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President William Ruto is expected to address the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) climate change meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
He will be making an address as the Chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change on behalf of African states.
According to a statement issued by State House spokesperson, Hussein Mohamed, will be keen on addressing the effects of climate change in Africa amid the current drought facing parts of Kenya and the continent.
The President is leading the Kenyan delegation.
“The President is expected to rally the globe towards more ambitious climate action, seeking implementation and honouring of commitments made over the past 30 years by countries with the greatest responsibilities for accumulating greenhouse gases causing global warming. He will also be outlining Kenya’s policies and strategies to tap into the global carbon market,” read the statement.
More than 50,000 attendees have registered and are expected to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting.
The meeting started on Sunday, November 6 and will end on November 18.
According to the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, African nations are seeking the implementation of the National Determined Contributions, including adaptation and mitigation efforts and delivery of finance to enhance implementation.
Ephraim Mwepya Shitima, current Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on climate change said the UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP27) is being held amid unmet climate commitments, lingering disruptions due to Covid-19, and the finance, energy and food challenges created by the war in Ukraine.
“We would like to see the conference reach a concrete decision on the global goal for adaptation. The latest IPCC Working group report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, highlighted the annual cost of adaptation in developing countries from $140 billion to $300 billion by 2030. We are calling for adaptation financing to match these figures,” he said.
During a recent interview with local media, Environment CS Soipan Tuya said those contributing more to the greenhouse gases should take responsibility as compared to African countries that are contributing the least to climate change.
She said the loss and damage are at an untold level.
Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance said loss and damage is a hotly contested issue depending on where one comes from.
He said the current devastating drought has left untold damage and led to the death of over two million cattle, Kenya will be seeking compensation for such losses.
“This is the priority as climate change is no longer an issue of tomorrow, and the issue of loss and damage as a result of climate change is going to inform the African demand. We are with it and feeling it,” Mwenda said. BY THE STAR