EU and Kenya step up cooperation on climate change ahead of 21st Session of Conference of Parties to UNFCCC, Paris conference
The European Union and Kenya today committed to continue and strengthen cooperation on climate change in the run up to the adoption of a new global climate deal in Paris this December.
During a joint EU-Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Regional development authorities Climate change public awareness forum in Nairobi, The Ambassador of the EU to Kenya, Stefano A. Dejak said: "The Paris conference will be a historic opportunity to accelerate the shift to a low-carbon, climate-resilient global economy. People around the world are looking to their leaders for a signal that they are ready and willing to take decisive action to tackle climate change. The EU and its Member States are committed to doing their part and working with our partners to ensure that Paris is a success."
Virtually all countries of the world will gather together at the Paris climate conference (COP21) to conclude a new global climate change agreement.
The EU is committed to ensuring the adoption of a legally binding, ambitious and fair international agreement applicable to all countries that is capable of keeping the global average temperature rise below 2°C and avoiding dangerous climate change.
For the EU, there are four key elements to a successful deal. These are: ambitious emissions reduction commitments, a shared destination of travel in the form of a long-term goal, a five-yearly review cycle to consider and strengthen emissions targets, and strong transparency and accountability rules to give stakeholders confidence that countries will deliver on their commitments.
As well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the new agreement must also address adaptation to the impacts of climate change and the mobilisation of finance for climate action.
On her part Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Authorities Prof Judi Wakhungu said 'In recognition of the threats posed by climate change challenge, Kenya has taken measures to secure the country's development against the risks and impacts of climate change. The country is on track to achieve the Constitutional requirement of achieving and maintaining a tree cover of at least 10 % of the land area. Moreover, Kenya has already introduced a range of low carbon and climate resilient options across many sectors. These include renewable energy, more efficient use of biomass and sustainable land use management”.
Further she added “as stated in the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), Kenya plans to undertake a range of ambitious mitigation and adaptation actions towards the achievement of low carbon climate resilient development. The target is in line with the requirements of the Constitution and will help the country achieve Vision 2030. Kenya aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% relative to business as usual by 2030 through enhanced mitigation actions in various sectors including energy, forestry, agriculture, transport and waste. On Adaptation, the country aims to enhance resilience to climate change by integrating climate change consideration and undertaking climate change actions in 17 broad priority sectors”.
EU action on climate change
The EU was the first major economy to put forward its intended contribution to the new agreement — a target of reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
This commitment builds on the EU's current targets and policy framework for climate action. The EU is on track to meet or even exceed its target to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020. Between 1990 and 2013, EU emissions fell by 19% while GDP increased by 45% over the same period.
Cooperation on climate change
Climate change and action to fight it is an integral part of the EU's cooperation with its partners across the world, including in Kenya.
The EU and its Member States are major providers of international climate finance — delivering EUR 9.5 billion in 2013 alone. They remain committed to scaling up climate finance in order to contribute their share of the developed countries' goal to jointly mobilise USD 100 billion per year by 2020 from a wide variety of public and private sources.
The EU and EU member states together with the Government of Kenya have supported communities across Kenya through Community Development Trust Fund (CDTF) to plant 10 million trees. These trees not only provide goods and services but also absorb greenhouse gases (GHGs) and improve micro-climate for tea, which is an important income earner for Kenya.
Other on-going investments include:
i) €800million for geothermal expansion and Lake Turkana wind mill;
ii) Under the 11th EDF the EU-GoK partnership will put €190 million investments in food security and resilience to climate shocks; and € 175 million investments in sustainable agriculture between 2014-2020;
iii) 40 million with UNICEF, DfID, DANIDA and Government of Kenya supporting Horn of Africa resilience including basic social economic infrastructure and enhance in nutrition in Arid and Semi-arid areas; and
iv) € 31 million going towards securing and sustaining provision of ecosystem services by Kenya's water towers