The world's governments will convene in Addis Ababa in late 2027 for COP32, the first African-hosted climate summit in five years, with Ethiopia's presidency representing the African Union. The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment argues that for this summit to deliver real impact, the work must start now, moving beyond the conventional COP approach of negotiating texts and making pledges. Three decades of COPs have failed to achieve global action at the required scale due to structural limits: the UNFCCC treats climate change as a sum of national commitments, leading to fragmented pledges that fall short of scientific demands; negotiated decisions reflect the lowest common denominator acceptable to reluctant major parties; and key implementing institutions like credit rating agencies and multilateral development banks sit outside the COP process. To overcome these limits, Africa should present solutions it has already built with willing partners for the world to endorse and scale. These solutions include building and financing integrated regional energy systems, reforming risk assessment to lower capital costs, financing resilient food systems, and restoring nature at scale. Each can be advanced by coalitions of institutions with the necessary mandates and instruments. If Africa completes this work before leaders gather, COP32 can become the moment that work is recognized, financed, and scaled. The UNFCCC and COPs remain essential for bringing every country to the table, anchoring responses in equity, and giving vulnerable nations a voice. However, the convention's architecture has not produced the required response, with emissions still rising and adaptation finance remaining a fraction of needs. Concrete reforms can move now through regional institutions advancing integrated energy planning, multilateral development banks lowering capital costs, and the UN Industrial Development Organisation advancing industrial decarbonisation. Africa, as the continent contributing least to emissions but bearing the greatest costs, needs a framework for a commensurate global response. Ethiopia's presidency can convene this work, and if Africa arrives with plans and coalitions formed, COP32 becomes a moment of recognition, financing, and scale.