The meeting in Nairobi is the first of its kind in Africa. It aims to come up with a common plan to present to other world leaders at a the COP 28 United Nations climate summit later this year.

Over the next three days, delegates at the summit will consider a new funding model to help governments reduce carbon emissions.

Kenyan President William Ruto said Africa should be part of the solution to global warming, rather than a victim.

"For a very long time we have looked at this as a problem. It is time we flipped and looked at it from the other side," he told delegates at the opening of the meeting.

"There are opportunities, immense opportunities as well. And that is why we are not here to catalogue grievances and list problems, we are here to scrutinise ideas, assess perspectives, so that we can unlock solutions."

African countries are among the smallest contributors to climate change, but suffer some of its worst effects.