We Don't Have Time,Kenya Chapter At Stockholm for The STHLM+50 and the Ultimate Sweden-Visit-Experience In June.

Petter (Left),Strategic Creative Director at We Don't Have Time together with a team from We Don't Have Time,kenya Chapter at Stockholm in june this year..
﻿
Stockholm has gone into the books of records as one of the most impactful cities in the world in terms of sustainability, enriched culture, good vibes, and environmental changes. This was something we used to read in books and watch on television, which seemed like a fiction movie to us until the fateful day when we arrived in the city. 
Getting a chance to attend and speak at the Stockholm +50 event organized by UNDP, We Don't Have Time and other partners was a dream come true for the Kenyan team led by Mr. Patrick Kiarie the WDHT African representative. Being part of the contributors, speakers, and panelists at the event was a once-in-a-lifetime experience of which we were grateful to be part. We commend the Sweden team for the amazing high-tech summit and broadcast they organized, which displayed their immense level of coordination, planning skills, and social interaction. 
Patrick Kiarie,Region Representative,We Don't Have Time,Kenya Chapter giving his remarks during the closing of STHLM+50 Climate Hub at Space Arena.
﻿
At a glance, it was clear why Stockholm was considered one of the cleanest cities in the world. The impressive thing about the city is that it has taken pride because it has adopted sustainability and achieved most of its environmental goals and initiatives such as reducing the use of fossil fuels, embracing the use of renewable energy, and reducing conserving its ecosystem. 
The city has embraced the culture of cycling and the use of fossil-free public transport such as electric trains and metros, and biogas buses, which has reduced the number of vehicles and emissions levels in the city. An increasing number of personal cars and taxis are electric and there are also electric scooters which have eased people’s movements around the city in a clean, eco-friendly way. Volvo, Tesla and Volkswagen were some of the most common car brands that we noticed were electric. Thumbs up to Volvo and Tesla for their good work in enhancing their efforts to create EVs that have a sleek design that is environmentally friendly and affordable.
The adaption of using clean energy, reduction of fossil fuels use, having a huge tree cover and their vegan lifestyle displayed the essence of people living their lives in balance with nature, hence creating a conducive working and living environment for everyone. The fact that most of the food served in the hotels was majorly vegan food was a clear indication of how well the Swedish people look after their health which contributes to their high life expectancy. The vegan aspect is also one of the environmental conservation contributors as plants bring more benefits to the environment compared to the rearing of meat-producing animals.
The team was privileged to visit the second largest city in Sweden which is known as Göteborg where we went by train. The electric train ride experience was great as and we got to experience a comfortable ride in a very fast train covering a distance of 445 km in about four hours. This was a new thing for the team as back at home the standard gauge railway train (SGR) which is diesel-powered covers the same distance in about 6 to7 hours and it is not as comfortable as what we experienced. The views of the countryside part of Sweden were breathtaking, the farms, forests, lakes, rivers, and amazing buildings kept us glued to the window throughout the journey. We saw different organizations that we were familiar with on our way such as SSAB which produces fossil-free steel that is eco-friendly. Transportation of heavy materials such as timber was also done by electric trains reducing the number of heavy trucks on the road and the emission, they cause in other countries such as Kenya.
The team was lucky enough to be in Sweden as the country celebrated its national day and it was a nice coincidence that on that day Mr. Tomas Roovete the Partnership Manager for We Don't Have Time had offered to be our tour guide of the day around the old town. We got an opportunity to visit the old town which was rich in Sweden's history, with the oldest buildings that dated back to the Medeltid and 1500, including churches. The sights in the old town and the people there were amazing. We got the chance to visit the Royal Palace and read about its history through the different exhibition tents placed on the royal court. We tried out some of the clothes that the royal family and the guards wore during the old days.
Patrick Kiarie lifts the Sweden flag while on a rare tour of the former Royal Castle during the Sweden national holiday in june this year.
﻿
