The pledges agreed at the COP 30 climate conference in Belem, Brazil, last year, brought real opportunities for Africa, emphasised UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) programme manager Karin Reiss. She was speaking in a panel discussion at Africa Energy Indaba 2026, being held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Tuesday.

(Key COP 30 outcomes were agreements to triple climate adaptation finance by 2035; establish a Just Transition Mechanism to support fairness in moving to a green economy; and the adoption of 59 global indicators to track progress in adaptation.)

Global emission targets could not be reached without green industrialisation and job creation, she highlighted. This need had been recognised by the Belem Declaration on Green Industrialisation, adopted at COP 30. UNIDO was working to operationalise this declaration, to make it a reality, she assured.

Africa was forecast to have the fastest growth in renewable energy, but most of the required technologies still had to be imported, she pointed out. Hence the need for green industrialisation on the continent. The green transition thus offered a unique opportunity for Africa. 

She further noted that the 2025 G20 Summit in South Africa hatched the Sustainable Industrial Hubs initiative. These would be centres for low-carbon industrialisation, powered by green energy. This initiative already had the support of "quite a few" countries. 

UNIDO had a "really strong role to play" in Africa's green industrialisation, she stated. It could strengthen national policy formulation and planning. It could enhance capacities, from skills development for workers to skills transfer at the highest level of decision-makers. 

The organisation also had a role to play in promoting international alignment and coherence regarding green policies and procedures. For example, there was no international agreement on the meaning of the term "green steel". It was important that Africa was not left behind in this discussion.

"Climate finance is there, it's available," assured Reiss. The climate community could assist African governments to unlock this finance.