NAIROBI, (The Southern African Times) – The delivery of climate justice for grassroots communities who have borne the brunt of extreme weather events like severe droughts, floods, wildfires and spread of new pathogens lies in sustainable financing, Kenyan campaigners said on Monday.
Speaking at a consultative forum ahead of the Global Climate Summit to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31 to November 12, the green campaigners called for bridging the funding gap toward climate adaptation in order to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable demographics.
Charles Mwangu, thematic lead of Resilient People, Societies and Economies at the Nairobi-based Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) said that Kenya and other African countries should prioritize climate financing as they embark on pandemic recovery.
“We should therefore lobby for more resources to strengthen adaptation to climate change during the Glasgow summit,” said Mwangu.
According to Mwangu, the pre-Glasgow climate summit consultative forum convened by PACJA and civil society partners sought to stimulate discussion on innovative ways to tap into multilateral funds, hasten the implementation of national, regional and continental adaptation projects.
He said that Kenya was in a vantage position to rally Sub-Saharan African peers toward negotiating for a fair share of climate financing and appropriate technologies required to hasten a green and just transition.
Marlene Achoki, Global Policy Co-Lead at Care International said that Kenya should leverage access to adaptation funds and technical know-how to implement projects that accelerate green and inclusive growth.
She called for a united African voice to lobby for the removal of administrative and procedural barriers that have slowed down climate financing in a continent reeling from the negative impacts of uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions.
According to Achoki, the upcoming 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in Glasgow presents an opportunity for African states to lobby for financing toward low-carbon development.
George Wamukoya, head of Africa Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES) said the continent required equitable allocation of mitigation and adaptation funds in order to strengthen action on climate change.
He called for fiscal incentives to spur investments in cleaner energy sources like geothermal, wind and solar, in order to accelerate green transition in Africa.
