The session, held from 14 to 18 July 2025, brought together 35 environment ministers and representatives from 53 African countries. It aimed to harmonize the continent’s response and efforts toward addressing environmental and climate challenges. 

Prior to the ministerial conference, SEI Africa hosted a two-day regional consultative meeting of UNEP major groups and stakeholders to prepare inputs for the ministerial segment. The Africa centre also organized a side event on air pollution and early warning systems for urban resilience, where researchers showcased SEI’s project on clean air for enhanced urban climate resilience in African cities and its impact in the cities (CLEAR). 

The minister’s opening statement set the tone for the high-level ministerial segment that resulted in the adoption of major decisions on environmental conservation and governance. 

Accelerating climate finance 

Ministers emphasized that Africa’s climate ambition should be matched by concrete delivery of climate finance. They called on developed countries to fulfil commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, including: 

• Doubling adaptation finance by 2025; 

• Operationalizing the loss and damage fund to support developing countries in addressing losses and damages from climate change impacts; and 

• Reforming multilateral financial institutions to serve the unique needs of African countries. 

AMCEN further called for stronger alignment between environment and finance ministries within African governments, to ensure climate and biodiversity priorities are included in national development plans and budgets. 

Open burning and dumping of waste 

One of the notable decisions was AMCEN’s endorsement of a regional roadmap to eliminate open burning and dumping of waste by 2040, with an initial target of a 60% reduction by 2030. Ministers recognized open burning as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution across African cities. 

To enable this transition, the ministers committed to: 

• Promoting circular economy in their respective countries; 

• Strengthening national and local waste systems; and 

• Mobilizing public and private partnerships (PPPs) in the investment of waste management infrastructure. 

Ending plastic pollution in Africa 

AMCEN ministers reaffirmed Africa’s full support for the ongoing negotiations on the global plastics treaty. With five rounds of negotiations having taken place since 2022, the ministers called for stricter provisions to limit harmful plastics, encourage transparency of chemicals used in production, and promote equitable financing to support the treaty’s implementation in developing countries. 

They also emphasized the need for technology transfer, capacity building, and financial support to help countries meet treaty obligations and scale up more alternatives to plastics that are sustainable. 

Ecosystems, wetlands and local communities 

AMCEN-20 placed strong emphasis on wetlands and ecosystem protection, including coastal and inland water systems. The environmental ministers committed to: 

• Integrating wetland conservation into national development planning; 

• Strengthening legal frameworks for protection and restoration; and 

• Promoting nature-based solutions for climate adaptation. 

The decision recognized the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in ecosystem stewardship and called for direct support for IPLC-led conservation efforts. 

Energy and critical minerals 

The conference acknowledged Africa’s growing role in the global energy transition and emphasized the need to align clean energy goals with environmental and social safeguards. 

The ministers of environment called for: 

• Upholding of environmental, social and governance (ESG) safeguards in critical mineral extraction; 

• Transparent benefit-sharing with communities; and 

• National frameworks to ensure responsible resource governance. 

They also supported the expansion of clean cooking solutions – such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), bioethanol and electricity – to reduce dependency on wood fuel and charcoal, which are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, indoor air pollution, and deforestation. 

Africa’s global environmental engagement 

The 20th session also served to refine Africa’s common negotiating positions ahead of key global environmental forums. Ministers adopted regional inputs and coordination mechanisms for the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) and the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), among other upcoming global environmental engagements. 

Africa’s global environmental engagements will be guided by AMCEN’s upcoming strategic plan for 2025–2027, which aims to strengthen policy alignment, institutional coordination, and implementation tracking across the continent.