constant monitoring of weather, climate and the chemical composition of the atmosphere coupled with an observation network of natural-resource stock levels of ecosystems. Earlier in 1999, the
Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act was enacted to harmonize the various sectoral statutes relating to the
management of the environment and the rational exploitation of natural resources. The National Environmental Management Authority was established to co- ordinate and manage all environmental matters including education, awareness creation, planning and standards as well as enforcement of the law. A comprehensive National Climate Change Strategy to guide all activities and interventions aimed at addressing issues related to climate change is being finalized. The Strategy is intended to consolidate national efforts and focus on adaptation to climate change consequences and address mitigation measures. A Climate Change and Co- ordination Unit at the Office of the Prime Minister has also been established to spearhead the high- level political co-ordination needed to mainstream climate change issues into the broad political and development agenda. The development of a forest master plan to restore degraded forest cover and improve the quality of the environment is currently being pursued. Notable is the Mau forest complex, which is the biggest “water tower” in the country. To enhance the supply of environmentally friendly and affordable energy, the government is investing in the development of renewable energy technologies such as geothermal, solar-based, biofuels and wind technologies. They are expected to reduce over- dependence on fossil fuels. The government has set up a Ministry of Development of
Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands to address specific needs of the people in the arid and semi-arid lands of northern parts of Kenya. These areas are inhabited by nomadic pastoralists who continually suffer food scarcity, drought and desertification. In the 2009/2010 national budget, the government in partnerships with some banks established a Green Economy Facility to transform Kenya into a green economy through offering interest-free, long-term loans to firms that opt to replace conventional high-cost energy generation with low-cost green alternatives.
Indeed the pursuit of environmental concerns in development has long been recognized in Kenya. The creation of the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources crystallized the political leadership and commitment essential in mainstreaming environment agenda in development. The siting of the offices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the 1970s also attests to the fact that Kenya has played an active role on environmental matters at the international level. This
international recognition was also played out with the awarding of a Nobel Peace Prize to Hon. Prof. Wangari Maathai in 2004 for her unrelenting efforts in environmental conservation through her Green Belt Movement’s tree planting activities.
No Copenhagen deal Prior to the Copenhagen UN climate change Conference of Parties in December 2009, there was a great deal of clamour around the world on the need for a fair, safe, equitable and effective deal to be reached at Copenhagen that would attract the participation of all countries. This was the motivation behind the ambitious “Seal the Deal” campaign by UN Secretary-
General H.E. Ban Ki-Moon in lobbying for strong political will and public support for a comprehensive global climate agreement. In the words of the Secretary-General, this slogan was hinged on the premise that combating climate change “is an investment with strong returns and any delays and inactions will only help to worsen the lives of millions of people”. Consequently, the Secretary- General cautioned the developing countries, and Africa in particular, to be careful in signing a climate change treaty in December 2009 because of their vulnerability. The campaign preceding Copenhagen centred on the call for the rich nations to take responsibility for climate change and provide adequate resources for mitigation and adaptation measures in vulnerable countries. This perhaps worked to stall the
reaching of a new legally binding treaty at Copenhagen. The failure to “seal the deal” on emission reduction targets hinged on suspicion among the developed, developing and emerging economies such as South Korea, India and China.
As if not to be left behind in the negotiations towards a climate deal at Copenhagen, Parliamentarians in Africa came together to form the Pan African Parliamentarians’ Network on Climate Change (PAPNCC) to provide them with leadership in the fight against the challenges posed by climate change in Africa. PAPNCC held two conferences in 2009 at Yaoundé, Cameroon, and at Nairobi, Kenya. African Parliamentarians dialogued on wide-ranging issues pertaining to the impact of climate change on the continent and the path Africa could follow in the climate negotiations at Copenhagen. The objective was to lobby the
African countries to adopt a united and common position during the Copenhagen meeting in order to engage the international
community and have their views and voice heard.
Parliaments can help seal an implementable deal Now that the Copenhagen COP- 15 ended with no tangible legal agreements to be followed by countries in reducing emissions, Parliaments must take a more proactive role in lobbying their respective countries to commit themselves to reduce carbon emissions if the war on climate change is to be won. The Copenhagen accord that was reached cannot be translated into legislative outcomes to be implemented by countries, so Parliamentarians should crusade for countries to create a strong and binding agreement on greenhouse gas reduction outcomes. Parliaments must work to strengthen commitments by countries to work for a new comprehensive international climate treaty. The Kyoto protocol expires by 2012 and consequently there is urgent need for new rules to apply thereafter. Developed countries need to agree to ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets beyond business-as-usual, while developing countries must explore how they can take advantage of the opportunities offered in the climate conventions and treaties to assist them to overcome climate changes.
All countries should now rise to confront the challenges posed by climate change and to redefine international relationships and establish genuine collaborations to combat climate change despite their divergent responsibilities and capabilities. Therefore Parliamentarians
should effectively exercise the roles bestowed upon them by their electorates to contribute to the socio-economic development of their countries, especially as far as climate change, poverty reduction and sustainable development are concerned.
The Parliamentarian | 2010: Issue Three - Kenya | 17