President Uhuru calls for people-based climate action

PSCU

President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged fellow world leaders to pursue climate change adaptation and mitigation measures that will secure people’s livelihoods and expand economic opportunities. 

He said sustainable climate action is largely about people and their livelihoods, adding that no one should be left behind in efforts to combat climate change. 

The President, who spoke on Monday at the Climate Change Summit held on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, said Kenya is fully committed to the fight against climate change. 

“Our commitment to tackling climate change is deep and arises out of the need to secure our future and that of our children as we have been victims of droughts and declining rainfall,  which have destroyed our lives and livelihoods and require increased public resources to address emergencies and disasters,” he said. 

He said Kenya has taken deliberate steps towards meeting its international climate obligations in the energy, environment and the blue  economy sectors, among others. 

Expand connectivity

“In energy, we have transitioned our energy sources to renewables to the tune of 90 per cent.

I recently inaugurated our largest wind power farm in the continent at Lake Turkana and we shall continue to prioritise our energy developments from geothermal and other natural sources,” said Uhuru. 

The Head of State said renewable energy sources have enabled Kenya to expand electricity connectivity from less than 30 per cent in 2013 to 75 per cent over the last six years.

In forestry, the President said Kenya aims to plant two billion trees to achieve the global threshold of 10 per cent tree cover by 2022. 

Uhuru, who spoke on the theme “Live, Work and Move Green” said Kenya will continue championing the Building Climate Resilience for the Urban Poor plan.