Arlington, VA – On October 30, USTDA will begin its U.S.-Africa Climate Innovation Week, which will bring African leaders and decision-makers to the United States to explore innovative infrastructure solutions for their climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation priorities. Vice President Kamala Harris announced USTDA’s initiative during her March 2023 trip to Africa as an example of the U.S. government’s commitment to addressing African nations’ pressing needs resulting from the climate crisis.
“USTDA’s U.S.-Africa Climate Innovation Week will foster two-way knowledge sharing and build connections for U.S. solutions to support high-quality, sustainable infrastructure that meets African leaders’ priorities for climate adaptation and resilience,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director. “It is imperative that we work together as a global community to address the impacts of the climate crisis as we collectively work to curb global emissions.”
The African delegation comprises 28 individuals from 13 countries across the continent. Half the delegation will travel to the Los Angeles area to learn about state-of-the-art U.S. solutions for water management. The other half will travel to New Orleans for a showcase of U.S. technologies and best practices in early warning and disaster response systems. The week will culminate in a joint program in Washington, DC, where delegates will engage with leading U.S. government agencies and organizations shaping policies and financing opportunities for climate-resilient infrastructure.
On November 3, USTDA will host public business briefings in Washington, DC, where U.S. companies can learn directly from the delegation about upcoming business opportunities and schedule one-on-one meetings with them to present their innovative solutions. For more information about U.S.-Africa Climate Innovation Week, please visit https://www.ustda.gov/event/africa-climate-innovation-week/.
Recent analyses have identified the need for trillions of dollars in annual infrastructure investments to face the global climate crisis. USTDA works with emerging economies at greatest risk of climate impacts and funds infrastructure development activities that address their adaptation and resilience needs while generating export opportunities for U.S. firms.
USTDA’s U.S.-Africa Climate Innovation Week advances USTDA’s Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure and the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment and the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) Initiative.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
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