Shaping global environmental policy to tackle climate change, in light of UNEA

The recent conclusion of the sixth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) in Nairobi, Kenya, has underscored the urgency of shaping global environmental policy to combat the escalating climate crisis. As the world’s foremost decision-making body on environmental matters, UNEA-6 served as a vital forum for

Business landscape 2024: Key measures for corporate compliance in the new year amidst evolving challenges

Since a majority of the world’s economic activity is conducted through corporations, their impact on society is significant. As such, potential corporate misconduct poses a significant threat to social welfare. History has shown that imprudent and irresponsible corporate behaviour and action have a far-reaching impact

Climate litigation surge: Businesses must address risks and reputational challenges

Given the global surge in lawsuits addressing climate-related concerns, ranging from inadequate state carbon reduction targets and strategies to corporate inaction and misinformation, and other claims for climate-related damages, corporations must remain vigilant and attentive to this next frontier of reputational risk. Records from a

Key legislative and regulatory policies set to shape Kenya in 2024

The year 2023 saw the introduction of several legislative and regulatory updates in Kenya. Notably, as the year ends, various notable legislative and regulatory policies and strategies are scheduled to be implemented in the coming year.  Implementation of these proposed changes in law will likely

Climate change struggle: Africa’s youth emerge as a force to steer the continent towards sustainable practices and innovative solutions.

In the heart of the global climate crisis, where nations grapple with the consequences of environmental degradation, the youth of Africa emerge as key protagonists in the battle against climate change. As COP 28 unfolds on the global stage, it coincides with the sixth edition

Over 40 million health professionals demand bold health and climate action at COP28

On the first-ever Health Day at a COP, more than 40 million health professionals from around the globe joined the call to action by the World Health Organization (WHO) and civil society organizations, to prioritize health in climate negotiations at COP28. Climate inaction is costing

Urgent action, bold leadership, and global commitments key to accelerating Africa’s climate wins

Climate change stands as a threat to the foundations of our global food systems. Today, soaring temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and extreme weather are adversely affecting our ability to feed ourselves, demanding urgent solutions. The escalating impacts of climate change are making it increasingly challenging

Green energy revolution: Macro-economic effects, power struggles and winners in the changing landscape of energy economics.

Economic power affects every state and industry in defining manners. Economic power is the access to wealth, natural renewable resources, monopoly powers and/or superior technology. The current global initiative towards climate change threatens to cause a shift in economic powers and strengths, particularly concerning access

IMF affirms climate change commitment amid anomalies and global partnerships

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has affirmed its position on the climate change global initiative. The IMF has stated its intention to engage with the global initiative by supporting its member states in alignment with the organisation’s mandated roles. On 16th July 2021, the IMF’s

COP 28 Climate Talks: The imperative role of the banking sector in addressing climate change and nurturing a greener future

The forthcoming 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference more commonly known as COP28, scheduled for the end of this month in Dubai, demands special attention. We must reflect on the key takeaways from last year’s round of global climate talks to see the progress being

Global fight against climate change calls for bold initiatives and collaborative strategies for a sustainable future

    In line with global trends, Kenya has seen a significant temperature increase of 0.3°C to 0.6°C per decade, impacting key sectors such as agriculture and water resources. This rapid warming trend was a major focus at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS23) in

Uniting forces at Africa Climate Summit and Africa Climate Week to bridge the continent’s climate gaps

The Africa Climate Summit (ACS) is a transformative event set to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 4th to 6th, 2023. With the unwavering commitment of President William Ruto, this landmark summit carries the weight of a collective vision: addressing the pressing climate challenges

Vellum Green: Cultivating a Sustainable Future: Combating Climate Change through Innovative Farming Practices

Introduction As the world grapples with the urgent challenges posed by climate change, the need for sustainable solutions has never been more critical. Agriculture, a sector deeply interwoven with our daily lives, plays a pivotal role in both contributing to and mitigating climate change. The

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: An Overview of Carbon Trading in Kenya

Carbon trading, or emissions trading, is a market-based mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is a tool governments and businesses use to limit their carbon footprint, which is the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Carbon trading works

Sustainability reporting is a better option for businesses instead of greenwashing

Greenwashing is a term used to describe a company’s practice of making misleading or false claims about the environmental benefits of its products, services, or operations. Greenwashing is often used to give a company a “green” image, and it is often used to deflect criticism

Fighting destruction of the environment through peacemaking efforts and environmental management

Peace and environmental management are linked in many ways. In the modern world, environmental degradation has become an increasingly important issue for peace and security. As the global climate changes, natural resources become scarcer, and competition increases, conflicts can arise particularly between states or other

