(CU)_Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will lead talks on the crucial role played by the African continent in tackling the climate crisis, during the upcoming climate conference (COP26). The Kenyan leader, together with Russian-British tycoon and owner of The Independent, Evgeny Lebedev, will convene an event on the side-lines of the long-awaited UN summit, focusing on protecting the region’s carbon-rich natural landscapes. The event will be organised by the government of Kenya, and The Independent, in collaboration with Space for Giants, an international conservation organisation protecting Africa’s wildlife landscapes.
President Kenyatta are members of the NGO’s Giants Club, alongside the presidents of Botswana, Gabon, Rwanda, Mozambique and Uganda, while Lord Lebedev is the Space for Giants Patron. The side-line meeting will be held at the African Development Bank’s COP26 pavilion on Wednesday (3 November).
“It will draw attention to the value of Africa’s carbon sinks and launch a focused initiative to fast-track the development of their carbon offset sectors across the continent through the launch of national investment processes,” the organisers of the event said. It will bring together political leaders and representatives private sector to support nature conservation in the continent.
During this year’s Conference of the Parties, heads of state across the globe, including the member-states of the Giants Club, will announced their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
“COP26 must focus on an African solution to our global climate problem,” Lord Lebedev said in a statement. “We need to preserve Africa’s carbon sinks if we are to stand a chance of saving our planet. Together, African governments, the private sector and the global community can help to sustain Africa’s natural habitat – and combat climate change.”
