OPINION: BWIRE - Access to information key in implementation of climate change interventions

While counties have developed very ambitious, innovative and creative strategies to deal with the ravaging effects of climate change, poor implementation and accountability mechanisms remain a big challenge.

Most of the aggressive proposals and policy options remain clouded in large communiques, treaties and country papers in capitals and board rooms, with no implementation accountability mechanisms and large sections of the populations kept away from the discussions and related information.

Without being informed and involved, communities remain averse to many of the climate change interventions, with even the small resources mobilized globally still stuck to funding talk shops, sensitization and advocacy activities.

The world will be meeting in Dubai again for the COP28, while great discussions will happen, information that would allow communities get involved and audit the progress of what has been promised globally, the resources mobilized, and the success so far achieved is largely missing or denied to majority populations.

The voice and contribution of the private sector, especially banks that finance most of the investments that are responsible for the carbon emissions have been challenged to play any robust role in climate change financing, want more information on interventions proposed and status of implementation, which remains a big challenge.

While the Paris Agreement provides a framework for financial, technical, and capacity building support to those countries who need it and reaffirms that developed countries should take the lead in providing financial assistance to countries that are less endowed and more vulnerable, while for the first time also encouraging voluntary contributions by other parties, things seem not working.

Kenya among other countries has committed to among other thangs the introduction of bunker taxes which would place a carbon tax on emissions from international aviation and shipping, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, which could generate up to US $8 billion annually, the redirection of fossil fuel extraction royalties/ licenses with the potential to provide US $10 billion in climate finance per year, and financial transaction taxes (Robin Hood Tax.) which could generate between US $2 billion to US $27 billion in 2020. 

A report by the World Bank titled Country Climate and Development Report: Kenya – notes that climate action is urgent if Kenya is to meet its aspiration of becoming an upper-middle-income country in the next decade.

It notes that maintaining a low-carbon-intensity growth profile puts the country in a good position to be part of global efforts to decarbonize supply chains and, in the case of the power sector, can be achieved at a nominal additional cost. Private sector investment in climate action will be vital to sustain inclusive and climate-resilient growth.     

 By 2050, inaction against climate change could result in a decline in real GDP of 3.61–7.25 percent relative to the BAU baseline scenario. Kenya can be a key player in the global climate solutions arena.

The impact of climate change on the economy could be partly buffered by a higher annual growth rate and structural transformation. Under an aspirational scenario, with an annual growth rate of 7.5 percent through 2050, which is in line Kenya’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda, the impact of climate change on real GDP in 2050 is reduced to 2.78–5.3 percent compared to the baseline.

To further reduce the impact of climate change, climate resilience-oriented water, land and forest management, resilient cities, energy, transport and digital systems, basic services (health, education.

Kenya stands out among African and lower-middle-income countries due to its well-diversified and low-carbon energy mix, with about 90 percent of electricity generation coming from renewable resources. Many countries’ efforts to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and meet their nationally determined contribution (NDC) commitments are resulting in the reconfiguration of global supply chains and expanding “green” markets.

The report recommends three key interventions would enable the government to put climate policies into practice including operationalizing the climate policy planning and implementation framework,  Operationalizing a coordination body on climate change and climate change units at sectoral level to enable the coordination and governance needed to implement a whole-of-government approach to planning, financing, implementing, and reporting on climate actions, and capitalizing the National and County Climate Change Funds and institutionalizing green public investment management to bolster the government’s readiness to upscale concessional climate finance and building adequate capacity in the government.

Climate-informed planning can help ensure urban areas facilitate productive engagement of its residents, are not vulnerable to climate events, such as flooding and heat island effects, and do not suffer from increased congestion and expanding informal settlements.

It will also help direct efforts to reduce Kenya’s deficit of affordable housing (expected to grow to 3 million units by 2025) by using low-carbon materials and appropriately locating settlements.

Public-private partnerships will be key for large-scale infrastructure investments, agriculture, forests, and conservation, which can involve collaborative management partnerships.

The argument of a strong access to information culture and practice in climate change interventions is anchored on a few justifications: information is an economic resource, it enhances public participation and foster for accountability from public officials at all levels and in assessing the performance of government.