Speaking at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell highlighted the economic impact of climate change, noting it is slicing up to 5% off GDP in many countries.
Kenya is stepping up in the climate fight, targeting a 32% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. This ambitious goal is part of Kenya’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), revised four years ago due to more frequent, intense weather events, and the toll of climate change on the economy. In its NDC for 2020-2030, Kenya, heavily reliant on climate-sensitive resources, has pledged to pursue a low-carbon, climate-resilient development path. The goal? A sustainable development agenda that brings Kenya closer to net-zero through a commitment to reducing emissions across energy, industrial processes, agriculture, land use, forestry, and waste. The primary gases targeted include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). As the world gathers at COP29 in Baku, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell emphasized the critical importance of new national climate plans. “The quality of those NDC submissions is of greatest importance,” he stated, underscoring that the current commitments are due for an update next year. Financing these ambitious goals will require a colossal investment. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that two trillion dollars are needed this year alone for clean energy and infrastructure. Stiell pointed out that much of this investment is concentrated in only a few major markets, urging that funds “must flow to where they’re needed most.” Kenya’s NDC, faced with a considerable financial burden, aims to cover 21% of mitigation costs from domestic sources, leaving 79% reliant on international finance, technology, and capacity-building support. Top priorities include enhancing renewable energy in Kenya’s already 93% green power grid, as highlighted by President William Ruto. Other key initiatives include improving energy efficiency, reaching 10% tree cover nationwide, achieving land degradation neutrality, and scaling up nature-based solutions. Efforts also focus on climate-smart agriculture, sustainable waste management, and harnessing blue economy potential through coastal carbon payment for ecosystem services (PES). Adaptation measures are equally critical, with a focus on building resilience across disaster risk reduction, agriculture, health, urbanization, and vulnerable groups. Kenya’s NDC targets disaster resilience at national and local levels, aiming to support community-led climate actions and mainstream climate adaptation into development plans. According to Stiell, this massive undertaking isn’t optional. “Unless all countries can slash emissions deeply, every country and every household will be hammered even harder than they currently are,” he warned. The alternative? “A permanent inflationary nightmare,” a reality Stiell says the world cannot afford. As COP29 continues, Kenya and other nations face the challenge of turning pledges into tangible, high-impact action—underscoring that global climate resilience is a shared responsibility and essential for a sustainable future.
Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) a startup in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, is emerging as a vital solution in the fight against textile environmental degradation. ACT is dedicated to collecting, repurposing, and recycling discarded textiles that would otherwise end up in landfills.
34-year-old Peter Mbiria is breathing new life into aging cars by replacing their outdated carburetor systems with cutting-edge fuel injection technology
Seven years ago, Kenya imposed a ban on the manufacturing and importation of plastic carrier bags. Tens of millions of plastic bags were handed out in supermarkets every year in Kenya, polluting the environment and clogging drainage systems, which contributed to floods during the rainy seasons. Unfortunately, PET plastic bottles have now emerged as the new ‘king of trash.’ According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes. In Kenya, aside from polluting water bodies, PET plastic bottles are an eyesore in drainages, landfills, land, and other open grounds. UNEP adds that plastic production will increase by 40% in the next 10 years. “If we don’t do anything about the plastic soup, oceans will carry more plastic than fish (by weight) by 2050,” the United Nations warns, indicating that marine life will be irreparably destroyed. To address this global menace, James Muritu, an engineer from Kenol in Murang’a County, is producing fuel from plastic bottles through pyrolysis. Muritu, who spent over 20 years building software and hardware systems, uses locally assembled reactors to turn plastic into fuel. “The dream of producing fuel was born accidentally. Initially, I used to produce cabro paving blocks, and during the process, the plastic liquid caught fire,” Muritu said. The liquid catching fire ignited Muritu’s curiosity and got him interested in studying the chemical composition of plastic. “I learned plastics are made from hydrocarbons, and it was possible for us to produce fuel from them. Since then, I have never turned back,” he said. To produce fuel, Muritu and his partner Michael Nthenge constructed a reactor from locally available materials. He explained that he first received plastics from women, youths, and scrapyard dealers. “The large plastics are washed and shredded into small pieces before being put into a furnace, which is tightly closed to ensure it is free of oxygen,” he said. The materials are heated in two cycles determined by different temperatures, a process known as pyrolysis. Through pyrolysis, the plastic is heated to extremely high temperatures, between 300°C and 900°C, in the absence of oxygen. This causes it to break down into smaller molecules and transform into pyrolysis oil or gas. “We regulate temperatures to either come up with a petrol equivalent or a diesel equivalent. The first cycle produces heavy fuel or crude oil, and the second one refines the product,” he said. Muritu says pyrolysis is an ecologically friendly and cost-effective technology for recovering energy from waste plastic. It allows for the reuse of plastic waste as a source of energy for fuel production while also being environmentally friendly and cost-effective. “Our diesel fuel variant that’s currently sold as a diesel fuel blend has undergone rigorous tests by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and was issued a Quality Standard mark in December 2023,” he said. Since February, when production and commercialization started, Muritu has been producing 500 to 1,000 liters a day. “Our customers are farmers, boda boda riders, and a few lorry owners. It has not been easy to convince people to trust our fuel because initially, my vehicle used to stall regularly after using it,” he revealed. But after several years of research and fine-tuning the process, the quality has been ascertained, and motorists are getting value for their money. “Our prices are friendly, and those who are using the product say that it lasts longer than other fuels,” he said. Muritu revealed that, between July of last year and January of this year, they collected and used 5,770 kilograms of plastic, saving the planet from greenhouse gases.
Waterkiosk has managed to provide safe and clean water to 30 hospitals with a daily production capacity of 1,000,000 litres, benefiting six million people annually. This has enabled the company to create direct jobs for 55 people and 150 indirectly.
Nairobi County has emerged as a leader in the food wastage index, with each resident squandering at least 8 kilograms of food monthly, as unveiled by the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 24. This translates to an average of 100 kilograms of various foods contributed annually by each Nairobian.
Trashion Kenya, an initiative conceived by Habiba Abdulrahman, made its mark in Dubai on Sunday, preceding the annual celebration of Global Recycling Day on March 18th. Through captivating displays, Habiba highlighted how waste can be ingeniously repurposed into fashionable garments, challenging conventional notions of sustainability in the fashion industry.