Impact of climate change on health in Kenya and possible way out

Climate change is the significant variation of average weather conditions becoming, for example, warmer, wetter, or drier over several decades or longer. Impacts related to climate change are becoming more evident across regions and in many sectors important to society such as human health, agriculture

Chasing Zero: Achieving net-zero by 2050 calls for great sacrifices by all stakeholders

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a call to action, stating that global CO2 emissions must reach net-zero by approximately 2050 in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and prevent the most severe consequences of climate change. Achieving this

Entrenching sustainability in Kenya’s fashion industry: Brands that have taken a leap

Sustainable fashion is a movement and process of fostering change in fashion products and the fashion system towards greater ecological integrity and social justice. Sustainable fashion entails more than addressing fashion textiles or products. It comprises addressing the whole system of fashion. Sustainable fashion is

Fresh move to compel landlords to install solar water heating systems

If new regulations aimed at encouraging the adoption of renewable energies are approved, owners of all new and existing buildings risk spending six months in jail or paying a fine of Sh20,000 if they fail to incorporate designs for installation of solar water heaters.  

Taming global warming: Light at the end of the tunnel as Ozone layer recovery on track

A recent report by the UN concluded that the Ozone layer is on track to recovery. This is a plausible milestone that has been made possible by all the sustainability enthusiasts who have been tirelessly spreading the gospel on climate change and the need for

COP27: Key outcomes for food, forests, land, and wildlife at COP27 in Egypt

The backdrop for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference was a continent still suffering from multi-year droughts and record-high levels of hunger. The “Koronivia work programme” gave agriculture and food security, which were feared to be at risk of being dropped from the climate

Climate conference takeaways: Key outcomes from COP27 and the next steps as we head to COP28

Discussions over establishing a “new collective quantifiable target on climate finance” for 2024, taking into account the requirements and interests of poor nations, took place during COP27. The conversations focused on ways to overcome climate problems and how to give the funding, resources, and instruments

WHO and FP2030 to strengthen cooperation for sexual and reproductive health and rights

Meeting on the sidelines of the International Conference on Family Planning in Thailand, the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Special Research Programme HRP, and FP2030 today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing to strengthen collaboration on sexual and reproductive health and rights – 

Beyond COP27? The journey to actualise climate finance commitments

Developed countries pledged US$100 billion to aid developing countries in the fight against climate change in 2015. As at last year’s COP26 in Glasgow, this target had still not been reached and therefore, this year’s COP discussions anchored on how this commitment would be realized.

Health must take centre stage in the COP27 climate change negotiations

On the eve of the pivotal climate talks at COP27, WHO issued a grim reminder that the climate crisis continues to make people sick and jeopardize lives, and that health must be at the core of these critical negotiations. WHO believes the conference must end

Beyond donations during drought: Let’s adopt a climate action plan

The ASAL region of Kenya continues to suffer from a severe drought (2020 – 2022) that has been termed as the most severe and longest in forty years. Its widespread impacts on livelihoods are grinding harsh as over 4.35 million Kenyans across 23 counties are

COP27: Climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in Africa hang in the balance without adequate financing

Our common heritage is under threat and with the approach of the IFCC Conference of Parties 27 (COP27) which takes place next week at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, Climate Finance will be on the table for discussion. Climate change is well-nigh upon us. It

Staggering backsliding across women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health revealed in new UN analysis

A new UN report shows that women’s and children’s health has suffered globally, as the impacts of conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change converge with devastating effects on prospects for children, young people and women. Data presented in the report show a critical regression

Financial institutions must build internal capacity to address climate change risks

The effects of climate change have caught up with us, and they pose significant risks to different sectors. The agricultural sector is the worst hit due to changes in weather patterns and extended drought periods. The financial sector has also been greatly affected because climate

Understanding International Climate Change Regimes

Climate change legislation, often shortened to climate legislation, consists of laws and policies that govern action on climate change by setting its legal basis. The term is used broadly and can include acts, decrees and policies that are passed or promulgated by both legislative and

Renewable energy at the top of Kenya’s new government agenda

During the inauguration of Kenya’s 5th president on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, in his speech, the incoming president said there was a great need for adaptation and mitigation measures to be put in place. This is because climate change is here, and its effects have

Ways to weave gender mainstreaming in your climate action policies and programmes and the reasons

Does climate change affect everyone equally? Most definitely, no. The severity of the effects of climate change depend on factors such as geographical location, gender, social class, governance styles, disabilities, etc. Think about it for a minute, flooding as a result of climate change would

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Contribution to Sustainable Development

