China as a Global Adaptation Leader: Laying the Foundation for Resilience in Africa
June 10, 2025
As an avid reader of The Economist and the Council on Foreign Relations, I rely on these outlets to track geopolitical and climate trends, particularly in India, China, and across the African continent. While Climate Resilience Consulting has nascent work in India, we’ve long observed—with growing interest—China’s expanding role in climate resilience implementation in Africa. One trend has become increasingly clear: in the face of urgent climate adaptation needs and uncertainty over who will finance them, China is stepping in—publicly and privately—as a funder, builder, and systems architect.
At COP 29 in Baku (November 2024), the headline outcome was the New Collective Quantified Goal: a global commitment to mobilize at least $300 billion per year by 2035 to support climate-vulnerable nations. While developed countries formally agreed to the target, many did so reluctantly. Several delegates noted that emerging economies like China were not required to contribute to the fund—yet, in practice, China is making its mark elsewhere.
Through a range of bilateral and regional partnerships, China is investing in sectors critical to basic climate resilience across Africa. Based on my review of current activities and reporting, these investments span:
Infrastructure: Rural roads, sustainable agriculture centers, digital connectivity
Energy & Resources: Renewable energy farms, critical minerals supply chains
Health & Disaster Relief: Hospitals, early-warning systems
Scientific Capacity: Satellites, climate monitoring, green-tech R&D
Training & Education: Scholarships, vocational centers, professional exchanges
China’s motivations are self-serving and multifaceted. Strengthening African markets provides access to a large, growing customer base for Chinese goods, with relatively few trade restrictions. These investments also stabilize conditions in regions critical to China's own supply chains—particularly for rare earth minerals and energy projects.
Yet for many African nations, China may be becoming a catalyst for climate adaptation—deploying capital, technology, and operational expertise in ways that reduce risk, build capacity, and improve resilience. This emergent model of bilateral adaptation cooperation may offer real, measurable benefits—if managed with transparency and local input.
I remain cautiously optimistic. China’s evolving role could define the next phase of global adaptation leadership—not through pledges made in negotiation halls, but through tangible implementation on the ground. I’ll be diving into this topic with emerging leaders at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs next week. What’s your take - do you see China as a constructive force in climate resilience?