Let presidential aspirants address climate change

Concept of climate change as a tree change from winter to summer. [Getty Images]

On Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta held talks with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on the sidelines of the Stockholm+50 Summit and discussed how developing countries will mitigate challenges presented by climate change.

The President pointed out that developing countries are most affected by negative effects of climate change Kenya included, citing perennial droughts for four consecutive years. 

As the global community brace for more escalation of the phenomenon, millions of local communities will suffer impacts of extreme weather events such as food crisis and severe droughts.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released an alarming climate change 2022 report. According to the scientific climate report, keeping the rise in global warming at 1.5C this century based on Paris Agreement is crucial to limit dangers of climate change.

“The world is running out of options to meet climate targets by 2030, warning that we must act swiftly to end over reliance on fossils fuel,” reads part of the report. 

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned that climate pledges and actions must be turned into reality now, adding that “a shifting to renewable energy will mend our broken global energy mix and offer hope to millions of people already suffering impacts of climate change.”

Today, the world is increasingly facing a number of unprecedented challenges such as food crisis, Covid-19 pandemic and conflicts arising from rapid loss of biodiversity that continues to put pressure on governments. 

Reflecting on COP26 outcome, the world must set more ambitious targets to empower local communities and strengthen their resilience by supporting climate adaptation projects. These will provide practical solutions to climate change challenges. 

Governments should develop policies to strengthen climate action and elevate needs of local communities.

Now, as the August 9 General Election nears, our presidential candidates must put climate change at the centre of their campaigns.

They must tell Kenyans their plans to tackle this global challenge affecting many local communities. Marginalised communities are suffering the most from effects of climate change. It is worst for the pastoralists.

The writer is community youth leader