As a demonstration of its leadership in catalysing the green economy, Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA) is hosting a three-day Green Jobs & Skills Pavilion at the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This is a first of its kind space dedicated to mainstreaming green jobs and skills in Africa’s climate action and development agenda.
At the heart of this Pavilion is a bold goal: to position green jobs and skills as central pillars of Africa’s just transition ensuring that youth, women, and grassroots communities benefit equitably from Africa’s green transition. Together with a diverse coalition of partners including United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Addis Ababa University (AAU), Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), AGRA, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), SNV , World Vision, P4G and others, the Pavilion will convene leaders, innovators, and communities to shape policy, finance, and practice across sectors and geographies. Importantly, its outcomes will feed directly into the ACS2 Declaration, formal commitments, and post-Summit roadmaps.
Aligning with ACS2 Themes
The Pavilion aligns with ACS2’s overarching themes namely, Nature-Based Solutions, Technology, Energy and Resilient Infrastructure; Adaptation and Resilience; and Climate Finance and Africa-led Solutions. Sessions will spotlight critical green sectors including agriculture, energy, e-mobility, construction, industrialisation, circularity, and nature-based solutions.
The Pavilion’s Strategic Pillars
Over three days, discussions will center around three strategic pillars key to a just and inclusive green transition in Africa:
Day 1: Workforce Readiness for Climate Action
Can Africa’s workforce deliver and sustain climate interventions at scale? Day 1 will interrogate this question, focusing on nature-based solutions, technology, energy, and resilient agriculture.
- Session 1: Sustainable Agriculture, Land Use, Water and Oceans
- Session 2: Food Forward NDC: Powering Africa’s Climate Resilient and Equitable Future
- Session 3: Shaping Inclusive Youth-Driven Innovations for Biodiversity, Climate and Land in Africa
- Session 4: Youth Showcase of innovations and interventions in this area.
Day 2: Inclusion in the Green Economy
How can Africa ensure climate opportunity reaches youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and informal workers?
- Session 1: Exploring workforce preparedness for climate action
- Session 2: Green Jobs and Just Transitions
- Session 3: Reimagining Irrigation for Africa: Scaling Climate-Smart Solutions for Food, Jobs and Resilience.
- Session 4: Young Leaders Powering Africa’s Green Industrialisation through Innovation and Strategic Partnerships
- Session 5: Social Dialogue for a Just Transition: The Role of Employers and Trade Unions
Day 3: Financing Skills and Economic Value
How can climate finance fuel training, enterprise development, and inclusive job creation, ensuring climate action delivers lasting economic value?
- Session 1: Climate Finance and Economic Value
- Session 2: Agriculture and Energy Nexus for Sustainable Livelihoods, Green Jobs and Climate Adaptation
- Session 3: Bridging the Gap: Unlocking Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation Financing and Transformative Solutions in Africa
- Session 4: Global Green Skills Project | Synergising Green Skills Initiatives for Africa’s Sustainable Future
The Green Jobs & Skills Pavilion will be a space for dialogue and a launchpad for solutions. By uniting diverse voices from across the continent and beyond, it will help ensure that Africa’s green transition is not only ambitious but also inclusive, equitable, and transformative.
JLA’s leadership of this Pavilion reflects its continued commitment to building Africa’s green workforce of the future, following its convening of the ACS@ONE civil society dialogues and the launch of the ACS@ONE Reflections Report 2024.
Join us at the Green Jobs & Skills Pavilion, ACS2, Addis International Convention Center (AICC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Save the Date: September 8–10, 2025
- Register here: acs.jacobsladder.africa
