By Judith Akolo
Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr. Festus Ng’eno has urged stakeholders developing the new set of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to set realistic targets that are achievable.
Speaking during a virtual workshop to validate new NDC targets, and validation of priority areas for Kenya’s new NDC (2031 – 2035) Dr. Ng’eno said that the NDCs being part of the implementation tools for the Paris Agreement “they allow countries to determine their actions and targets towards the achievement of the goals of the Agreement, based on our national circumstances.”
He said that the they are a Bottom-Up-Tool for the global goal, with a “non-backsliding” caveat. “No one determines any target for any country, it is self-determined.”
He noted that from Baku NCQG outcome, it is clear that no one guarantees to support any action or target in the NDCs, hence the need for caution in the self-determined targets
Dr. Ng’eno further noted that bfore the Paris Agreement, Parties submitted their self-determined intentions, which were then known as the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC).
Kenya’s INDCs which was submitted in July 2015 became the first NDCs when the parties ratified the Paris Agreement, with an implementation period from 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2030. “However, the targets were Updated in 2020 to enhance ambition in response to the agreement by Parties as a result of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on 1.5 Degrees. “The implementation period of Kenya’s Updated NDC is still from 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2030,” he said.
The PS said that Kenya is on course in meeting this target to submit the new set of NDCs before 10th February, 2025, that will be implemented from 1st January, 2031 to 31st December, 2035.
