Access to predictable and adequate funding options is frustrating the implementation of climate change action plans in Kenya, Environment CS Keriako Tobiko has said.
He spoke during the two-week-long 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change talks in Katowice, Poland, that ended on Saturday.
Tobiko said the local economy is shedding more than wo per cent of its GDP annually due to climate change.
Such economic losses, he said have driven the government to put in place measures to ensure low carbon climate resilient developments at all levels.
The CS negotiated on the contentious issue of a new carbon trading market to be deferred for further consideration at the next COP conference to be held in Chile next year.
“Access to new, additional, predictable and adequate climate finance is critical for developing country parties to implement their priority adaptation and mitigation actions and meet their obligations under the Convention and the Paris Agreement. The time for action is now. Let us all rise to the occasion. Let us save our planet,” he said.
Following the conference plenary closure on Saturday night, delegates present adopted the ‘Katowice package’ which is a new set of climate change guidelines and rulebook to accelerate national action plans.
Tobiko termed them as a “robust” set of implementing guidelines for the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement had been agreed upon.
The guidelines include key agreements on programmes financing for projects aimed at keeping global warming below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels.