Kenya calls on global community to hasten actions against climate change

NAIROBI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Saturday urged the Global community to embark on concerted efforts in the fight against climate change.

Keriako Tobiko, cabinet secretary in the ministry of environment and forest, said that the challenges posed by climate change are real, calling for interventions from local, national, regional and Global to be won.

"There is need for country-driven support to accelerate the development, deployment and transfer of locally relevant climate and clean energy technologies," Tobiko said during the opening of the second Global session of the UN science policy business forum on the environment in Nairobi.

Addressing the event in the lead up to the fourth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly to be held in Nairobi from March 11 to 15, Tobiko noted that the partnership between science, policy and business is needed to inform decision making, and investment choices.

He said that in addition to ratification of the Paris Agreement, Kenya has enacted the climate change Act and a National climate change Policy both in 2016.

"These two policy-level actions have focused Kenya's goal to achieve a low-carbon climate resilient development, that prioritizes adaptation actions while implementing mitigation," he added.

Some 2,000 delegates including environment ministers, industry executives, scholars and campaigners are expected to attend the five-day summit and adopt resolutions that will revitalize the Global green agenda.

Tobiko revealed that Kenya has finalized the National climate change Action Plan for the 2018-2023 periods which has details on how the country plans to catalyze innovation in responding to climate change.

He said that the country is now prioritizing the need for innovation and climate action in context of the blue economy.

The Kenyan official said the country has embarked on a process of integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training throughout primary and secondary school to prepare successive generations of Kenyans that are trained in solving problems and inclined in the use of technology from a tender age.

He noted that the government is also using the education system to integrate environmental and related concerns throughout the basic education system.

He recommended that the UN Environment should set up the first green technology startup hub to support growth of green innovative solutions for the environment in a time where our earth's natural systems face unparalleled anthropogenic stress.