Speaker of the Senate Rt Hon Amason Jeffah Kingi has hailed the enactment of the new law on climate change, terming it a game changer in regulation of the critical carbon credit trade.

Terming the carbon market as a key element in addressing sustainability of climate actions and rewarding green initiatives, Speaker Kingi commended Kenyan legislators for giving priority to the law – Climate Change (Amendment) Act, 2023.

Speaker Kingi made the remarks when he officially opened the Parliamentarians’ Dialogue, an engagement for legislators, which is running alongside the Africa Climate Summit currently underway at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Act was assented to by President Ruto on Friday last week after being passed by the National Assembly and, later, approved by the Senate.

The passage of the law in the run-up to the Africa Climate Summit being hosted in Nairobi by President William Samoei Ruto, placed Kenyan in the lead in crafting elaborate climate response mechanisms, the Speaker emphasised.

“While the parent Climate Change Act of 2016 was an overarching framework for climate-responsive governance, it fell short in addressing the intricate mechanics of carbon trading—a pivotal tool for achieving emission reduction targets and promoting sustainable development. 

“The new law fills this legal gap, providing a structured framework to engage in carbon trading, thereby incentivizing emission reduction efforts and catalyzing investment in sustainable technologies and practices,” Speaker Kingi pointed out.

The Speaker challenged parliamentarians to be ready to go the extra mile in addressing the climate change-induced problems affecting the populations they represent, beyond their traditional roles of legislation, representation and oversight.

“We can no longer sit back and wait to react in knee-jerk fashion. We are duty-bound to roll-up our sleeves, as the people’s representatives, use our rapport with the masses to proactively de-escalate fragile situations that continue to nourish instability across Mother Africa,” he said.

Dr Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director, Pan-African Climate Justice Executive Director, Dr Mithika Mwenda said the civil society has been working with elected leaders in response to the needs and aspirations of the people of Africa, with regard to climate change.

He said the Nairobi Summit promises to have far-reaching impacts, given the robust and dynamic engagements and discussions taking place among delegates, who include African Heads of States.

Dr Mwenda urged delegates to put pressure on the leaders to implement decisions made in addressing climate change.

“We want to bring this critical voice on board. We need to work together with parliamentarians, civil society, young people, women, indigenous groups so that we confront this elephant in the room. If we do not, we won’t go far.”

Senator Crystal Asige, who is visually impaired, made a resounding pitch for all-inclusive climate actions that bring all marginalized groups on board for them to share the benefits thereof

“There are about 100 million people living with disability in Africa. Let’s have an inclusive climate action that addressed the interests of people with disability, young people and women,” she said.

Njoro MP Charity Kathambi, who also chairs the Parliamentary Caucus on Conservation, said parliamentarians, by virtue of their legislative work, were custodians of the future of the continent and their respective countries.

“As a country, Climate Summit has given us a great platform. We are the first country in Africa to have enacted a climate law – the Climate Change Act of 2016 - which we have now amended,” she said.

Other leaders who addressed the session were Senator Moses Kajwang’, who chairs the Parliamentary Caucus on Climate Change, Kenya and Hon Dr Emmanuel Marfo, a Ghanaian legislator and Chair of the Global Parliamentary Croup of Climate Vulnerable Forum