Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Cabinet Secretary, CS Soipan Tuya in emphasis of the Climate action summit reveals that Africa will showcase her rich green growth potential. These she says are inclusive of renewable energy resources and pitch for increased investments at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit set for September 4th to 6th in Nairobi.
The CS Soipan Tuya said that Africa Climate Summit will take a resource display and a capital invite approach that will be in the September summit so that there can be maximum exploitation of Africa’s resources. She says the whole world will be invited to bring their capital to Africa to foster climate-positive green growth.
CS Tuya spoke on Friday at a meeting of youth leaders convened by the Dutch Ambassador to Kenya Maarten Bouwer at his Nairobi residence to discuss young people’s participation in the Africa Climate Summit. The representatives were drawn from various climate action youth organizations.
The Cabinet Secretary called on the youth to unite and take a leading role at the African Climate Summit saying effective climate action was a whole-of-society undertaking.
“We are not leaving anybody behind, not the least our young people. I am extremely excited today that we have our young people on the table way before the summit,” CS Tuya said, adding that the youth were “bearers of climate action dreams for current and future generations”.
She said the success of the Africa Climate Summit will depend on the participation of Africa’s climate action partners, and invited all stakeholder groups to take a keen interest in the three-day conference that will be held concurrently with this year’s annual Africa Climate Week.
“Africa Climate Summit is going to be delivered through partnerships. Kenya cannot deliver the summit on its own. We want to collectively come up with complementary solutions to the climate crisis. Hence we must put our heads together because the nature of the climate crisis is such that it has no boundaries, it affects all of us. If we continue with the status quo, we’re all going to suffer,” she added.
According to the CS, as we bring the African voice together, there’s a need for the voice to resonate with that of the North so that there can be a bridge to the gap, and stop the finger-pointing since climate change is a people’s challenge.
On the outcomes of the first-of-its-kind conference, CS Tuya said co-hosts Kenya and the African Union anticipate a declaration that will among other aspects consolidate the continent’s green growth priorities including new climate financing mechanisms.
According to Amb Bouwer Kenya is a global leader in climate action and thereby he urged the Kenyan youth to take a frontline role in climate action saying young people are “a powerful source of change”.
“Kenya has been an exemplary leader in climate action regionally and globally. Take for example the power sector where 90 percent of all power is coming from renewable energy sources. There are not many countries that can say that,” Amb Bouwer said.
