The African continent faces enormous environmental challenges, such as deforestation and degradation, which have damaged fragile ecosystems and caused water scarcity, floods, and mudslides in many communities. Likewise, air pollution and improper waste management pose severe problems in cities. Furthermore, rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions could damage the infrastructure needed for transportation, leading to slower and more costly intra-African trade. Given this, member countries must have legal and economic measures to circumvent these climate issues for the smooth running of trade. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is expected to increase trade and competition among local firms, boost production, and facilitate the movement of labour and goods from one region to another. Increased industrialization and growing populations increase CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases from industry and automobiles. Studies have shown that African countries have done little to adhere to the Paris Agreement to reduce global CO2 emissions. Therefore, for AfCFTA to succeed, climate ethics should be at the core of the agreement because it can steer action, facilitate arbitration, resolve conflicting interests, and establish priorities. Hence, this study seeks to examine ethical principles of climate change that reflect concerns about the fragility of the global climate in the conduct of trade and development. It is expected that the outcome of this study will aid the development of applicable climate ethics principles and standards for African Trade and Development.