African Climate Action Summit, An Opportunity to Address Urgent Climate Action

Kenya got the green light to host the 2023 African Climate Action Summit from 4-6 September, an event coming at the right time. The East African nation was picked, being one of the front runners in tackling climate change in the continent through initiatives like the First Lady adapting 494 acres of land to plant trees.

The Summit is a huge step in Africa’s effort to participate in the global climate change agenda actively. President William Ruto said, “There is consensus in this meeting that Africa is the continent of the future. It is time to escalate this consensus and propel Africa to join the leadership of global climate action.”

With the recent climatic adversities recorded, among the key topics will be Africa’s vulnerability to different conditions. Cyclone Freddy did expose our strategies to deal with such occurrences, the phenomena killing hundreds and displacing over 500,000 people. Drought is another climatic change impact, as observed in Kenya, affecting over 5.4 million people. 

Additionally, it is clear that most African countries have pledged to lower their emissions of greenhouse gasses but need more financial resources to execute the necessary procedures. The summit will provide a forum for African leaders to set up strategies for securing finances, including collaboration with international organizations and private sector investment, as in Carbon Markets.

In attempts to achieve Africa’s Climate goals, there will be more emphasis on creating awareness of global warming. This comes with the realization that many people are still unaware of the gravity of climatic change consequences, despite the recent calamities. We should expect the handling of the matter and climate action, including sharing best practices and developing regional climate policies.

Therefore, the African Climate Action Summit should strictly work on providing solutions to one of the most pressing issues in the continent. Collaborating and sharing ideas, strategies, and resources can chart a course towards a more sustainable and resilient future for the continent. We look forward to the outcomes of the Nairobi summit and preceding actions.