•The Africa Climate Summit is set to be held from September 4 to 6.
•Issues to be discussed include climate finance, mitigation and green growth, adaptation and resilience; loss and damage; and research.
The government will use the platform provided by the upcoming Africa Climate Summit to showcase some of the solutions to climate change.
Environment CS Soipan Tuya said the September 4-6 ACS in Nairobi will be a platform for the continent to showcase its climate action potential in niche sectors such as renewable energy, carbon sinks, sustainable agriculture and critical minerals.
"His Excellency the President of Kenya Dr William Samoei Ruto and the Africa Union Commission leadership will lead the continent at the summit in showcasing Africa’s green energy potentials, which range from solar, wind and hydro,” Tuya said.
The CS made her remarks on Wednesday during a briefing of African ambassadors on the upcoming summit’s preparations organised by the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
Tuya was accompanied to the meeting by Environment and Climate Change PS Festus Ng'eno, Kenya's Climate Envoy Ali Mohamed and Africa Climate Summit CEO Joseph Ng'ang'a.
The theme for the Summit is, "Africa together for bold, innovative and resourced climate action: Unlocking climate finance and green investments.”
It is anchored on six pillars: Climate Finance; Mitigation and Green Growth; Climate Adaptation and Resilience; Loss and Damage; Climate Vulnerable groups; and Research Innovation and Technology.
Tuya said the kind of energy available in Kenya, for instance, can power the world and minimise greenhouse gas emissions if tapped.
"At the summit, we will ask African countries to come and display their critical minerals potential. We will make a case for the processing of lithium, cobalt and other critical minerals in Africa, to not only create jobs for our youthful population but also to reduce the carbon footprints that are due to processing elsewhere," Tuya said.
Kenya has continued to push for more clean energy despite achieving high renewable generation from hydro (30%) and geothermal (45%) in 2017.
In 2022, renewables delivered 90 per cent of Kenya’s electricity.
Wind power reached 14 per cent of Kenya’s electricity in 2022 (1.7 TWh), up from just 0.6 per cent in 2017 (0.1 TWh).
Tuya said the continent, which has always been a victim of the impacts of climate change, will use the high-level heads of state and government meeting to pitch for and attract new development partners to support its green growth agenda.
"Africa is bringing its resources to the world and Africa is requesting the world to bring its capital to Africa. We are hosting a climate change trade and investment summit as opposed to aid for Climate change summit," she said.
Tuya said the country looks forward to the adoption of a Nairobi African leaders' declaration that will address the continent's climate financing gaps including reform of global multilateral financial institutions.
"The declaration will also make proposals for reform of multilateral development banks, in a way that makes the banks support low middle-income countries to avoid debt distress, freeing their capital for climate change interventions," the CS said.
"The declaration will make an invitation for capital from across the globe, to exploit Africa’s assets and resources in ways that support sustainable development and enable green growth as we decarbonize the world."
Tuya rallied the African ambassadors to convince their heads of state and government to attend the summit, saying its outcomes will change Africa's climate action discourse.
In 2016, Kenya ratified the Paris Agreement and submitted an ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution with a commitment to reduce emissions by 30 per cent against a business-as-usual scenario by 2030.