UK will announce climate finance and resilience projects worth £49m (Sh8.8 billion) at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi.
The projects will focus on mobilising finance for climate action and helping people manage the impact of climate change across the African continent.
“The funding will help to create jobs, grow economies and improve the lives of women, farmers and at-risk communities,” a statement from the British High Commission in Nairobi stated.
The announcement will be in line with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverley’s promise of reliable investment in Africa when he visited Kenya in December 2022, along with COP26 commitments, demonstrating the strength and capability of UK-Africa partnerships.
The amount includes £34 million (Sh6.1 billion)for new projects across 15 African countries to help women, at-risk communities, and more than 400,000 farmers build resilience against the effects of climate change, under the established CLARE, CIWA and WISER programmes.
Seven new climate finance projects will also be launched at the summit, the UK said.
“Seven new climate finance projects will also be launched at the Summit those least responsible for climate change are increasingly bearing the brunt of its effects,” UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said
Mitchell said the UK is working closely with African partners to fight climate change, boost resilience and help those whose lives are most impacted.
Whilst in Nairobi, the minister will reaffirm the UK’s commitment to providing £11.6 billion in international climate finance over five years and will call for rapid reform of the international financial system to unlock trillions of dollars to combat climate change.
He will also welcome the launch of Weza Power, a new partnership between the Government of Burundi and UK-backed company Virunga Power, to expand energy access to almost 70 per cent of Burundi’s population.
In addition, he will visit Nairobi Railway City, a regeneration of the city centre designed by British architects with the latest green technology and Sh11.5bn of UK investment.
This is one of six climate investment projects fast-tracked by President William Ruto and Prime Minister Sunak at COP27. Since the meeting, construction has begun, and ground has been broken on a second project.
Mitchell will also announce details of the third successive Climate and Development Ministerial, hosted by the COP28 UAE Presidency and the UK ahead of COP28, with Malawi and Vanuatu as co-chairs.
The Ministerial was first launched by the UK ahead of COP26 to generate tangible outcomes for climate finance access and loss and damage.