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement was approved in December 2015 and went into effect in November 2016. This agreement is the result of discussions that were started in 2011 at the 17th Conference of Parties in Durban with the

Key principles towards achieving sustainable development

Development that meets current demands without jeopardising the ability of subsequent generations, ensuring the harmony between economic progress and care for the health of society and the environment, is known as Sustainable Development. Principles of Sustainable Development: Principle of holistic approach – Implies an integrated

Achieving the Green Transition in the energy sector

On 5th June 2022, individuals, communities, civil societies, businesses and governments worldwide came together to mark World Environment Day under the theme #OnlyOneEarth. Stockholm held official celebrations where the host country Sweden announced a ban on issuing new licenses to extract coal, oil, and natural

Climate Justice: Impact on key groups and what businesses can do to alleviate climate crisis

What is climate justice? “Climate justice” is a term that acknowledges climate change can have differing social, economic, public health, and other adverse impacts on underprivileged populations. This concept has emerged from the idea that historical responsibility for climate change lies with wealthy and powerful

Global Plastic treaty: World leaders agree terms at Nairobi Meeting

World Leaders met in Nairobi this week to deliberate on the key terms and agreement of the Global Plastic treaty that would seek to accelerate action against plastic waste management. The treaty which was supported by Ellen MacArthur foundation and Wild Wide Fund seeks to

GFANZ: Change Climate Finance to Fund Climate Action

The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) has its sights set on becoming the biggest financial catalyst for climate ambition and action. The Alliance has only three financial institutions from Africa, a continent that has 7 of the 10 emerging markets in the world.

Business case for a UN treaty on plastic pollution

For the first time in history, more than 70 leading corporations and financial institutions have called for a legally binding UN treaty on plastic pollution. The aim of this move is to have a robust policy on plastic pollution and reduction in virgin plastic production

E-waste: The raring dragon that should be slain for a sustainable environment

The world is coming to a more crushing realization of the disastrous strain we’re putting on the place we call home, Earth! What we believe to be ground breaking transitions into new, adaptive and better ways of living through electronics, is actually having an adverse

Trade Secretary: UK is Africa’s investment partner of choice for green transition

SUMMARY UK hosted the second Africa Investment Conference with focus on sustainable investment to support continent’s transition to clean growth Government launched Growth Gateway tool to strengthen UK and African business relationships, following record £2.3bn support from UK Export Finance   The Prime Minister Boris Johnson

After CoP 26, What Next for Businesses

CoP 26 came to a close on 13th November 2021 after a one-day extension to ensure consensus was reached for the final outcome document. The Final CoP26 Glasgow Pact does not mention any word on the business although private companies and businesses contribute 70% of

Kenya’s path to becoming a Green Economy: How this can be achieved?

BY: Aarti Krishnan The seventh annual Devolution Conference under the theme: Multi-level governance for climate action, has just ended in the beautiful county of Makueni. Delegates at the conference, including public and private sector players, were all out engaging on climate change and exploring the

President Kenyatta reiterates Kenya’s Commitment to Climate Action

The 7th Annual Devolution Conference focused on climate change, specifically the Multi-Level Governance for Climate Action. The aim of the multi-governance approach is to strengthen sub-national governments to act on climate change through development of more robust and focused execution of mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Buhari signs Nigeria’s Climate Change bill into law

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday signed the Climate Change bill into law. This was made public by the president’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu. According to Mr Shehu, the Climate Change Act owes its origin to a bill sponsored by a member of the House of Representatives,

KEPSA and Stakeholder hold Consultative Forum on National REDD+ Strategy and Investment Plan

The private sector alliance (KEPSA) collaborated with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and UNDP in the organisation of the REDD+ strategy consultation forum that took place at Nyali Sun Africa Beach Resort, Mombasa, on Tuesday, October 19, 2021.  The regional consultation forums were organised

Investing in Sustainable Financing

By Amy Wahome- General Manager Oxygene Marketing Communication Ltd In spite of all the havoc it has wreaked, the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired re-imagination of the role of business in society today. Increasingly, businesses around the world are mulling how to take a longer-term view

The Davos Agenda

The Davos Agenda 2021, saw about 1500 global leaders come together under the theme of “A crucial year to rebuild trust” to discuss issues such as COVID-19 vaccination, job creation, climate change and technology among others. The annual event that is normally held at Swiss

Biden’s climate change agenda for Kenya

In a tele-conversation between United States President-elect Joe Biden and President Uhuru Kenyatta, Biden conveyed his interest in building on the strong and lasting partnership between his country and Kenya across a variety of issues affecting both countries. Among the host of areas of partnership