Nairobi, Kenya | Addressing the high-level segment of the Seventh Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), Kenya’s leadership called for urgent, coordinated global action to tackle the escalating triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
The Assembly, held at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, convenes just days after COP30 in Belém, Brazil, highlighting the continuity and urgency of global environmental governance.
“It is my great pleasure to join you at this High-Level Segment. Your strong presence here in Nairobi reaffirms UNEA’s position as the world’s premier forum for shaping collective, decisive, and science-based responses to the most urgent environmental challenges of our time,” Kenya’s representative said, emphasising the Assembly’s role in translating multilateral commitments into tangible action.
The Kenyan address highlighted the immediate impacts of climate change on Africa, a continent disproportionately affected despite contributing minimally to global emissions.
Recent drought declarations across 20 Kenyan counties have placed 2.5 million citizens at risk of severe hunger and water scarcity.
“From failed harvests to destructive floods, from intensifying storms to conflicts worsened by resource scarcity, Africans are paying the price for a crisis they did not create,” the address noted.
Kenya also drew attention to the global scale of environmental disasters. Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica caused economic damage equal to the country’s entire annual GDP, while Southeast Asia faced unprecedented rainfall and cyclones that killed thousands and displaced millions.
Annual property losses from natural disasters are now estimated at $150 billion, underscoring the human and economic toll of an accelerating crisis.
The speech emphasized that global economic transformations, driven by artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and electrification, must align with environmental protection, equity, and human dignity.
UNEA, Kenya argued, must define the environmental guardrails for this new era of economic transition to prevent perpetuating old patterns of extraction and pollution.
Kenya presented a vision for a modern, digital, and green economy powered by renewable energy and climate-resilient infrastructure.
The country pointed to Africa’s leadership in climate ambition through initiatives such as the Africa Climate Summits in Nairobi and Addis Ababa, which reframed the continent as a co-architect of global solutions.
The upcoming COP in Addis Ababa in 2027 further signals Africa’s growing role in international climate leadership.
Concrete examples of environmental success were highlighted, including Kenya’s recent operation to protect black rhinos in Tsavo West National Park, which now hosts the world’s largest rhino sanctuary.
“Seeing more than 100 black rhinos in a single sanctuary is a triumph of dedication, science, and partnership,” the address noted, stressing that committed collaboration can reverse environmental decline.
Kenya also detailed its upcoming environmental initiatives, including hosting the 11th ‘Our Ocean Conference’ in 2026, focusing on the blue economy, sustainable fisheries, marine restoration, and coastal protection.
The country will additionally host the International Clean Cooking Summit and engage in Congo Basin conservation initiatives to safeguard critical carbon and biodiversity reservoirs.
A central theme of the speech was the urgent need to address plastic pollution, which now contaminates soils, rivers, oceans, and even human bodies.
Kenya reaffirmed its commitment to supporting an international treaty addressing plastics across their full lifecycle, including hosting a resumed session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) at UNEP headquarters.
The address concluded with a call for strengthened UNEP and UNEA capacities, emphasizing the importance of financial and political support from member states.
“Environmental commitments must be backed by finance, technology, and capacity, especially for countries that are asked to safeguard global public goods while struggling with poverty and limited fiscal space,” the speech said.
Kenya’s message to the Assembly was clear: economic transformation and environmental action must move together, decoupling growth from emissions and pollution while ensuring fairness and accessibility.
“Let this UNEA-7 send three clear messages: that multilateralism works when nations show up, negotiate honestly, and act decisively; that Africa will not only bear the brunt of climate impacts, but will also lead in providing solutions; and that we are committed to aligning our economies with planetary boundaries,” the address concluded.
Delegates were also invited to experience Kenya’s natural beauty, from its landscapes and wildlife to its oceans and cultural warmth, a symbolic reminder of the country’s dual role as both a steward and beneficiary of environmental protection.
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