By Hon. Prof. Kariuki Muigua, OGW, PhD, C.Arb, FCIArb is a Professor of Environmental Law and Dispute Resolution at the University of Nairobi, Member of Permanent Court of Arbitration, Leading Environmental Law Scholar, Respected Sustainable Development Policy Advisor, Top Natural Resources Lawyer, Highly-Regarded Dispute Resolution Expert and Awardee of the Order of Grand Warrior (OGW) of Kenya by H.E. the President of Republic of Kenya. He is The African ADR Practitioner of the Year 2022, The African Arbitrator of the Year 2022, ADR Practitioner of the Year in Kenya 2021, CIArb (Kenya) Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 and ADR Publisher of the Year 2021 and Author of the Kenya’s First ESG Book: Embracing Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) tenets for Sustainable Development” (Glenwood, Nairobi, July 2023) and Kenya’s First Two Climate Change Law Book: Combating Climate Change for Sustainability (Glenwood, Nairobi, October 2023), Achieving Climate Justice for Development (Glenwood, Nairobi, October 2023) and Promoting Rule of Law for Sustainable Development (Glenwood, Nairobi, January 2024)*
The need to reduce emissions from greenhouse gases is set out under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Convention seeks to achieve the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system (Emphasis added). It further urges countries to undertake several measures in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as implementing national and regional measures aimed at mitigating climate change by addressing anthropogenic emissions; and promoting and cooperating in the development, application and diffusion, including transfer, of technologies, practices and processes that control, reduce or prevent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases.
Further, the Kyoto Protocol commits industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce greenhouse gases emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. It requires these countries to implement measures and policies geared towards achieving their emission limitation and reduction commitments towards combating climate change. These measures include enhancement of energy efficiency; promotion of sustainable forms of agriculture in light of climate change considerations; fostering research on, and promotion, development and increased use of, new and renewable forms of energy, of carbon dioxide sequestration technologies and of advanced and innovative environmentally sound technologies and cooperation between states to enhance the individual and combined effectiveness of their policies and measures adopted towards confronting climate change.
The idea of achieving net zero is enshrined under the Paris Agreement. The objective of the Agreement is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, in the context of Sustainable Development and efforts to eradicate poverty through holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels; increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production; and making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.
The Paris Agreement provides that in order to achieve the long-term temperature goal set out in Article 2, Parties shall aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, recognizing that peaking will take longer for developing country Parties, and to undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with best available science, so as to achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of the 21st century, on the basis of equity, and in the context of Sustainable Development and efforts to eradicate poverty. It has been argued that in order to achieve the target set out under the Paris Climate agreement to limit global warming to no more than 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut in half by the year 2030, and to reach net-zero, by the year 2050. IPCC further points out that the world needs to reach net zero by around 2050 if it is to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Achieving net zero is envisaged under the Glasgow Climate Pact which was adopted at COP 26. Under the Pact, Parties recognize that limiting global warming to 1.5 °C requires rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions, including reducing global carbon dioxide emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 relative to the 2010 level and to net zero around midcentury as well as deep reductions in other greenhouse gases. The Pact also requires Parties to implement and communicate long term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies referred to in Article 4, paragraph 19, of the Paris Agreement towards just transitions to net zero emissions by or around midcentury, taking into account different national circumstances. Actualizing the aspirations of the Glasgow Climate Pact is vital in achieving net zero emissions.
At a regional level, the East African Community (EAC) Climate Change Policy recognizes the adverse impacts of climate change as a major challenge to socio-economic development globally. The Policy’s overall climate change mitigation objective is to promote Sustainable Development in the region while contributing to the global efforts of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases through the Clean Development Mechanisms, Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation or through any other future agreements.
The Policy notes that although the EAC region has negligible contribution to global greenhouse gases emissions, it is still important for the region to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases through the preparation of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) for sectors with potentially high emission factors and take other relevant measures. These include sectors such as energy, transport, agriculture, waste management and industry. Implementing this Policy can accelerate the race towards net zero emissions within the EAC.
At a national level, the Climate Change Act of Kenya seeks to enhance the national response to climate change and achieve low carbon climate development for Sustainable Development. The Act sets out several ways of achieving this goal which include reducing emissions intensity by facilitating approaches and uptake of technologies that support low carbon, and climate resilient development. The Climate Change Act has since been amended by the Climate Change (Amendment) Act59 of 2023 in order to enhance climate change mitigation and adaption measures in Kenya through the concept of carbon markets.
*This is an extract from the Article: Achieving Net Zero Emissions- A Reflection, Available at: http://kmco.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ Achieving-Net-Zero-Emissions-A-Reflection.pdf (29th February 2024) by Hon. Prof. Kariuki Muigua, OGW, PhD, Professor of Environmental Law and Dispute Resolution, Senior Advocate of Kenya, Chartered Arbitrator, Kenya’s ADR Practitioner of the Year 2021 (Nairobi Legal Awards), ADR Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 (CIArb Kenya), African Arbitrator of the Year 2022, Africa ADR Practitioner of the Year 2022, Member of National Environment Tribunal (NET) Emeritus (2017 to 2023) and Member of Permanent Court of Arbitration nominated by Republic of Kenya. Prof. Kariuki Muigua is a foremost Environmental Law and Natural Resources Lawyer and Scholar, Sustainable Development Advocate and Conflict Management Expert in Kenya. Prof. Kariuki Muigua teaches Environmental Law and Dispute resolution at the University of Nairobi School of Law, The Center for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy (CASELAP) and Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies. He has published numerous books and articles on Environmental Law, Environmental Justice Conflict Management, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Sustainable Development. Prof. Muigua is also a Chartered Arbitrator, an Accredited Mediator, the Managing Partner of Kariuki Muigua & Co. Advocates and Africa Trustee Emeritus of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators 2019-2022. Prof. Muigua is a 2023 recipient of President of the Republic of Kenya Order of Grand Warrior (OGW) Award for his service to the Nation as a Distinguished Expert, Academic and Scholar in Dispute Resolution and recognized among the top 5 leading lawyers and dispute resolution experts in Band 1 in Kenya by the Chambers Global Guide 2024 and was listed in the Inaugural THE LAWYER AFRICA Litigation Hall of Fame 2023 as one of the Top 50 Most Distinguished Litigation Lawyers in Kenya and the Top Arbitrator in Kenya in 2023.
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