President William Ruto has called for the consolidation of ideas in tackling the climate change crisis that’s posing a threat to humanity globally.
The President said the series of climate meetings being held by world leaders must result in a universal and lasting outcome.
“We must consolidate our thoughts and ideas on climate change since it is posing a global threat to our existence. Kenya appreciates Canada’s contribution to the climate change agenda,” Ruto said in a statement on Thursday.
He spoke when he hosted visiting Canada Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, together with his delegation at State House, Nairobi.
Ruto has taken a leadership role in championing initiatives aimed at alleviating the effects of climate change on mankind.
Top on the agenda of his push has been calls for a shift in the funding architecture by reviewing the current financing model which he said has failed to serve the intended purpose of fighting the effects of climate change.
He reaffirmed these views on February 17, 2023, when he met and held bilateral talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Addis Ababa.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 36th Ordinary Session of the African Union, Heads of States and Government Summit in Ethiopia.
“I don’t think reform is the right word. We need a new architecture to respond to climate change,” Ruto said.
The President reiterated the same sentiments when Kenya hosted the African Climate Summit (ACS) in Nairobi in September 2023.
The summit was held from September 4-6, 2023 under the theme "Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World".
During the meeting, African states made a unified 11-point stance on climate action including calls for more financing and reforms needed to unlock Africa’s renewable energy potential.
The summit attended by an estimated 30,000 delegates including 18 Heads of State echoed Ruto’s rallying call for a significant overhaul of the global financial system to facilitate climate action financing.
They also demanded improved access to concessional loans and the fulfilment of a 14-year-old promise by rich countries to mobilise $100 billion annually for climate adaptation and mitigation.
During the COP28 summit in the United Arab Emirates on November 30, 2023, the summit agreed to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund agreed upon during COP27 held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
"This Fund will support billions of people, lives and livelihoods that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change," COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber said.
