Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said there is a need for green construction, not just to meet our climate goals but to grow our economy and resources.
Sakaja said that if we had young people working on building the sort of housing infrastructure that Nairobi needs to meet its climate commitments, we could also create more jobs, thereby increasing our revenue.
“There is a virtuous cycle available to us,” the governor said, adding that Nairobi City County has completed a preliminary IFC EDGE building assessment of his office, which they intend to certify in time for COP 28, “to make it the first IFC EDGE Green Government Building in Africa, if not the world.”
Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) is an innovation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). It helps property developers create resource-efficient buildings quickly, easily, and affordably.
Sakaja was speaking during the pre-Africa Climate Summit (Pre-ACS) event hosted by the Kenya Green Building Society in partnership with the Alliance for Science.
The Pre-ACS event at the Climate Action Zone plays a crucial role in mobilising sustainable finance and partnerships for the built environment, which is a key focus for the Kenya Green Building Society, as green buildings are part of the wider Sustainable Urbanisation and Infrastructure track for the Summit.
The ACS event focused not only on building sustainable cities but also on discussing how we can rehabilitate and regenerate Africa’s fastest-growing cities and contribute to the Nairobi Declaration, which will be a key document for the Africa Climate Summit.
“It is an exciting time to be African, and in Africa, as we count down to the most important conversations and actions on climate,” said Nasra Nanda, the chief executive of Kenya Green Building Society (KGBS).
“As Africans, we cannot afford to get it wrong, because climate action for us is not just an environmental issue; it is a development issue, a dignity issue, an investment issue, and a fundamental human rights issue,” Nasra said.
“At the heart of it all, we have a growing population of young people who want to live in an Africa that thrives, an Africa we want, an Africa we are proud of, and an Africa where no one is left behind,” she said.
Nasra also said the KGBS is proud to partner with the Alliance for Science to bring the pre-ACS event to fruition.
The Executive Director of the Alliance for Science, Dr. Sheila Ochugboju, said it was obvious that we would be dealing with climate-related challenges many years later in Nairobi, the Green City in the Sun and a place of cool waters.
“Science has played a key role in learning about how to prepare for the future that we want. After such knowledge, we cannot forgive ourselves for not taking action,” Dr. Ochugboju said.
On his part, Dr. John Chumo, the Chief Executive of MaMa Doing Good, said the discussion and efforts to mobilise climate, carbon, and sustainable finance to build green and resilient cities for a better Africa were timely as the continent grapples with rapid urbanisation.
The Pre-Africa Climate Summit (pre-ACS) event was a milestone gathering that set the stage for the Africa Climate Summit.
Stakeholders, both local and regional, will converge to chart a path towards sustainable urbanisation, green building practices, and environmental rehabilitation on the continent.
The event represents Africa’s dedication to leading the way in climate action, and it invites all those concerned about the future of our planet to join the conversation.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
