which strengthens regulatory capacity in the energy sector through training, research, and knowledge platforms.
- The Transformative Climate Finance Program under the African Union Green Recovery Action Plan — Which advances inclusive and gender-responsive access to climate finance.
These initiatives reinforce institutional systems that support effective climate adaptation and sustainable energy use.
Impact in Numbers
Across Africa, the program is delivering measurable results:
Stakeholders engaged through conferences, policy dialogues, and knowledge platforms
Professionals trained in energy regulation and climate policy.
Policymakers trained across Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Namibia, Lesotho, and Rwanda to advance inclusive climate and energy policies.
Country-level impact includes:
Ghana and Kenya
Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, and the Republic of the Congo
Beyond institutional support, ACBF is also investing in system-wide enablers. A 20-percentage-point increase in institutional capacity was recorded between 2022 and 2025 across Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, and the Republic of Congo.
Beyond climate response: enabling resilient economies
This work is about more than adaptation.
It is about enabling countries to:
- Strengthen resilience across productive sectors
- Expand access to energy for economic activities
- Improve capacity to mobilize and manage climate finance
- Align climate and energy priorities with national development strategies
Partner with ACBF
Join ACBF in strengthening the systems that enable African institutions to respond to climate challenges and advance sustainable growth.
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