The National Government has committed to unlock Sh7.4bn in grants to County Governments through an ambitious Climate Resilience Investment plan under the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program.
The allocation earmarked for the 2023/2024 fiscal year was announced as Kenya hosted the first Africa Climate Summit 2023 (ACS23) which saw global leaders, heads of State from across the African continent, United Nations agencies, Governors, Regional Economic Communities, policy makers, intergovernmental organizations, private sector, civil society, academia and delegates convene at the KICC grounds in Nairobi from 4th - 7th September 2023.
Themed “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance for solutions for Africa and the World”, the Summit presented an opportunity to deliberate on critical issues on climate financing, including honoring past global financing arrangements and collaboration in additional financing for earmarked green transition investments in Africa; operationalization of loss and damage at COP 28.
Delegates also explored proposals on how to position Africa as the next destination for green investments to enhance de-carbonation of the global economy.
Speaking while presenting a Sh7.4bn cheque to counties during a side event co-hosted by the Council of Governors (CoG), Ministry of Environment and FLLoCA, Dr. William Ruto, President of Kenya, emphasized that community engagement and involvement in decision making was paramount to achieving meaningful change at the grassroots level.
“Communities are not just victims of Climate Change but also powerful agents in responding to the impacts of Climate Change,” he noted.
“The County Climate Resilience Grant, together with Sh3 billion of County own-resource allocations towards climate action, will assist counties in developing and implementing tailored climate resilience strategies in response to risks identified by communities in sectors such as agriculture, water, and natural resource management,” President Ruto explained.
CoG Chairperson, Governor Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), welcomed the development as a significant milestone towards climate resilience.
“By equipping communities and governments with the necessary tools, resources, and knowledge, we can ensure that communities are better prepared for the challenges brought by climate change," she noted.
President Ruto also presided over the launch of the Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) 2022-2050, the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2023-2028 and the Climate Change (Amendment) Act 2023.
The President, accompanied by Governor Waiguru attended the high level side event on operationalization of the Building Climate Resilience for the Urban Poor (BCRUP) Initiative.
The BCRUP initiative is pegged on six outcome areas namely: building resilience of communities, neighborhoods and eco-systems within urban poor areas; building resilient climate proof infrastructure in poor urban areas; developing climate resilience integrated urban spatial plans; enhancing adaptive capacity of the urban poor against climate change effects; strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions within urban dimensions, research, reporting and database and; governance framework to better manage rapid urbanization and climate change effects.
In line with the Climate Summit theme, CoG held a side event on 6th September 2023 on Sub-National Financing for Accelerated Climate Action which brought together Governors, Senate, Representatives from EALGA, UCLG and the Global Center for Adaptation among other stakeholders.
CoG’s Environment and Climate Change Committee Chairperson Dr. Wilber Ottichilo, Governor of Vihiga, called for sustained efforts to address challenges in accessing climate finance.
“Counties have made significant progress in meeting international climate change commitments, including enacting relevant legislation, investing in clean cooking solutions, promoting community tree nurseries, solarizing county offices, and implementing climate-smart agriculture,” Governor Ottichilo explained while calling for continued support.
CoG Vice Chairperson, Governor Ahmed Abdullahi (Wajir), called for sustained efforts to eradicate bottlenecks impeding partnerships.
“Sub-national governments face bottlenecks in public-private partnerships (PPPs) due to complex processes. Advocacy efforts are needed at all levels to facilitate public-private investments, especially when resources are scarce,” he said.
“In addition, we need to build capacity to address the impacts of climate change, particularly in planning adaptation projects for effective Climate Action,” Abdullahi noted.
The session further emphasized on the need to develop regulations under the Climate Change (Amendment) Act of 2023 to enable carbon trading and equitable sharing of benefits, including with local communities and support enforcement and compliance at local level.
Governors participated in various side events touching on pertinent matters affecting sub-national governments including those that discussed the role of women in energy transition for a sustainable future in Africa.
Other fora delved on reforming the Global Financial Architecture from the bottom up and; The Circular Economy: Driver for Green Growth and Climate Resilience in Africa.
ACS23 encompassed a rich blend of panel discussions, plenary and exhibitions that served as a platform to inform, frame, and influence commitments, pledges, and outcomes, ultimately leading to the development of the Nairobi Declaration.
The declaration outlines Africa’s position ahead of the UNFCCC COP28 in the United Arab Emirates slated for late November to 12th December 2023.
In a call to action, African leaders urged developed countries to reduce carbon emissions, proposing a new financing mechanism to restructure Africa’s crippling debt and unlock climate funding.