• A report by the World Bank notes that climate action is urgent if Kenya is to meet its aspiration of becoming an upper-middle-income country in the next decade.
• The impact of climate change on the economy could be partly buffered by a higher annual growth rate and structural transformation.
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While counties have developed very ambitious, innovative and creative strategies to deal with the ravaging effects of climate change, poor implementation and accountability mechanisms remain a big challenge.
Most of the aggressive proposals and policy options remain clouded in large communiques, treaties and country papers in capitals and boardrooms with no implementation accountability mechanisms and large sections of the populations kept away from the discussions and related information.
Without being informed and involved, communities remain averse to many of the climate change interventions, with even the small resources mobilised globally still stuck to funding talk shops, sensitisation and advocacy activities.
The world will be meeting in Dubai again for the COP28. While great discussions will happen, information that would allow communities to get involved and audit the progress of what has been promised globally, the resources mobilised and the success so far achieved is largely missing or denied to majority populations.
The voice and contribution of the private sector, especially banks that finance most of the investments that are responsible for the carbon emissions, have been challenged to play a robust role in climate change financing and want more information on interventions proposed and status of implementation, which remain a big challenge.
While the Paris Agreement provides a framework for financial, technical and capacity building support to those countries who need it and reaffirms that developed countries should take the lead in providing financial assistance to countries that are less endowed and more vulnerable, things seem not working.
Kenya, among other countries, has committed to among other things introduce bunker taxes which would place a carbon tax on emissions from international aviation and shipping companies and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies which could generate up to US $8 billion annually.
Further, the redirection of fossil fuel extraction royalties and licenses has the potential to provide US $10 billion in climate finance per year while the financial transaction taxes (Robin Hood Tax) could generate between US $2 billion to US $27 billion.
A report by the World Bank titled 'Country Climate and Development Report: Kenya' notes that climate action is urgent if Kenya is to meet its aspiration of becoming an upper-middle-income country in the next decade.
It notes that maintaining a low-carbon-intensity growth profile puts the country in a good position to be part of global efforts to decarbonise supply chains and in the case of the power sector, can be achieved at a nominal additional cost. Private sector investment in climate action will be vital to sustain inclusive and climate-resilient growth.
By 2050, inaction against climate change could result in a decline in real GDP of 3.61–7.25 per cent relative to the BAU baseline scenario. Kenya can be a key player in the global climate solutions arena.
The impact of climate change on the economy could be partly buffered by a higher annual growth rate and structural transformation. Under an aspirational scenario, with an annual growth rate of 7.5 per cent through 2050, which is in line Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, the impact of climate change on real GDP in 2050 could be reduced to 2.78–5.3 per cent compared to the baseline.
Kenya stands out among African and lower-middle-income countries due to its well-diversified and low-carbon energy mix, with about 90 per cent of electricity generation coming from renewable resources.
Many countries’ efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions and meet their nationally determined contribution (NDC) commitments are resulting in the reconfiguration of global supply chains and expanding “green” markets.
The World Bank report recommends three key interventions would enable the government to put climate policies into practice including operationalising the climate policy planning and implementation framework, operationalising a coordination body on climate change and climate change units at sectoral level to enable the coordination and governance needed to implement a whole-of-government approach to planning, financing, implementing and reporting on climate actions and capitalising the National and County Climate Change Funds and institutionalising green public investment management to bolster the government’s readiness to upscale concessional climate finance and building adequate capacity in the government.
Climate-informed planning can help ensure urban areas facilitate productive engagement of its residents, are not vulnerable to climate events such as flooding and heat island effects and do not suffer from increased congestion and expanding informal settlements.
It will also help direct efforts to reduce Kenya’s deficit of affordable housing (expected to grow to three million units by 2025) by using low-carbon materials and appropriately locating settlements.
Public-private partnerships will be key for large-scale infrastructure investments, agriculture, forests and conservation, which can involve collaborative management partnerships.
The argument of a strong access to information culture and practice in climate change interventions is anchored on a few justifications: Information is an economic resource, it enhances public participation and fosters accountability from public officials at all levels and in assessing the performance of government.
Victor Bwire is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Programmes Manager at the Media Council of Kenya