http://the-star.co.ke/news/article-194068/why-kenyans-need-push-global-action-climate-change
BY VELMA MUKORO VIA THE STAR NEWSPAPER
President Uhuru Kenyatta was one of the 120 world leaders, business people and civil society representatives who attended the one-day climate change summit in New York on September 23.
The summit was hosted by United Nations boss Ban Ki Moon. Unlike previous climate gatherings where procedural battles had been the order of the day, things were calm this time round.
Heads of states presented what they considered to be bold pledges to decarbonise their economies and tackle climate threats. Later in the day, business leaders and governments discussed financial matters on the proposed climate initiatives. In his opening remarks, Ban Ki Moon said: “Climate change is the defining issue of our age. Our response will define the future”.
Moon said that the summit was supposed to mobilise political will for a meaningful universal agreement and catalyze ambitious activities on the ground to reduce emissions and strengthen resilience to the changes that are happening already.
The conference drew mixed reactions. Of great concern was the nature of the pledges. The total sum of US$2.3 billion contributed to the green climate fund fell short of the expectations.
According to UNFCCC climate experts, an estimated amount of US$10 to $15 billion US dollars is needed to help poor nations adopt climate resilience programs. Contrary to Ban Ki Moon’s closing remarks, “We have delivered”, Graca Machel felt that the magnitude of climate change was much higher than what had been achieved in the summit. She said that there was need for rich countries to go back to the drawing board and step up their ambitions by contributing more to the climate fund.
The most remarkable thing about this summit is perhaps the response it got from communities around the world. Two days before world leaders converged at the United Nations head office, approximately 400,000 thousand people backed by civil groups and eco-conscious institutions participated in a historic people’s climate march in the streets of New York City. They demanded for deeds that will create a world with an economy that works for the people and the planet.
Parallel mobilisation events were held on the same day in different parts of the world. It was a colourful occasion characterised by music, dance, placards and chanting of slogans as people addressed their elected leaders to embrace system change and environmental justice. These events signified the beginning of a back-to-back push for a new global climate deal in the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to be held in Paris 2015.
As a nation already experiencing daily unforgiving effects of climate change, it’s not too late to join the bandwagon and attest our concern for the environment. Prolonged droughts in arid Kenya, desertification of arable lands, destructive floods, biodiversity loss, climate-caused diseases and environmental refugees are inter-generational challenges that jeopardize our very existence.
It is easy to sympathise with the country’s increasing vulnerability to local climate threats. It’s like helplessly watching the folkloric goose that lays the golden eggs die. Many young climate activists in Kenya are critical of the outcome of the get-together. They argue that there is a huge mismatch between the demands of thousands of people who took to the streets and commitments proposed by governments.
Seemingly, the total sum receivable from the Green Climate Fund won’t be enough to kick-start or sustain nationwide adaptation and mitigation projects in Kenya. Climate change is rapidly slipping out of control as the cost of combating it keeps rising. Therefore it’s only natural that we shift reliance from the insufficient foreign aid to committing our limited resources in curbing the harsh returns from nature.
Catastrophic is a word that will be used to describe climate change in Kenya if the misconception that it’s a battle to be fought by the government, environmental organizations and civil groups goes on. The moment has come when the contest between environment and development should be popularized in all professions and at all levels.
Kenyans should share in the vision of the people’s climate march by launching massive push events in solidarity with the global call for action. It is time to impel the government and businesses in key sectors such as construction, agriculture, energy, industry, transport and forestry to shift to sustainable options that will steer this nation on a low carbon path. People should actively advocate for community based mitigation and adaptation solutions and petition for rapid response to local climate threats.
Being selective of who addresses climate change and tackles perceived threats will only aggravate the current situation. It’s evident that time for action is running out as the magnitude of climate change keeps increasing by the day. As Kenyans, let us shape our future by adding to the climate voice.
- See more at: http://the-star.co.ke/news/article-194068/why-kenyans-need-push-global-action-climate-change#sthash.Lt8cgjjv.dpuf
The summit was hosted by United Nations boss Ban Ki Moon. Unlike previous climate gatherings where procedural battles had been the order of the day, things were calm this time round.
Heads of states presented what they considered to be bold pledges to decarbonise their economies and tackle climate threats. Later in the day, business leaders and governments discussed financial matters on the proposed climate initiatives. In his opening remarks, Ban Ki Moon said: “Climate change is the defining issue of our age. Our response will define the future”.
Moon said that the summit was supposed to mobilise political will for a meaningful universal agreement and catalyze ambitious activities on the ground to reduce emissions and strengthen resilience to the changes that are happening already.
The conference drew mixed reactions. Of great concern was the nature of the pledges. The total sum of US$2.3 billion contributed to the green climate fund fell short of the expectations.
According to UNFCCC climate experts, an estimated amount of US$10 to $15 billion US dollars is needed to help poor nations adopt climate resilience programs. Contrary to Ban Ki Moon’s closing remarks, “We have delivered”, Graca Machel felt that the magnitude of climate change was much higher than what had been achieved in the summit. She said that there was need for rich countries to go back to the drawing board and step up their ambitions by contributing more to the climate fund.
The most remarkable thing about this summit is perhaps the response it got from communities around the world. Two days before world leaders converged at the United Nations head office, approximately 400,000 thousand people backed by civil groups and eco-conscious institutions participated in a historic people’s climate march in the streets of New York City. They demanded for deeds that will create a world with an economy that works for the people and the planet.
Parallel mobilisation events were held on the same day in different parts of the world. It was a colourful occasion characterised by music, dance, placards and chanting of slogans as people addressed their elected leaders to embrace system change and environmental justice. These events signified the beginning of a back-to-back push for a new global climate deal in the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to be held in Paris 2015.
As a nation already experiencing daily unforgiving effects of climate change, it’s not too late to join the bandwagon and attest our concern for the environment. Prolonged droughts in arid Kenya, desertification of arable lands, destructive floods, biodiversity loss, climate-caused diseases and environmental refugees are inter-generational challenges that jeopardize our very existence.
It is easy to sympathise with the country’s increasing vulnerability to local climate threats. It’s like helplessly watching the folkloric goose that lays the golden eggs die. Many young climate activists in Kenya are critical of the outcome of the get-together. They argue that there is a huge mismatch between the demands of thousands of people who took to the streets and commitments proposed by governments.
Seemingly, the total sum receivable from the Green Climate Fund won’t be enough to kick-start or sustain nationwide adaptation and mitigation projects in Kenya. Climate change is rapidly slipping out of control as the cost of combating it keeps rising. Therefore it’s only natural that we shift reliance from the insufficient foreign aid to committing our limited resources in curbing the harsh returns from nature.
Catastrophic is a word that will be used to describe climate change in Kenya if the misconception that it’s a battle to be fought by the government, environmental organizations and civil groups goes on. The moment has come when the contest between environment and development should be popularized in all professions and at all levels.
Kenyans should share in the vision of the people’s climate march by launching massive push events in solidarity with the global call for action. It is time to impel the government and businesses in key sectors such as construction, agriculture, energy, industry, transport and forestry to shift to sustainable options that will steer this nation on a low carbon path. People should actively advocate for community based mitigation and adaptation solutions and petition for rapid response to local climate threats.
Being selective of who addresses climate change and tackles perceived threats will only aggravate the current situation. It’s evident that time for action is running out as the magnitude of climate change keeps increasing by the day. As Kenyans, let us shape our future by adding to the climate voice.
- See more at: http://the-star.co.ke/news/article-194068/why-kenyans-need-push-global-action-climate-change#sthash.Lt8cgjjv.dpuf