President Ruto Set to Champion Africa’s Climate Agenda at COP28 in Dubai

HomeNewsPresident Ruto Set to Champion Africa's Climate Agenda at COP28 in Dubai

President Ruto Set to Champion Africa’s Climate Agenda at COP28 in Dubai

President William Ruto is slated to depart for the eagerly anticipated 28th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 28) in Dubai today.

Hussein Mohamed, a spokesman for the State House, confirmed in a statement published on Thursday that Ruto will speak on behalf of all African presidents.

A significant topic that he will address is the continent’s priorities as outlined in the historic Nairobi Declaration of African Leaders, which was adopted during the inaugural Africa Climate Summit that took place in Nairobi in September 2023.

“President William Ruto will depart today for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the United Arab Emirates, advocating for Kenya and Africa’s climate agenda,” read the statement.

“Kenya and Africa possess vast natural resources, a growing workforce, and untapped renewable energy potential, positioning them to contribute significantly to global climate action while pursuing sustainable development. President Ruto aims to establish Kenya and Africa as key hubs for green manufacturing, supporting the global decarbonization agenda.”

Mohamed additionally observed that Ruto espouses the necessity of bringing international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in line with Africa’s developmental landscape and climate objectives, to realize the aforementioned vision.

Ruto will advocate for a new framework on climate finance and lead the introduction of the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII) while attending the event.

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By capitalizing on the continent’s potential, the AGII seeks to implement the Nairobi Declaration, in which African leaders pledged to pursue inclusive and environmentally sustainable growth.

The implementation entails the expansion of environmentally sustainable industries and businesses in Africa, the promotion of climate change adaptation and mitigation, and the facilitation of significant economic expansion and employment generation on the continent.

Ruto’s additional objective is to propose a novel framework for climate finance through the presentation of Africa’s viewpoint on the revision of the international financial architecture.

In addition, he anticipates observing the execution of investment agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) about substantial investments in green manufacturing in Kenya.

Ruto addressed the conference at COP27, which was convened in Egypt the previous year, concerning the ramifications of climate change in Kenya, Africa, and globally. He further pledged his dedication to ameliorating the prevailing circumstances.

President Ruto Set to Champion Africa’s Climate Agenda at COP28 in Dubai

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