- Ruto on Monday officially opened the summit, saying the gathering would create more opportunities for Africa by Africans.
- Among key issues that are being discussed at the forum are how to tackle the increased exposure of emitters, investing in nature and biodiversity
Image: PCS
The Africa Climate Summit has entered day two, as the country hosts several heads of state and over 10,000 delegates, making Kenya the first country to hold such a forum in collaboration with the African Union.
The 2023 summit is themed: ‘Driving green growth and climate finance solutions for Africa and the world’
The summit will run until September 6, 2023, with a continuation of the Climate Summit week.
President William Ruto is hosting the summit in his capacity as the coordinator of all African heads of state on climate change within the AU.
Ruto on Monday officially opened the summit, saying the gathering would create more opportunities for Africa by Africans.
“For a very long time, we have looked at this as a problem, we are not here to catalogue grievances, there are immense opportunities. We have the capability to provide reliable, and cost-effective energy access to all Africans by 2030,” he said.
Among key issues that are being discussed at the forum are how to tackle the increased exposure of emitters, investing in nature and biodiversity, solutions to climate change, and climate change financing for Africa.
According to a report by the United Nations dubbed: Climate Change 2023 Synthetic Report, human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1 degrees Celsius.
This is above 1850 – 1900 between 2011 and 2020.
“Climate change has caused substantial damages and increasingly irreversible losses, in terrestrial, freshwater, cryospheric and coastal, and open ocean ecosystems. Climate change has affected human physical health globally and mental health in assessed regions,” the report said.
Another report by Oxfam dubbed: Climate Financing Shadow Report 2023, noted that developing countries are three years overdue on the commitment to mobilise $100 billion(Sh14.5 trillion) per year hindering climate talks.
“Contribution must become more transparent, building on clear commitments that allow for accountability. There needs to be a new global public finance goal specifically for addressing loss and damages,” the report said.
The President during an African Union Summit in Ethiopia said that the meeting is aimed at fast-tracking Africa’s progress into joining the leadership of the global climate action.
“It is time to escalate the consensus and propel Africa to join the leadership of the global climate action. This is the meaningful mandate that we, as a Committee for African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), must provide,” he said.
After the Nairobi declaration, the discussed solutions will be presented at the upcoming COP28 that will be held in UAE in December, 2023.