Wedoany.com Report on Mar 6th, Festus Ng'eno, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Kenya, recently met with a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), reaffirming the government's commitment to strengthening its partnership with the agency on climate and environmental action. Ng'eno emphasized that UNDP is a key strategic partner in implementing Kenya's climate priorities.

At his office in Nairobi, Ng'eno met with UNDP evaluation expert Jin Zhang and consultants Solomon Alem and Hugh Gibbon, praising the organization for its continued support to the government through funding assistance, technical support, and capacity building. He noted, "The rapidly evolving nature of environmental and climate change challenges requires flexible planning that can integrate cross-cutting and emerging issues while aligning with government objectives."

Ng'eno stated that close collaboration between the government and implementing agencies should begin at the project design stage and continue through ongoing consultations throughout the implementation process. He highlighted initiatives supported by UNDP, including the National Climate Change Action Plan, carbon market development, interventions to address rising water levels in the Rift Valley lakes, and forestry sector reform.

Regarding the carbon market, Dr. Ng'eno explained that Kenya has established a legal framework and a national carbon registry but requires more support to operationalize designated institutions to unlock climate financing opportunities. In forestry, the government is advancing the 15 billion tree planting program and forest management reforms.

Other priority areas include promoting the circular economy, building material recovery facilities, and the Nairobi River regeneration project. Ng'eno also revealed that the government plans to remove asbestos from public institutions as part of environmental safety efforts and is preparing to amend the Environmental Management and Coordination Act following the completion of a policy review.

Furthermore, Kenya will host the commemoration of the Global Day to Combat Desertification and Drought in June, with the theme "Rangelands: Recognize, Respect, Restore," in collaboration with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The 2026 UN Ocean Conference will also be led by the country's blue economy sector, themed "Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future." These initiatives highlight Kenya's active participation in international climate action.