The upcoming Africa Climate Summit, scheduled to be held in Kenya in September, will focus on bold, innovative, and resourced climate action.
Running under the moniker of “Africa together for bold, innovative, and resourced climate action: Unlocking climate finance and green investments,” the summit aims to unlock opportunities for Africa in the climate space.
The summit will revolve around key pillars such as Climate Finance, Mitigation and Green Growth, Climate Adaptation, and Resilience, Loss and Damage, Climate Vulnerable Groups, and Research Innovation and Technology.
At a briefing for African ambassadors on the summit’s preparations, Environment CS Soipan Tuya emphasized that the summit will provide a platform for the continent to showcase its potential in climate actions.
Kenya’s ratification of the Paris Agreement was followed by the submission of a promising Nationally Determined Contribution, committing to a 30% reduction in emissions.
Kenya has also demonstrated a shift towards renewable energy, with diverse clean energy sources contributing to the energy mix. In 2017, hydro and geothermal energy accounted for 30% and 45% respectively, and the country aims to achieve 80% renewable energy by 2022, with wind power playing a significant role.
CS Soipan Tuya highlighted that the summit will enable African countries to display their potential in critical minerals. She mentioned the potential for lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals in Africa, emphasizing their role in job creation and reducing carbon footprints caused by processing elsewhere.
She expressed the intention of Africa to showcase its resources and attract global capital to the continent, transforming the summit into a climate change trade and investment event rather than a mere aid-focused gathering.
Furthermore, CS Tuya noted that Africa has been greatly impacted by climate change and will leverage the high-level presence of heads of state and government to seek new development partners to support its green growth agenda.
Soipan stated that the success of the summit would lead to the adoption of a leaders’ declaration addressing Africa’s climate financing gaps and reform of global multilateral financial institutions.
The attendance of heads of state at this summit is crucial, as it has the potential to bring about significant outcomes and shape Africa’s climate action discourse.
