By Charles Mutai and Herman Kwoba
Transitioning to a green
economy means contributing to eradicating poverty as well as sustained economic
growth, enhancing social inclusion, improving human welfare and creating opportunities
for employment and decent work for all, while maintaining the healthy
functioning of the Earth’s ecosystems.
A green economy, in the
Kenyan context refers to a shift towards a development path that promotes resource
efficiency and sustainable management of natural resources, social inclusion,
resilience, and sustainable infrastructure development.
Kenya’s key policies and
programmes that are supportive of a green economy include: investments in
renewable energy; promotion of resource-efficient and cleaner production; environmental
planning and governance; and restoration of forest ecosystems.
Highlights
The Kenya Green Economy
Assessment Report (2014) indicated that Kenya is implementing various Green
Economy initiatives and policies such as investment in renewable energy,
promotion of sustainable production and consumption, pollution control and
waste management, and environmental planning and governance.
Greening scenarios -
which is based on Kenya-Threshold 21 (T21) model – show that a transition to
green economy has positive impacts in the medium and long term across all the
sectors of the economy.
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| Demonstration of a solar cooker at Jamhuri Energy Centre. Noah Lusaka/ALIN |
The T21 Model is a
uniquely customized planning tool for the long-term integrated development
planning as well as carrying out scenario analyses of adaptation options under
uncertainty in Kenya.
The Model allows the cost of adaptation to be quantified,
which is a pre-requirement for attracting much needed financing for adaptation.
The Kenya Green Economy
Assessment Report (2014) underscores that green growth has the potential to
build a transformative development pathway that will create green jobs,
accelerate poverty reduction, support sustainable growth, and restore environmental
health and quality as a foundation for future prosperity and well-being.
In this context, the
development of a national Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan
(GESIP) is almost finalized. The GESIP process is undertaken in collaboration
with strategic partners; United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), African
Development Bank (AfDB), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Danish International
Development Agency (DANIDA) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
(GIZ).
Multi-stakeholder and
multi-sectoral consultations have being held at the national and county levels.
GESIP focuses on the promotion of resource efficiency, sustainable management
of natural resources, social inclusion, building resilience, and sustainable
infrastructure development.
Enabling conditions for Green
Growth/ Economy in Kenya include Vision 2030 (implemented through five-year
Medium Term Plans). Vison 2030 is Kenya’s long-term development blueprint which
aims to transform the country into “a newly industrialized, middle-income
country, providing a high quality of life to all its citizens in a clean and
secure environment” by 2030.
The Constitution of Kenya
2010; Article 42, recognizes a healthy environment as a right and calls for
“sustainable exploitation, utilization, management and conservation of the environment
and natural resources.”
Conclusion
Green investments and
innovation in Kenya are driven mainly by renewable energy, resource efficient
and clean technologies, sustainable consumption, and production. Fiscal
policies and leveraging international support are crucial in the implementation
of the Green Economy Strategy.
Charles Mutai (PhD) is the Deputy Director of Climate Change
Secretariat. E-mail drcmutai@gmail.com. Herman Kwoba is the national
Coordinator Green Economy Transition Africa. E-mail kwoba.herman@gmail.com.
Source: Joto Afrika. Download a copy here
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