- Duale also identified adaptation, loss and damage as another priority.
- He said adaptation has often been overshadowed by mitigation, yet they are crucial and a priority to the continent as climate impacts worsen.
Kenya has identified crucial issues that must be prioritised during the upcoming climate change conference.
Environment CS Aden Duale emphasised that finance must be at the heart of climate diplomacy at the Conference of Parties, known as COP29, as a critical enabler of climate action.
"Currently, climate finance is flowing to the continent at an insufficient scale and in unequal directions. Reform is needed to make finance available, affordable and accessible, especially to developing economies. Securing a strong favourable finance deal at COP29 is vital," Duale said.
The CS said the African Position Paper should reflect the priorities of the continent.
The 2024 UN Climate Change Conference will convene in November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Duale made the remarks when he presided over the opening session of the three-day Africa Group of Negotiators on Climate Change preparation workshop for COP29 at a Nairobi hotel.
The workshop is themed 'Africa's collective voice for climate action and development'.
It has brought together United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change National Focal Points and Negotiators from across Africa.
This is to consolidate the continent's position ahead of COP29.
The African Group of Negotiators, currently chaired by Kenya's Special Climate Envoy Ali Mohamed, is a pan-African team of experts.
They represent the continent in international climate change negotiations based on a common and unified voice.
The meeting was attended by Environment PS Festus Ng'eno, Unep regional representative for Africa Rose Mwebaza, African Union Commission's director for Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Harsen Nyambe and Oxfam's director of Programmes and Influencing Audace Kubwimana.
Duale also identified adaptation, loss and damage as other priorities.
He said adaptation has often been overshadowed by mitigation, yet they are crucial and a priority to the continent as climate impacts worsens.
"COP29 is a pivotal opportunity to prioritise adaptation, loss and damage and secure the necessary financial and technical assistance. This will help to close the adaptation finance gap through innovative funding mechanisms including private sector investments," Duale said.
The CS said countries are building momentum towards a new set of nationally determined contributions.
But the African continent has not received sufficient financial and technical support to implement, track and report on its current NDCs effectively.
"We also lack clarity on the amount of current and future funding, capacity building and technical support required to implement NDCs."
Duale said the vagueness undermines the transparency of the support framework under the Paris Agreement. He said it should be prioritised in the upcoming negotiations.
NDCs are climate action plans to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts.
Each party to the Paris Agreement is required to establish an NDC and update it every five years.
The CS said the continent will rely on the collective support of the negotiators. This is to achieve the objectives as will be outlined in the Africa Position Paper.
The paper will be presented to the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment and Committee of African heads of state and governments on climate change next month for consideration and adoption.
Duale said African countries have seen major droughts and floods. Storms and cyclones have intensified and become more frequent.
This is as the financial and technical capacity of the continent to adapt to climate change and increasing climate and natural hazards continues to be limited.
"By 2050, negative climate impacts could cost African countries $50 billion annually. Our priority therefore, is to increase the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change," the CS said.
"This is in addition to fostering climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production," Duale said.
PS Ng'eno said climate change is a challenge that knows no borders and hence requires countries to rethink their priorities, making a regional approach essential.
"Africa has already made considerable progress in integrating climate action into development initiatives, supported by various strategies and actions," the PS said.