Ethiopia formally launched its bid on Wednesday to host the 2027 United Nations climate summit in Addis Ababa, directly challenging Nigeria’s competing proposal for Lagos.
Nearly 200 countries gather annually for the two-week “Conference of Parties,” or COP, the central arena for global negotiations on combating climate change. “We have the capacity, the facilities, the location, the connectivity to host the much-anticipated climate summit,” declared Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie at a U.N. event.
COP summits rotate among regions, and the 54 nations of the U.N.’s Africa group must reach consensus to decide the host for COP32. Presiding over the summit grants a country both influence over negotiations and a platform to amplify its climate and financial priorities.
African nations have consistently demanded stronger financing to adapt to worsening climate impacts and secure affordable capital for clean energy transitions. However, hosting also exposes a nation to scrutiny of its own emissions and environmental commitments before a sharply attentive global audience.
Ethiopia highlights its leadership, noting it became the first country to ban imports of non-electric vehicles in pursuit of net-zero by 2050. According to the International Energy Agency, Ethiopia already generates all its electricity from renewable sources, though its energy mix still leans heavily on biofuels.
Summit venues are typically chosen well in advance, allowing time for host nations to prepare for tens of thousands of arriving delegates. Brazil’s Belem, hosting this year’s summit, has faced criticism over soaring accommodation prices that risk excluding poorer countries from full participation.
Meanwhile, the race to host COP31 in 2026 has drawn rival bids from Australia and Turkey, underscoring the summit’s geopolitical significance. For Africa, the 2027 choice now rests between Addis Ababa’s historic ambition and Lagos’s promise of global stage readiness.