• Ruto will be attending the summit in his official capacity as the chair of the Committee for African Heads of State and Government and Climate Change (CAHOSSC).
• He will deliver a statement on behalf of the continent, highlighting its priorities and building on African leaders' Nairobi Declaration adopted in September.
Image: PCS
President William Ruto arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Friday to attend the ongoing COP28 summit in Dubai.
In a statement, Statehouse Spokesman Hussein Mohamed said the President will champion Africa's climate agenda at the conference which started on Thursday.
"President Ruto will emphasise the transformative climate action urgently needed to correct the world's current trajectory," Mohamed said.
Ruto will attend the summit in his capacity as the chair of the Committee for African Heads of State and Government and Climate Change (CAHOSSC).
He will deliver a statement on behalf of the continent, highlighting its priorities and building on African leaders' Nairobi Declaration adopted at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit held in September.
The President has since assuming office a year ago been at the forefront in pushing for tangible climate action to confront the adverse effects of a warming planet.
During the COP27 held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Ruto shifted the African climate from victimhood to opportunity where he delivered an inspirational statement calling for comprehensive financial reforms.
Part of this effort bore fruits on day one of the summit on Thursday when COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber announced the launch of the Loss and Damage Fund to support poor nations' climate change actions.
Countries committed over $400 million (Sh61.3 billion) contribution to the fund.
Mohamed said Ruto will be building on this achievement and will seek to market Africa as a hub for green manufacturing with untapped renewable energy potential that can contribute significantly to global decarbonisation.
He said the President will also continue advocating for comprehensive financial reforms and emphasise the need to align international financial institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) with Africa's development context and climate goals.
"Building on the Nairobi Declaration's goal, the President will also spearhead the launch of the Africa Green Industrialization Initiative (AGII)," Mohamed said.
AGII is a collaboration between the COP28 Presidency, Kenya and African states whose ambitious goal is assisting African countries in developing green industries to drive economic growth, job creation and trade.
The AGII will implement the Nairobi Declaration where African leaders are committed to a green and inclusive growth path by harnessing the continent's potential.
"The event will also feature $4.5 billion (Sh61.38 trillion) Africa Green Investment Initiative led by the UAE which is designed to catalyse a transformative cycle of change through investments in green opportunities on the continent," Mohamed said.
He said Ruto will also spearhead a new framework on climate finance where he will deliver Africa's perspective on international financial architecture reform.
The Head of State will also witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and investment deals in Kenya's green manufacturing and showcase Kenya as a green powerhouse in Africa.
"Leveraging on COP28, President Ruto aims to enhance collaboration, share best practices and advance Kenya and Africa's priorities on the global climate agenda," he said.
The COP28 summit runs from November 30, to December 2.