UNDP calls on partners to support the Government of Kenya to strengthen climate finance at the county level

Nairobi, 23rd November 2021 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kenya has today at the 7th Annual Devolution conference called on the private sector and international development partners to support the Government of Kenya to strengthen climate finance at the county level. As partners commit their support, UNDP is also urging the government to enhance domestic budget allocation towards climate relevant sectors to strengthen sustainable climate action at the county level.

“We commend the Government of Kenya for the commitment and leadership in ensuring that coordination structures and instruments are put in place so that as part of the national climate change response efforts, sustainable and innovative financing is mobilised. At the national level, efforts by the National Treasury and Planning and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry are beginning to bear some fruits. More work is still required to fully bring all the 47 counties into this fold,” said UNDP Kenya’s Resident Representative Mr. Walid Badawi.

The three-day Devolution Conference happening in Makueni County aims to strengthen sub-national governments to act on climate change and develop stronger mitigation capacities. It is marked at a very important time, after the just ended Twenty-Sixth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that was held in Glasgow, Scotland under the United Kingdom, and Italy’s presidency.

“The Glasgow compromise pact during the COP26 does not deliver the real tangible financing required by developing countries like Kenya to effectively adapt to the ravaging climate crisis. The Climate Change Act 2016, the Climate Finance Policy 2018, and the Public Finance Management Act 2012 all demand availing of sufficient resources. There is an urgent need for financing as a key enabler to climate adaptation and disaster risk management. Without climate financing, then all plans, policies, commitments, and budgets are only empty wishes, that come to naught,” added Mr. Badawi.

UNDP and the National Treasury have prepared the Kenya Climate Finance Synthesis Report and Programme, which analyses Kenya’s climate finance journey. At the national level, the report highlights that Kenya boasts of a robust regulatory legislative and policy terrain that provides building blocks for realising transformative climate actions at all levels. However, not all counties have localised their policies to their unique contexts and plans. There is a need to dedicate significant efforts to develop and align their policies and regulatory frameworks to those at the national level and to successfully implement them to ensure adequate investment in climate change related programmes.

UNDP encourages counties to dedicate significant portions of their budgetary allocations to strengthen climate actions in line with the progressive Nationally Determined Contributions Update submitted by Kenya to UNFCCC. The counties are encouraged to enhance allocations towards mitigation actions such as reafforestation, renewable energy, sustainable transport, agriculture and integrating nature-based solutions in the development plans. The Sustainable Tree Growing Fund developed by UNDP in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry is a novel climate action idea, as counties now have support to help Kenya meet her 10% tree cover target.

Source: ReliefWeb