Kenya occupies an interesting position in Africa’s climate equation. The East African country has been gravely affected by changing weather patterns and a fall in disposable income available for necessities. Extreme weather, alternating between severe droughts and devastating floods, has not only destroyed homes and imperilled lives, it has also exerted a heavy toll on agriculture, a major economic activity and driver of growth in the country. In the first half of 2022, the agriculture sector contracted by 1.5%, according to the Alliance for Science. The organisation also estimates that in that same period, 3.5m people in Kenya faced food insecurity, while climate and climate-related pressures are estimated to occasion long-term fiscal liabilities of 2% to 2.8% of GDP each year. In 2022 alone, the World Bank estimates that an adverse climate costs the Kenyan economy about 0.3% of GDP. For ordinary people, that means higher food prices in the market. A leader in renewable energy Perhaps because of its exposure, Kenya is a regional leader in the use of renewable energy, which accounts for over 80% of the energy generated in the country, according to the Kleinman Centre for Energy Policy. While hydropower and geothermal sources have long been a part of its energy mix, recent expansions in the use of solar and wind have taken it closer to the target set by President William Ruto, of 100% renewable sources by 2030. More than a third of the country’s 170 MW of installed solar capacity, for example, was added in 2021 alone, pointing to a ramping-up of efforts and the potential for even more growth. It is not surprising, then, that Kenya would seek to play a leading role in focusing the climate conversation in Africa, following what was dubbed the African Cop in Egypt last November and ahead of the crucial Cop28 opening in the United Arab Emirates on 30 November. That is the rationale behind the Africa Climate Summit, which is to be held from 4 to 6 September in Nairobi under the theme “Driving green growth and climate finance solutions for Africa and the world’. https://african.business/2023/08/resources/kenya-aims-to-drive-climate-finance-conversation-in-african-summit