Parliamentarians in Africa have been urged to come up with legal frameworks that will aid in addressing challenges emanating from Climate Change.

Speaking during a Parliamentary Dialogue in the African Climate Summit in Parliament Buildings, Nyandarua County Senator John Methu appealed to the Lawmakers across the continent to help deal with negative impacts of Climate Change through legislation of relevant laws.

 “I would like to challenge you, my fellow Parliamentarians, to pursue the route of bringing up-to-date your respective Climate Change Acts in your countries so as to assist in dealing with the current challenges we are facing in dealing with Climate Change and its mitigation,” said Sen. Methu.

“The Committee I chair in the Senate, which is fully mandated to consider all Legislation and Bills touching on Climate Change very recently was able process and to bring up to date a Bill forwarded by my counterpart in the National Assembly namely the Climate Change (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 42 of 2023),” he added.

Senator Methu who is the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources appealed to Parliamentarians to embrace amendments made to the existing Climate Change Act to ensure the continent regulates carbon markets and aligns with international commitments.

He assured the gathering of the Lawmakers from Kenya`s availability to support other African countries to ensure the whole continent is on the same page.

The legislator reminded parliamentarians that people across the continent count on them to come up with right mitigation measures to address challenges instigated by Climate Change.

“Legislators enjoy more space in shaping public opinion which then infers that the forestation targets in our countries will be a mirage if we don't take the front seats in the greening of African space, Africa has a moment of exploiting and seizing the opportunity of an African led solution to Climate Change and as Parliamentarians, we must stand up for our people, we must stand up for our continent,” emphasized Sen. Methu.

“The impacts of climate change are not just looming on the horizon; they are affecting us now, with devastating consequences for our ecosystems, economies, and the welfare and well-being of our communities, it is an urgent call to action that we cannot afford to ignore,” he appealed.

Contributing to the debate on the Up scaling Regional and Local Renewable Energy Deployment, Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga revealed that despite Kenya enjoying 86 percent of renewable energy, the country is yet to attain the targets of Vision 2030.

Sen. Wamatinga who is the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Energy called on Parliamentarians in Africa to consider remodeling finance frameworks to address challenges facing the continent.

He said some legal provisions in most African Countries are very unattractive to investors, an issue he urged members across the continent to address and remove those barriers.

The Nyeri Lawmaker appealed to Parliamentarians to be on the forefront in educating citizens and conducting civic education to aid in the conservation of the environment by the continent.

“As Parliamentarians, I would like to challenge ourselves to start looking at this as the new dawn where Africa must stand up for herself and say indeed the solution to the problems we have, caused by Climate Change, we must pioneer,” he challenged.

“The change must begin with us and we must be the champions of that change,” submitted Sen. Wamatinga.

The Wednesday`s session was moderated by Homabay Senator Moses Kajwang`