Share the page

Group AFD at ChangeNOW

Partnership events
Sébastien Delarque
When
From Monday March 30, 2026 to Wednesday April 1, 2026
Where
Grand Palais, 17 avenue du Général Eisenhower, 75008, Paris, France

Held from 30 March to 1 April 2026 at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, the ChangeNOW forum will bring together 40,000 participants from 140 countries, showcasing 1,000 innovative solutions and hosting 500 speakers. The objective: to accelerate the ecological transition by turning commitments into concrete action.

The Change Now Forum will bring together high-level speakers this year to engage in discussions around five pillars addressing major global challenges:

  • Planetary boundaries,
  • International governance and peace,
  • Climate change adaptation,
  • Social inclusion,
  • New narratives.

AFD Group, which contributes to France’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is taking part in ChangeNOW with two objectives:

  1. Position AFD Group as an innovative actor in development finance,
  2. Mobilize the private sector and promote public-private partnerships to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

The AFD Group program at ChangeNOW

1 April 2026 – 17:15–18:30. Break the Debt Trap: Financing a Just Transition

The sovereign debt crisis in the Global South is not a series of isolated emergencies. It is a systemic failure that forces many countries to spend more on servicing debt than on social priorities such as health, education, gender equality, and climate resilience. This conference moves beyond crisis commentary to focus on why the debt system keeps countries trapped and what can change it, from the role of private creditors to the impact of illicit financial flows.

The goal is practical solutions that free up money where it is needed most: debt reform, fairer risk pricing, and more climate finance delivered as grants to support a just transition.

Keynote: 

  • Laurence Tubiana, President of the European Climate Foundation

Panel: 

  • Audrey Rojkoff, Head, Nature and Climate, AFD
  • Kamal Ramburuth, Project Leader at the Institute for Economic Justice (Johannesburg, South Africa) 

Fireside chat: 

Maria Syed, Economic Consultant, Third World Network

Discussions will be held in English 

 

31 March 2026 – 14:00–15:15. Africa for Change: The Better Future We Continue Shaping Together 

Legacy stage

The Africa for Change program is open to all individuals engaged in or collaborating with initiatives across the African continent who wish to connect with key actors driving impact.

Opening panel:

Françoise Lombard, Chief Executive Officer, Proparco

Discussions will be held in English.

 

 

Back to top of page