President William Ruto has called for global cooperation to combat global warming.
Addressing the Africa Climate Summit on Tuesday at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, the president stated that countries cannot approach climate action and human development “in a disconnected or adversarial manner” in order to achieve significant change.
“We cannot pursue climate action through insular, solitary policies. Global warming cannot be mitigated by air-conditioning our little pockets and corners of the world. Prosperity cannot and must not be pursued in a zero-sum, exclusive fashion, because the resulting injustice and inequity are the drivers of inequality, poverty, conflict and activities that threaten biodiversity and encourage pollution,” Ruto told the summit.
“We are all interconnected, and this existential moment provides us with a unique opportunity to reconnect with our shared humanity.”
President Ruto described the summit, which began on Monday and will end on Wednesday, as a prelude to this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), which will take place in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.
“It is an orientation run designed to familiarize us with our journey into a future driven by African solutions, powered by Africa’s resources and anchored on African opportunities,” he told delegates.
“This event is both Africa’s Climate Summit and a global pre-COP28 convention. Africa is meeting, and Africans are talking: the world is listening. We must use this opportunity to lead the world in a new direction towards a future that holds immense promise for both Africa and the entire world.”
The president referred to this period in history as a “moment of existential urgency for all humanity” and urged African countries to address climate change with the urgency it deserves.
“We have our ancestors’ permission to innovate a way to not only go fast but also together, provided we consult thoroughly, engage in good faith, collaborate effectively and proceed inclusively. This is an emergency, and we must undertake climate action and green growth with this understanding,” Ruto said.
The Africa Climate Summit is themed “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World.”
