Climate: Gains, gaps and urgency for action

The deadline for submission of revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is September.

Kenya is one of the over 190 parties expected to submit, outlining specific targets towards reducing GHG emissions, complete with a budget and expected sources of funds.

To give credit where it is due, Kenya has maintained a good trajectory in climate action since sending the last revised NDCs in 2020. The country’s unwavering commitment to climate governance, anchored on its Climate Change (Amendment) Act, 2023, is one to be proud of.

There are strategies and initiatives at national and county (through County Climate Change Funds) levels. One is Financing Strategy for the NDC, with a budget of $40 billion to run between 2020 and 2030, all geared towards boosting financing of adaptation and mitigation initiatives.

Besides, devolved governments have mainstreamed climate resilience strategies and infused them in their development blueprints. And with more than 80 per cent of the country’s electricity sourced from geothermal, wind, hydro and solar, all of which are renewable sources, Kenya is a good example in transition to renewable energy.

According to State of Climate Kenya report 2024, released earlier this week, investments in off-grid solar solutions and mini-grids increased, and now previously marginalisd communities and regions can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, while they engage in more income generating activities due to longer working hours.

Still there is room for improvement. Insufficient finances has hindered implementation of more initiatives in Kenya’s ambitious targets, including capacity building. Besides, Kenyans need more transparency not only on how climate funds are used, but also how they can access them.

The other problems are increased industrial emissions and urban pollution, especially in cities; and the slow pace at which climate-smart agriculture is appreciated and implemented in the grassroots despite government introducing policies that promote sustainable farming practices.

The 2023 prolonged drought and the 2024 floods, worsened by El Niño, showed the need for resilient food systems.

Comparing the State of Climate report released this week, with the previous one (covering 2023), the sustainability of climate action appears shaky. There are key lessons and need for urgent and increased action, as smallholder farmers, who heavily rely on rain-fed agriculture, have repeatedly experienced below average rainfall for seasons. At least 5.4 million people faced hunger, even with government’s interventions.

The extreme and erratic weather patterns underscore the need for a more robust, adaptive climate strategy. This can be achieved by scaling up climate financing opportunities, exploring more innovative mechanisms to aid large-scale climate adaptation projects.

Keep up engagements with international donors as well as institutions. Strengthen early warning systems at the meteorological department to mitigate impact of floods and droughts so that the 2023 and 2024 happenings do not recur.

Further, the government can incentivise adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, including agroforestry, regenerative farming and water-efficient irrigation. More allocations should also be made for research and extension services.

Among the youth, agriculture has not been appealing, maybe because they are not adequately engaged. Their contribution in food security can be increased. With this, green urban planning initiatives will pick up.

Kenya’s climate journey since its last revised NDCs underscores the need to go beyond mitigation to enhance adaptation and resilience. Hence, as the country prepares to submit another revised NDCs, the business-as-usual approach must end, and the stated commitments translated into tangible outcomes.