Stern to Headline Africa’s Green Economy Summit Ahead of COP32
Chiemelie Eze in Antalya, Turkiye
Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, a leading authority on the economics of climate change, will headline the 2027 Africa’s Green Economy Summit (AGES), as the continent prepares to host the global climate conversation at COP32 in Ethiopia.
Stern will deliver the opening keynote address at the summit scheduled for February 23 to 26, 2027, at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.
The summit, according to a statement by its organisers, VUKA Group, will focus on financing and implementing Africa’s sustainable development agenda, with particular emphasis on translating climate commitments into investment opportunities, projects and economic growth.
Stern, who is the IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, is renowned for leading the landmark Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change. The review highlighted the economic consequences of failing to address climate change and the need to invest in a transition to a low-carbon economy.
His participation comes as attention shifts towards COP32, which Ethiopia will host in 2027, with growing calls for Africa to strengthen its capacity to attract climate finance, develop bankable projects and build resilience while creating jobs and supporting industrialisation.
Group Director, Green Economy at VUKA Group, Emmanuelle Nicholls, said COP32 presents an opportunity for Africa to reposition itself as a destination for green investments rather than merely a continent seeking climate finance.
She said AGES 2027 would seek to connect investors with projects and align policy commitments with practical implementation.
The summit’s programme will feature a cross-cutting theme, “Road to COP32: Africa’s Implementation Agenda”, alongside discussions on the continent’s adaptation and resilience priorities.
Other confirmed speakers include Mallé Fofana of the Global Green Growth Institute; Satu Kahkonen, World Bank Division Director for South Africa and four other southern African countries; Haile Mekonnen, COP32 Climate Finance Representative for the Ethiopian Private Sector; and Aakif Merchant, Director and Head of Africa at Convergence.
Also expected are Dave Chalila, Head of Africa and Middle East Investments at GuarantCo, and Roslyn Ng’eno, Senior Investment Expert at the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat.
Discussions will cover energy access, green industrialisation, water security, sustainable agriculture, climate and nature finance, critical minerals, sustainable mobility, carbon finance, digital infrastructure and institutional investment.
The organisers said AGES 2027 is expected to attract more than 700 delegates, 150 investors and 40 investment-ready projects representing a potential $2 billion investment pipeline.
The summit will also introduce a Ministerial and Technical Leadership Roundtable, a closed-door Development Finance Institution (DFI) Roundtable and a Green Village, alongside investor meetings, business matchmaking and project presentations.
The full programme, together with new infrastructure and small, micro and medium enterprise (SMME) Dealbooks highlighting African projects seeking investment and partnerships, has also been released.