Written by Lisa Murimi
French President Emmanuel Macron has lauded President William Ruto’s climate action efforts ahead of the upcoming Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi which will run from September 4-8.
Speaking about France’s foreign policy priorities, Macron expressed his support for Ruto’s commitment to climate protection,
“A meeting will be held by Kenya in a few weeks, President Ruto is committed to that effort and I commend him for that. France will stand alongside him,” he said.
Ruto’s focus on collective action to mitigate climate change’s impacts and his advocacy for increased African representation in global climate discussions and financing have garnered attention.
Despite Africa contributing the least to climate change, it remains the most vulnerable, receiving a disproportionate share of global climate finance.
Macron pledged to support efforts to rectify this situation at the Nairobi summit, where a new financing formula for climate change will be discussed.
“We will roll out the Paris Agreement…we will have new financing arrangements, newer faster tools, we will mobilise the private sector as well,” he said.
“We will also build new ambitions when it comes to energy, France will drive a very clear agenda to protect the continent.”
During the New Global Pact Summit, Ruto called for a fair financing model to prevent poorer nations like Kenya from suffering high loan interest rates.
Ruto criticized the control exerted by the IMF and World Bank, which he deemed unfavorable to Africa due to a lack of governance influence and resource sharing. Macron commended Ruto’s bold stance on these issues during the summit.
“I love having bold people and I take the point”.
