Ethiopia is on track to host the 2027 United Nations Climate Change Conference, with African nations throwing their weight behind the country’s bid.
The announcement came during COP30 in Belem, Brazil, as the global community gathered in the heart of the Amazon to discuss climate action.
While the final decision still awaits formal approval later this month, the move is widely seen as a formality, cementing Ethiopia’s growing influence in African and international diplomacy.
Richard Muyungi, chair of the Africa Group of Negotiators, told AFP that the continent’s representatives “have endorsed Ethiopia.” The Brazilian presidency of COP30 confirmed that Africa’s member states had reached a consensus.
Rukiya Khamis, Africa senior organiser at the nonprofit 350.org, said, “We welcome the announcement of COP32 in Ethiopia and look forward to elevating Africa's climate priorities and leadership.”
Under the UN’s rotation system, each of the five regional blocs takes turns to host the annual climate summit. After Brazil’s hosting of COP30 on behalf of Latin America and the Caribbean, the African region is next in line.
Ethiopia was chosen over Nigeria, another major African contender, reflecting Addis Ababa’s long-standing role as a diplomatic center for the continent.
Ethiopian Ambassador to Brazil Leulseged Tadese Abebe expressed his country’s readiness to take on the responsibility.
“We look forward to welcoming all of you to Addis Ababa for COP32,” he said during a plenary session, adding that preparations were already underway. As the headquarters of the African Union, Addis Ababa is no stranger to hosting high-level meetings, including AU summits and global conferences.
Located in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia faces its own climate challenges, including recurring droughts that threaten livelihoods across the country.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has often highlighted environmental reform as part of his leadership agenda. Ethiopia became the first country in the world to ban the import of internal combustion engine vehicles, and the government has pledged to plant billions of trees to combat deforestation and carbon emissions.
Despite these efforts, Ethiopia continues to navigate complex political and security issues. The war in the northern Tigray region between 2020 and 2022 claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and spilled into neighboring Afar.
Although the conflict officially ended, recent tensions have resurfaced between the two regions, and relations with Eritrea remain tense. These challenges will likely test Ethiopia’s ability to project stability and leadership as it prepares for the global summit.
While the 2027 host is virtually settled, uncertainty remains over where the 2026 climate conference, COP31, will take place.
Australia and Turkey are both vying for the opportunity. Australia has proposed Adelaide and appears to have more backing, but Turkey has refused to withdraw its bid for Antalya.
Both nations fall under the “Western Europe and Other States” group, which must agree internally before a host can be confirmed.
If the group fails to reach consensus during COP30, the event would default to the UN Climate Change headquarters in Bonn, Germany—an outcome that would mark the first such deadlock in the history of these conferences.
With the deadline approaching, negotiators in Belem are working to prevent that scenario and ensure the global climate talks continue without disruption.
As the discussions unfold, Ethiopia’s selection as host for 2027 underscores Africa’s growing determination to lead on climate issues.
The upcoming COP32 in Addis Ababa is expected to provide a platform for the continent to highlight its environmental challenges, innovations, and demands for greater global climate justice.
