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President William Ruto is on Thursday, November 30, 2023, set to depart the country for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where he is scheduled to attend the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, while confirming the visit, said the Head of State will advocate for Kenya and Africa’s climate agenda at the event slated to run between Thursday, November 30 and Tuesday, December 12.

“At COP 28 alongside 100 global leaders, President Ruto will emphasize transformative climate action urgently needed to correct the world’s current trajectory.

As the Chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), Mohamed said, the Head of State will also deliver a statement on behalf of Africa, highlighting the continent’s priorities and building on the historic African Leaders Nairobi Declaration adopted at the Inaugural Africa Climate Summit held in Nairobi in September 2023.

ACS 2023 ended with a call for world leaders to act with urgency in reducing emissions, fulfilling its obligations, keeping past promises and supporting the continent in addressing climate change effects.

During the three-day event hosted at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, the leaders urged the international community to back global taxes to fund climate action.

“We demand a fair playing ground for our countries to access the investments needed to unlock the potential and translate it into opportunities.

“We further demand a just multilateral development finance architecture, to liberate our economies from odious debt and onerous barriers to necessary financial resources,” the leaders said in a final statement dubbed: The Nairobi Declaration read by President Ruto.

The leaders also demanded that the global community commit to uphold commitments to a fair and accelerated process of phasing down coal and abolishment of all fossil fuel subsidies.

“Swiftly operationalise the Loss and Damage facility agreed at COP27,” they demanded.