The highlight of the Kenyan team’s visit to Stockholm was attending the Stockholm +50 Climate Hub, organized by WDHT, UNDP, Exponential Roadmap, and other partners. The six-day conference amounted to 50 hours which was symbolic of marking 50 years since the first Stockholm meeting was held. The conference was a beehive of activities with speakers, environmentalists, climate activists, and government officials from Sweden and other parts of the world. The conference was the icing on the cake as it was the venue where the Kenyan team got to meet and interact with the Sweden team on a personal level, unlike the normal virtual interactions during online meetings. The team got to meet the organization's founder, Mr. Ingmar Rentzhog, the cofounder Mr. David Olsson, Ms. Sweta Chakraborty the President, of the We Don't Have Time US office, and the whole team, which was made of amazing people. 
Edwin Wang'ombe and Peter Kamau both from WDHT,Kenya Chapter share their views on the disparity between Sweden and Kenya on the level of pollution attributed to the transport sector.
﻿
The great speakers who took the stage during the six-day conference had something unique, impactful, and encouraging to all those in attendance, physically and virtually. Some of the speakers that touched on issues that the Kenyan team felt resonated with them were the founders of Plantastique. Adam Baptiste pitched about how to find the products that phase out the other products that are harming our environment, such as plastics. Chief of Growth at Terraformation Yee Lee pitched about the global native forest restoration is the lowest cost, lowest risk, and most politically feasible carbon drawdown solution available and is shovel-ready. Terraformation scale natural carbon capture by solving the biggest bottlenecks to forest restoration, accelerating global progress toward this climate solution. Executive Vice President Marketing & Global movement, Sandra Frank, spoke about Arvet and their motto to build cities using renewable building materials. The knowledge and wisdom every speaker who stepped on stage shared was a learning lesson for the team. We took away some pointers that once we share with our people back home, it would help our community and at the same time make our work impactful.
An exceptional initiative was introduced during the conference, which was dubbed the Climate Dragonfly's Den where start-up organizations pitched their ideas on solutions that can be adapted to curb the climate crisis. This was an open platform and the chance that the startups from all over the world were given to pitch their idea to the panel which voted for the best idea. The organizations that took part in the presentation included Arvet, Azelio, WWF Sweden, Beyond Nine, ARTPORT, the Green Swan Lab, Terraformation, Plogga, Uturn, among others. All these organizations gave their best and all their ideas would positively impact the war against the climate change crisis. The top three winners of the presentation will be announced and awarded during COP 27 in Egypt and will also get a chance to present at the conference. This initiative was aimed at encouraging individuals with great ideas on how to save the planet to keep them alive and keep pushing their vision.
Yee Lee,Founder,Terraformation as he pitched his idea on the Dragon's Fly Den at STHLM+50 Climate Hub.
﻿
The top morale booster for the team was the wisdom and confidence that the WDHT founder, Mr. Ingmar, displayed every time he stepped on stage. It was amazing to see his passion for making the world better, which made him call out the governments and other powerful individuals whose actions or activities are leading to more damage to the environment without any fear. The host and moderators of the conference Nick Nuttall and Catarina Rolfsdotter made the conference spectacular with their excellent stage presence, professionalism, liveliness, and sense of humor. The host did a good job in moderating the panels and ensuring that every speaker or presentation on stage kept time.
Johan Rockstrom,Climate Scientist discuss the movie "BREAKING BOUNDARIES" with Owen Gaffney,Co-founder,Exponential Roadmap and host Catarina Rolfsdotter.
﻿
Achieving over 32 million unique viewers during the 50 hours conference was a milestone achieved and we, the Kenyan team, we're proud to be part of this great achievement. As a team, we went back home inspired, educated, motivated, and with a memorable, thrilling experience. We thank everyone who made our trip successful, the dedicated speakers and panelists, all the viewers and audience who followed the broadcast, the Sweden and Washington DC team, and the leaders of WDHT.
We Don't Have Time,Kenya Chapter At Stockholm for The STHLM+50 and the Ultimate Sweden-Visit-Experience In June.

Welcome, let's solve the climate crisis together

Write a climate review

Open for Climate Dialogue™

0 trees planted

Download the app
