Kenya renews commitment to multilateral green agenda

NAIROBI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will rally behind multilateral initiatives aimed at advancing climate-resilient growth in order to restore livelihoods amid devastations by the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said Tuesday.

Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry spoke at a virtual Kenya-European Union (EU) green diplomacy conference to discuss innovative partnerships around climate change, biodiversity and plastic waste management.

He said that Kenya's support towards the global green agenda has been strengthened through political goodwill, friendly policies and investment in clean energy, and Kenya has prioritized a transition to a green economy that is resilient as it remains the frontrunner in biodiversity conservation and elimination of plastic pollution.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said on the second day of a climate summit attended online by world leaders last month that Kenya is committed to lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent by the year 2030.

Participants including policymakers, diplomats, scholars and green campaigners who participated in the forum said that Kenya should leverage progressive legislation, domestic financing, and clean technologies in order to raise its visibility in the global green agenda.

"We have always acknowledged the importance of multilateralism to tackle environmental challenges. The ban on single-use plastics and reforestation programs has strengthened the greening of our economy," said Tobiko.

He said that Kenya has been part of an ongoing dialogue to ensure the success of global summits on biodiversity and climate change that will be held later in the year.

Najib Balala, cabinet secretary for tourism and wildlife said the government has focused on harnessing innovations that improve the climate resilience of communities and biodiversity including wildlife.

Green investments have benefitted nature, wildlife and communities hence the urgency for us to transform the way our economic models interact with natural resources, he said.