Contenders in the race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta appear to have given little attention, if not ignored, the critical component of climate change in their agendas for the August 9 election.
The presidential hopefuls have neither indicated how they intend to embed climate action in their leadership strategy nor come out clearly and strongly on the same. We have not heard how they intend to achieve clean efficient and sustainable energy technologies to reduce over-reliance on fossils and non-sustainable biomass fuels.
We have also not heard of their plan on adopting low carbon and efficient transportation systems, how they intend to develop sustainable waste management systems and, most importantly, how they seek to finance climate action.
Embedding climate action as one of the leadership agenda and mainly focusing on financing and implementation of the already set policies, acts, strategies and action plans will be the first step towards delivering a safe, healthy, and vibrant Kenya to our children.
Climate change poses one of the current greatest existential threats to human existence. A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released on February 28, 2022, concluded that time is running out: “Any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all.”
Despite having contributed the least to global warming and recording the lowest emissions, Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change impacts under all climate scenarios above 1.5°C (2.7 degrees F).
What this means is that if we fail to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C in Africa and the world over, risks abound to economies, food security, infrastructural investments, water systems, health and agriculture and livelihoods, pushing Africa into higher levels of poverty.
The Africa Green Growth Readiness Assessment Report co-authored by the African Development Bank and the Global Green Growth Institute launched in Abidjan on May 9, 2022, indicated evidence of growing political commitment to green growth in Africa.
The assessment found evidence that African leaders were actively championing the UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as implementing the NDCs. The report however revealed that financing and budgeting, sectoral, legal and regulatory, research and development and innovation, human resources and capacity, as well as monitoring and reporting have not been well addressed by African countries.
It is worthwhile to note that Kenya has put up ambitious policies and measures toward climate action in order to realise Vision 2030. Commitment towards climate action is enshrined in the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, Climate Change Act, 2016, National Climate Change Action Plan 2013-2017, National Climate Change Action Plan 2018-2022, Climate Finance Policy as well as some sector-specific policies and legislation like the Water Act (2016), Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy (2017-2026) and the Disaster Risk Financial Strategy (2018-2022).
Despite the policy actions, the country is ravaged by the devastating effects of the climate crisis. We are currently experiencing droughts and our food security is compromised.
In the past few years, record-setting droughts, storms and damage to infrastructure have not only cost our country lives but also billions of shillings. Families have been displaced, lives have been lost, children have stopped going to school and the health of our citizens has been compromised.
It is clear that climate change is a threat to our existence. Sadly, the cost of climate change and environmental degradation often falls disproportionately on those already in precarious positions such as disadvantaged rural communities, marginalised communities, informal settlement dwellers, women, children and youth but eventually on everyone.
Tackling climate change requires urgent and wide-ranging social and political transformation. In Kenya, we are lucky that we are headed towards a leadership change. If the new leadership prepares and responds now, Kenyans, their families and businesses will be protected against the most devastating financial and social impacts of climate change.
The prospective presidential candidates should tell Kenyans what plans and actions they have in the fight against climate change, especially financing. This should be clearly spelt out in their manifestos.
Executive director, Climate Care Africa
“WATCH: The latest videos from the Star”
