Kenya will next week host 24 Heads of State and government for a summit on climate change.

The visiting leaders are among the 30,000 delegates who will be assembling at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi for the Africa Climate Summit (ACS) to be hosted by President William Ruto, who is the chair of the African President’s Caucus on Climate Change.

This year’s summit is themed: “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World.”

The inaugural ACS will be held from Sep 4 to 6 alongside the Africa Climate Week between September 4 and September 8.

“The summit will be graced by over 24 Heads of State and Government, high-level representatives of development partners and international institutions, as well as subject experts while about 30,000 delegates are expected to attend,” said a Cabinet dispatch on Tuesday evening.

The twin events which will be co-hosted with the African Union Commission will assemble international leaders, experts, activists and stakeholders to deliberate on strategies to combat climate issues and drive sustainable development across the continent, according to organisers. The Summit will serve as a platform to inform, frame and influence commitments, pledges and outcomes ultimately leading to the development of the Nairobi Declaration.

Those expected to address the meeting include host President Ruto, Comoros President Azali Assoumani who is the Chairperson African Union, Mousa Faki Mahamat, Africa Union Chairperson, Soipan Tuya, Cabinet Secretary, Environment; Climate Change and Forestry, Amb Josefa Sacko, Commisioner Agriculture, Rural Development, Sustainable Environment & Blue Economy, Stephen Jackson-Resident Coordinator-United Nations, Kenya and Harsen Nyambe-Africa Union Commission Director (Sustainable Environment & Blue Economy).

Local solutions

Speaking ahead of the Summit, President Ruto said: “This will be a key opportunity for us to accelerate global energy transition and deliver African solutions to the COP28 in Dubai (UAE).”

The effects of climate change are blamed for severe droughts, floods, starvation, forced migration, poverty and deadly conflicts over scarce resources among African communities.

Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya said the summit will present an opportunity for Africa to showcase its resources to the world and to drive a green growth agenda through a low-carbon development pathway that enables the world to de-carbonise fast and cost effectively.

The CS, who was briefing the media on the forthcoming event at the Summit Secretariat offices in Nairobi said Africa’s critical minerals and opportunities for local processing on the continent can enable the reduction of greenhouse gases that warm the world while at the same time creating green jobs for the growing population.

She said Africa has vast potential for renewable energy and singled out Kenya’s renewable energy in the national electricity grid, which is currently at 92 percent.

“Africa also hosts a vast amount of uncultivated arable land, which is an opportunity for the continent to serve as the global breadbasket. These solutions are what the world is looking for and they are all here in Africa; we bring them to the world at the Summit,”Tuya stated.

Natural disasters

The CS noted that the wildfires, heat waves, devastating floods and other natural disasters that have been threatening to make parts of the planet inhabitable, citing Africa, North America, Asia and Europe, where unprecedented high temperatures have been witnessed.

“The United Nations estimates that we have lost 1.23 million lives in 7,348 major disasters worldwide over the last two decades, while the global disasters report shows that nearly 85 percent of all disasters have been caused by extreme weather and climate conditions over the decade,” she added.

Soipan said the Africa summit will be used to highlight the climate change development nexus and show the linkage between Africa’s debt distress and its inability to have sufficient capital to conduct adaptation and mitigation interventions for climate change as a result of debt.