RCE Greater Nairobi organises the Climate Change Symposium on ‘Climate smart Solutions to promote Industry’s Green Growth practices’

BACKGROUND

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21), delegates from nearly 200 nations agreed to a historic climate accord committing countries to reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the first time in 20 years. World leaders praised the landmark agreement, which would seek to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, to help deal with the threat of climate change.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is significant mitigation potential on a global scale, including the increased use of clean technologies and improved energy efficiency for all sectors. The carbon market has great potential for cost-effective mitigation, but needs long-term policy certainty to deliver.

WHY A CLIMATE CHANGE SYMPOSIUM

The purpose of the symposium is to raise awareness amongst policy-makers, research partner’s, private sector actors and civil society players on the anticipated climate change strategies, challenges and risks it presents and finally the opportunities that can be exploited under COP21 agreement.

The Symposium will also provide participants with the opportunity to network, share experiences in this field, identify ways to play an even more active role in addressing climate change, as well as potentially working together in identifying more green investment opportunities within the Country.

The government has developed a new National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (NAP) which will be part of the deliberations during the symposium as well as the National Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan (GESIP). The documents are hoping to provide abilities to deliver on our sustainable development objectives as a country towards increased demand on more environmentally efficient technologies and production processes.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the symposium is to strengthen climate change narrative towards innovation, research and partnerships and capacity building to better respond to low carbon and climate resilient societies for sustainability

Topics to be discussed include;

• Investment and financial flows for adapting to climate change
• Research capacity on renewable Energy and lessons learnt
• Partnerships towards Low carbon and Climate resilience societies
• Understand how the private sector is dealing with climate change issues

The full programme can be downloaded here. Fore more information pleae contact Mary Otieno at 

coordinator-rcegn@ku.ac.ke or maotieno.mary@gmail.com. 

VENUE

The Climate Change Symposium will take place at Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya under the auspices of RCE Greater Nairobi (RCE-GN).

CONCLUSION

Adequate high-quality observations and statistics of climate and of variables related to it are essential if mitigation and adaptation to climate change are to be based on deliberate planning, as well as efficient and effective implementation.

Global observations and monitoring processes acquired over extended periods of time with sufficient spatial and temporal coverage make possible an understanding of the frequency and impacts of extreme events as well as of average climate conditions. Observations also play a key role in initializing models to enable weather forecasting and longer range statistical predictions of seasonal, inter-annual, and decadal climate effects. While observations provide a factual basis for assessing current climate change and an indication of shorter term future change, climate models and impact assessments provide the basis for improved guidance and an ability to assess possible climate change impacts and scenarios over longer time scales.