By Rading Biko
C.S Keriako Tobiko noted that in 2013, Kenya’s
forest cover stood at 7.2% and dropped to 5.9% in 2018.
The Ministry of Environment
and Forestry has been leading efforts to accelerate the attainment and
maintenance of at least 10% of tree and forest cover in the country.
President Uhuru Kenyatta when he launched
an accelerated National Tree growing campaign with an assurance of Kenya’s
commitment to combating the challenges arising from Climate Change. [PSCU]
Kenya’s private sector has to date contributed a total of
Ksh 6.5 billion to the national tree growing campaign, to further demonstrate
the sector’s commitment to engage in public-private partnerships anchored on
sustainable solutions geared towards increasing Kenya’s forest cover.
Speaking recently during the launch of the accelerated
national tree growing campaign at State House Nairobi Kenya Private Sector
Alliance CEO Ms Carole Kariuki expressed the commitment of the business
community to partnering with the Government in combating the challenges arising
from climate change.
Ms Kariuki noted that the Government through the Ministry of
Environment and Forestry has been leading efforts to accelerate the attainment
and maintenance of at least 10% of tree and forest cover in the country.
Through a multistakeholder approach and support from partners drawn from the
public, private and civil society sectors, Kenya’s tree and forest cover
currently stood at 12% and 8.8% respectively, a great achievement and an
assurance of Kenya’s commitment to realizing her national and global targets.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on his part noted that his
government had placed the environment at the centre of his economic
development, observing that the roundtable meeting signified the start of an
ambitious but fulfilling journey of increasing Kenya’s forest cover to at least
30 per cent by 2050.
He called on the private sector to continue supporting
this agenda and reiterated that Kenya will continue honouring commitments to
combating climate change and being the benchmark for global action in
commemoration of the Stockholm+50 conference.
In his remarks, C.S Keriako Tobiko noted that in 2013,
Kenya’s forest cover stood at 7.2% and dropped to 5.9% in 2018.
He appreciated the progress made through public-private
partnerships which have led to the current 8.8% and 12.13% forest and tree
cover respectively.
While appreciating the Private sector’s contribution to
this achievement, the C.S noted that “This was not just philanthropic but
a commitment to build a more sustainable future.”
As a partner to the national tree growing campaign, one of
KEPSA’s key strategic pillars is sustainability and more so sustainability
actions anchored on nature-based solutions and promoting a circular economy.
To
firm up KEPSA’s commitment, KEPSA’s CEO Ms Carole Kariuki announced the forest
action measures undertaken by the private sector such as:
·
Adoption of forests and water towers.
·
Tree growing in partnership with schools
countrywide, TVET institutions, colleges and universities, the National Prisons
Service, regional development authorities and county governments.
·
Innovations in the replacement of heavy fuel
oils in factories through sustainable fuel alternatives such as biomass and the
installation of biomass factories boilers.
