ENHANCING CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION THROUGH RENEWABLE ENERGY

DEPLOYMENT
(KENYAS STRATEGY)

Climate change is a cross-cutting development issue that requires high level

political goodwill and support to effectively address the risks associated with
it. It is also necessary that maximum benefits are achieved in deploying
renewable energy solutions aimed at combating the negative effects of
climate change. For Kenya, adaptation to climate change remains the top
priority so as to reduce vulnerability and also enhance the resilience of social
and bio-physical systems especially, vulnerable communities and groups.
Similarly, mitigation actions that deliver sustainable development benefits
are of importance as the country strives to remain a low emitter in the
context of the national economic development plan set out in Vision 2030.
The National Climate Change Action Plan(NCCAP) (2013 2017) sets out
Kenyas first comprehensive effort to achieve a low carbon climate resilient
development. The Action Plan, in addition to providing prioritized actions for
adaptation and mitigation, also provides a road map for the necessary
enabling conditions in the form of policy, legislation and institutional
frameworks. The countrys Action Plan thus provides for the establishment of
an enabling climate change policy and law, governance structure, funding
mechanism and investment framework, capacity development and
management framework, and national measurement reporting and
verification (MRV+) system to support the effective implementation of
planned adaptation and mitigation actions.
Considering the ambitious nature of the Action Plan, support, partnerships,
investments, and technology innovations are required for the
implementation of the actions and the achievement of the goal of a low
carbon climate resilient pathway. It is realized that the Government may
need to intervene to encourage investment in adaptation actions, and thus
ensuring that climate resilience is the priority climate change response
action. Domestic, bilateral and multilateral funding, as well as international
climate finance mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation
Fund and emerging funding for NAMAs and REDD+ mechanisms are
required to implement the Action Plan.
The implementation of the NCCAP will thus require all stakeholders, both
within and outside Government, to play their respective roles and continue
building on partnerships forged throughout the period within which this plan
is being effected.