Phylip Leferink 

Climate change has become a foremost imperative for economies worldwide, with global warming having been exacerbated by an average of 1.2C since the preindustrial era.

The single digit figure may seem marginal but translates to an annual loss of USD14 trillion worldwide if the issue were to persist. 

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), around 80 per cent of global energy and 66 per cent of electrical generation are supplied from fossil fuels, contributing approximately 60 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. 

There is therefore a need to transition to cleaner forms of energy to ensure we realign with set SDGs.

Unfortunately, despite the recent technological innovation and cost reduction, renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies must still compete with highly subsidised carbon-intensive energy technologies.

Renewable energy technologies could be deployed more rapidly if energy policies addressed both the subsidies and impacts of fossil fuels while facilitating more finance for renewable energy projects.

There is need to relook our choices of sources of energy by championing renewable energy solutions such as wind, solar and thermal power to mitigate climate crisis and integrate long-term reforms for our country.

Countries are being asked to come forward with ambitious 2030 emissions reductions with clear targets that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century.

The climate is already changing and it will continue to change even as we reduce emissions, with devastating effects. We can only rise to the challenge working together.

Moreover, there is need to demonstrate leadership in managing matters related to environmental, social and economic performance throughout the world.

Any step towards this is a big win for our economy and environment.

According to President Uhuru Kenyatta, some recommendations that include detailed rules and procedures for implementing the Paris Agreement, should be finalised and provide a clear way forward for a climate-resilient pathway. 

The agreement should be sufficiently inclusive to accommodate the needs and priorities of developing countries and in particular, the special circumstances of Africa.

This can be done through collaboration among private sector leaders and the government to ensure we build projects that reflect the priorities of communities to become more resilient and support sustainability.

The Lake Turkana Wind Power farm provides 310MW of reliable, low-cost energy to Kenya’s national grid.

This is approximately 15 per cent of the country’s installed capacity. The wind farm offsets approximately over 700,000 tons of C02 emissions per year.

With such statistics, it is time the world taps into the massive potential that is readily available.

Wind, Solar and Thermal energy should be setting the pace having been done and tested in multiple regions across the world.

According to the IEA Energy Progress Report, 2021, renewable electricity accounts for almost half of global modern renewable energy consumption and three-quarters of its year-on-year increase, with hydropower being the largest renewable source of electricity globally and for each region.

Heat, which is the largest energy end use worldwide, had only a 1.2 per cent absolute increase when it came to renewable sources.

Coal, gas and oil still meet three-quarters of global heat demand, making it heavily fossil-fuel dependent.

The sector needs greater ambition, incorporation of multiple sources of clean energy and stronger policy support.

Additionally, financial support needs to be scaled up and increasingly target countries falling behind in reaching set SDG 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030. This means investing heavily in clean energy sources.

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has dramatically increased investors’ risk perception and shifted public funding priorities, international public financing is more critical than ever to leverage the investment levels needed to reach the above capacity.

It is vital that we conduct our businesses with an awareness of our carbon footprint to manage and reduce it.

By maintaining mobilisation and spearheading initiatives to make progress on our Climate approach.

LTWP aims to give as many people as possible access to reliable and sustainable energy while developing less carbon-intense solutions, promoting sustainability particularly in regions where a large part of the population lacks access to energy.

LTWP contributes first and foremost to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of Affordable and Clean energy.

Finally, transparent and impact-orientated engagement driven by urgency to sustainably manage our environment, contributes significantly and measurably to achieving the SDGs and UNEP’s objectives.

Partnerships between governments and the private sector inspire, inform and enable organisations, countries and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. — The writer is Chief Executive Officer, Lake Turkana Wind Power