Why Group Push for Justice at the Heart of Nationally Determined Contributions
Vincent Ondieki, a senior regional program officer- Climate Justice at Act Alliance. PHOTO:YWCA
By Kenn Osoro
Inclusive stakeholder engagement has succeeded previous participations in climate planning and action paving way for the government to leverage on and even adjust the already existing commitments to design Nationally Determined contribution, NDC, in an all-inclusive, ambitious and implementable manner.
As one of the key strategies to help government leverage on the already existing spaces aimed at incorporating new ideas, engaging disenfranchised and marginalized populations such as women, youth and persons with disability would help ensure that NDC processes and outcomes are just, fair and respectful of human rights with regards to responding to the already harsh effects of climate change.
Ahead of updating the NDCs in 2025, groups are out to push for putting justice at the heart of NDCs by including the voices of local communities and indigenous people in designing a new NDC, among other things, they also push for proper means of implementations thereafter, this would lead to enhanced adaptation finance that will put the power in the hands of the vulnerable communities to directly tease out various adaptation needs.
In a consultative stakeholder dialogue conference focusing on consolidating the voices of youth, women, indigenous people and local communities ahead of the revision of Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), held on November 4, 2024 at the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) headquarters in Nairobi, that consolidated the voices of youth, women, indigenous people and local community ahead the submission of Kenya’s NDCs in 2031, conducting a consultative dialogue and tabling an action plan on the impact of climate change on marginalized communities was a key priority area.
This would see to it that a gender equality desk and social inclusion approach to combat reported incidences of vulnerable groups being left behind on matters climate change is addressed.
NDCs, are national climate action plans by each country under the Paris Agreement. It outlines how different countries plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help meet the global goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5C and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
It also set targets for economy- and society-wide climate change transformations that are meant to be increasingly ambitious over time.
NDCs are the building blocks for global climate action, reflecting Kenya’s commitment to combat climate change and contribute to a sustainable future by collectively addressing climate change, provide support for political support for specific climate actions.
It is also themed at sending an important signal about the country’s commitment to a zero-carbon future that would include spurring investment from a wide variety of sources in both public, private national and international sources.
Additionally, countries use it to implement national action plans towards adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
According to World Resources Institute, WRI, every 0.5degree Celsius increase in global temperature will have a discernible impact including frequent and severe heatwaves, heavily rainfall events, and regional droughts, this would have a direct impact on the least equipped to deal with such drastic impacts.
Those least equipped include youth, women, persons with disability, rural and local communities as well as indigenous people groups.
In order to achieve a significant climate change related policy goals, public acceptance, discussion, and capacity building within government and the vulnerable in the society plays a crucial role. Stakeholder engagement is critical as it aims at giving ideas on the various elements of the National climate change action plan.
Speaking during the event, Vincent Ondieki, a senior regional program officer- Climate Justice at Act Alliance averred that the most vulnerable group that is highly susceptible to climate change impacts is often left out of the climate change related policies.
He, on his part, lauded the conference owing to the fact that it aimed at amplifying the voices of the neglected group.
“In most cases, people who are affected most by climate change especially women, youth, children and marginalized communities, are not normally involved when it comes to decision making and shaping up climate policies.”
According to Ondieki, the marginalized groups are often exposed to drastic effects of climate change, for instance, residents have overtime been displaced in hard hit flood infested areas that border Kano plain in Kenya. This has also stimulated vector-borne diseases contributing to health- related hazards.
He hinted at a new approach that has been embraced to see to it that those that are often cornered by climate change disasters are well catered for during the process of drafting the national action plan for the NDC.
“People with physical disabilities cannot easily escape a disaster emergency such as flood or land slide, we are looking at ways to incorporate this group of individuals who are susceptible to climate hazards when it comes to socio-economic vulnerabilities.”
Additionally, Collins Otieno, a climate change and development practitioner and policy analyst (Climate and Development Finance) at Hivos, a non-governmental organization opined the government in collaboration with other non-governmental organizations plan to see to it that new perspective from the left out mentioned groups are captured before submitting their proposals to the Kenya climate change directorate office.
“This plan that we are drafting will form part and parcel of the feedback that we will take to the government. The government thought of doing a new NDC, they are on the process of convening the youth and capturing their views to get their perspective and enjoin it in the next NDC.” Otieno stated.
While refuting claims that the government is throwing shades at the most vulnerable group, Collins argued that non- state parastatals have already shown a good will geared towards combining efforts with the government with a view of championing for the interests of the marginalized communities at the backdrop of the development of the national action plan. He affirmed the government’s commitment to enjoin the views of the most vulnerable.
“We wouldn’t have heard a youth pillar in the other national climate change action plan if the government would not have taken this into consideration.”
This comes even as the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) begins in Baku on 11 November 2024 under the Presidency of Azerbaijan. COP29 will bring together leaders to advance solutions to some of the key defining issues. Countries will present updated national climate action plans under the Paris agreement.
The objective of COP29 is focusing on the need to “invest today to save tomorrow.” Innovative solutions to the challenges of climate finance, adaptation and resilience, nationally determined contributions, and a review of the Article 6 of the Paris Agreement which allows countries to cooperate to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
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