![Kenyan President William Ruto addresses delegates at the opening of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi on September 4, 2023 [Khalil Senosi/AP Photo]](/Uploads/Images/News/2023/9/Image-1897-20230905064630.jpeg)
Africa Climate Summit begins in Kenya: A simple guide to proceedings
More than a dozen African leaders and some of the world’s fiercest climate change campaigners are meeting in Kenya for the maiden edition of the Africa Climate Summit.
The event, which is being held from Monday until Friday, has been convened to address Africa’s increasing exposure to climate change and its associated costs on the continent.
Africa, according to the United Nations, accounts for only 2 to 3 percent of the world’s carbon emissions but has been the continent most affected by global warming.
Here’s all you need to know about the summit:
Why is the Africa Climate Summit happening?
The summit in Nairobi is being organized by the Kenyan government and African Union and is running in parallel with Africa Climate Week. Its theme is “Driving green growth and climate finance solutions for Africa and the world”.
Kenyan President William Ruto has been vocal in calling for rich nations to be held accountable for fuelling climate change.
“We need to make those who have brought us here to the climate crisis that we are experiencing, the emitters, be held accountable and a system that works for everybody,” Ruto told Al Jazeera in February.
The summit’s declared goal is to influence climate commitments, pledges and outcomes, including the Nairobi Declaration, a blueprint for Africa’s green energy transition.
According to the Science Direct database, since the beginning of 2022, at least 4,000 people have been killed and 19 million affected by extreme weather events in Africa.
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