The Kenyan delegation to the ongoing 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) commonly known as COP 24 has affirmed the government’s commitment to ensure a speedy implementation of climate change action plans.
Kenya’s delegation at the COP24 talks in in Katowice, Poland led by Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko has aligned Kenya’s interests to the African agenda that it is pushing for at the convention.
Speaking to the media at the sidelines of the convention on Monday, Tobiko assured that Kenya will be speaking in one voice with the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) to UNFCCC to ensure a continental unity of purpose that will address Africa’s special needs.
“The recently developed four-year NCCAP (2018-2022) plan, aligned with the global climate action plans as per the Paris Agreement provides an actionable plan for the local environment,” said Tobiko.
In 2015, Kenya submitted and is actively implementing its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) commitment to a 30%Green House Gases (GHG) emission reduction by 2030.
“Under the National Climate Change Action Plan, we have domesticated our NDCs which are at the heart of the Paris Agreement. The Kenyan NDCs embody our commitment to reduce the national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change,” Tobiko said.
The Kenyan economy, Tobiko reiterated is highly dependent on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, tourism, water and energy.
CS Tobiko warned that unmanaged climate change poses potential economic consequences including lower productivity in agriculture, stresses on health, biodiversity, water supply systems and lower GDP.
In recognition of the threats posed by climate change, Tobiko said the government through various agencies including the National Treasury has been leading the process of developing instruments for climate proofing vulnerable sectors of the economy.
