Cabinet Secretary of the Environment Deborah Balasa urged the French government to support Kenya’s bid to host the secretariat of the Global Plastics Convention proposed at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi.
Speaking during bilateral climate consultations with the visiting French delegation, CS Balasa said only Kenya and Switzerland had formally declared their interest in hosting the secretariat proposing Geneva under the World Health Organization (WHO).
“We need your support,” she told the delegation, highlighting Nairobi’s pivotal role in global environmental governance as a host of UNEP and other UN agencies.
Balasa reaffirmed the deepening climate partnership between Kenya and France, highlighting important joint initiatives including the deployment of forest fire control and communication systems currently supported by the French government.
She also cited a joint effort under the International Tax Task Force (ITTF), co-chaired by Kenya, France and Barbados, launched at Dubai’s COP28 to drive innovative climate funding solutions.
Regarding regional leadership, CS noted that President William Root continues to chair the African Head of State Commission on Climate Change (CAHOSCC). She added that Kenya has handed over the chairmanship of the African Negotiators Group (AGN) to Tanzania ahead of the COP30 scheduled for later this year.
Kenya also submitted a bid to host African Climate Week in September 2025, and is scheduled to hold the African Environment Ministers’ Conference (AMCEN) in July after Libya is unable to do so.
Sign up for the AllAfrica newsletter for free
Get the latest African news
success!
Almost finished…
You need to check your email address.
Follow the instructions in the email you sent to complete the process.
error!
There was a problem processing the submission. Please try again later.
In a major development, Balasa announced a 30 million euro project proposal with Meteor France International, modernizing Kenya’s aging weather infrastructure. The purpose of this project is to enhance the Kenya Weather Bureau’s ability to provide timely and reliable weather data essential for economic and disaster management planning.
In the proposed Global Plastics Convention, Balasa reaffirmed Kenya’s position and proposed a complete life cycle of plastics, a comprehensive approach from extraction to disposal of raw materials. She also sought a dedicated, predictable, accessible financing mechanism led by an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme and supported by both public and private investments from developed countries.
Despite what she called a “setback” in climate finance negotiations at COP29, Balasa said Kenya has plans to complete its latest nationally decided contributions (NDC) and submit them by April 30, 2025.
