NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 23 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kenya has called on the private sector and international development partners to support the Government to help strengthen climate finance at the county level.
In remarks conveyed in an emailed statement on Tuesday ahead of the official opening of the Devolution Conference, UNDP Kenya’s Resident Representative Walid Badawi also called on the government to enhance domestic budget allocation towards climate relevant sectors to strengthen sustainable climate action at the county level.
“We commend the Government of Kenya for the commitment and leadership in ensuring that coordination structures and instruments are put in place so that as part of the national climate change response efforts, sustainable and innovative financing is mobilized.
At the national level, efforts by the National Treasury and Planning and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry are beginning to bear some fruits. More work is still required to fully bring all the 47 counties into this fold,” Badawi said.
He said that UNDP and the National Treasury have prepared the Kenya Climate Finance Synthesis Report and Programme, which analyses Kenya’s climate finance journey.
Badawi further called on the counties to enhance allocations towards mitigation actions such as reafforestation, renewable energy, sustainable transport, agriculture and integrating nature-based solutions in the development plans.
“The Glasgow compromise pact during the COP26 does not deliver the real tangible financing required by developing countries like Kenya to effectively adapt to the ravaging climate crisis. The Climate Change Act 2016, the Climate Finance Policy 2018, and the Public Finance Management Act 2012 all demand availing of enough resources. There is an urgent need for financing as a key enabler to climate adaptation and disaster risk management. Without climate financing, then all plans, policies, commitments, and budgets are only empty wishes, that come to naught,” said Badawi.
The conference themed ‘Multi-Level Governance for Climate Action: Sub-National Mobilization in Unlocking the Full Potential of Climate Action during and after Pandemics,’ is Kenya’s inaugural climate meeting at the sub-national level and is expected to cascade response to climate change to the grassroots.
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change.
Working with a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, UNDP helps nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet.
It has been operating in Kenya since 1966 and supports programmes under three priority areas towards national development priorities including governance, peace, security, Inclusive growth, structural transformation, Environmental sustainability, climate change and resilience.
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