•The government seeks to curb emissions through improved public transport system.
•In 2015, transport sector contributed to 18 per cent emissions while waste management contributed one per cent.
The government is banking on the ongoing Bus Rapid Transit system and waste to energy projects to curb green house gas emissions.
National Environment Management Authority said the two will help the country in realisation of goals outlined in the Nationally Determined Contributions, a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts.
Each party to the Paris Agreement is required to establish an NDC and update it every five years.
Kenya in its NDC seeks to reduce emissions by 32 per cent by 2030.
Agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transport, waste and forestry are some of the sectors the government intends to use to curb emissions.
The country needs $62 billion (Sh6.710 trillion) to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change between 2020 and 2030.
The Paris Agreement brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries.
The agreement’s main objective is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise below 2 degrees celsius.
Another goal is to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further.
Kenya plans to achieve much of its contribution through mitigation efforts in the forestry sector, which is expected to contribute about half of the emissions reductions needed.
Other sectors include electricity supply, energy demand, industry, transport, agriculture and waste.
The government aims to reduce emissions in the waste sector through improved management.
Kenya seeks to curb emissions through improved public transport system.
In 2015, the transport sector contributed to 18 per cent emissions while waste management contributed one per cent.
Authorities have gazetted five BRT lines which are in different phases of development.
BRT Line 1 runs from Limuru-Kangemi-CBD-Imara Daima-Athi River and Kitengela.
Line 2 runs from Rongai-Bomas-Langata Road-CBD-Ruiru-Thika and Kenol.
Line 3, called Chui, runs from Tala-Njiru-Dandora (Juja Road)-CBD-Show Ground (Ngong Road) and Ngong.
Line 4, which is called Kifaru, is composed of East and West.
The East one runs from Mama Lucy Hospital-Donholm (Jogoo Road)-CBD.
The West one runs from CBD- T Mall-Bomas-Karen and Kikuyu.
BRT Line 5, which is also called Nyati, traverses Ridgeways (Kiambu Road)-Balozi (Allsops) and Imara Daima.
Nema director general Mamo Mamo, said the two projects will help the country to move from linear economy to circular economy.
“We have also seen the government launching electric buses. We are moving towards zero emissions as a country by the year 2050 in line with the out come of Glasgow," Mamo said.
He said the Nairobi county government is working to electrify diesel vehicles into those that have zero emissions like electric buses, electric taxi and motorcycles.
"In future, the Standard Gauge Railway will also be electrified so that as a country, we move towards zero emissions in line with our nationally determined contributions," he said.
For Dandora dumpsite, Mamo said the country is trying to convert waste to energy.
"We are in the process of approving the Environment Impact Assessment so that we transform this waste into energy.It is a good project that will address several issues," Mamo said.
Nema has already urged the public to give their views over the proposed 45MW waste to energy plant in Ruai, Nairobi.
The project is being put up by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC.
Mamo said once the project is up, the authority will put in place robust environmental monitoring and management plan to ensure that the project is sustainable.
He said once the contractor moves in to transform this waste into energy, Nema will monitor the project.
The Nema boss said the proposed project will help to address waste management, that is one of the emitters of green house gases.
Mamo said waste will be managed well as the government has already put in place a sustainable waste management policy.
He said the county government was also in the process of constructing material recovery centre.
The centre will ensure that there are no illegal dumping sites.
"We will be able to sort out waste at the recovery centres and get value out of this waste," he said.
Mamo said Nairobi Metropolitan Service has mapped out all illegal discharge points.
"They will remove all of them.We have seconded officers to NMS to help them with the devolved environmental functions," he said.
(Edited by Francis Wadegu)