Kenyan climate scientist Joyce Kimutai expressed deep frustration with the global response to climate change during the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, lamenting the slow pace of progress and the lack of action on critical funding for vulnerable nations.
“If the world was listening to science, maybe we wouldn’t be doing these COPs,” Kimutai, 36, said on the sidelines of the UN climate conference. “We are very slow in how we take our action. We are afraid of taking bold steps. And I do not understand why.”
As talks dragged into their second week with little agreement on increasing financial aid for developing nations, Kimutai warned that countries like Kenya are bearing the brunt of climate change.
Kenya has endured severe climate shocks this year, from a record-breaking drought to devastating floods that claimed lives and destroyed infrastructure. In the Rift Valley, where Kimutai grew up, landslides, erratic seasons, and dwindling water supplies have become increasingly common.
She added that other African nations and developing regions are similarly unprepared for the escalating impacts of global warming.
Kimutai, a lead author for the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is advising Kenya as it leads the Africa Group of Negotiators. The group is pushing for financial support from wealthy nations to help poorer countries adapt to climate change without falling deeper into debt.
Developed nations have resisted committing significant new funds and are urging countries like China to contribute. This stalemate leaves Kenya and its allies grappling with an unjust burden.
Kimutai emphasised the critical role of science in shaping policy and decision-making. She warned that even wealthier countries are not immune to the climate crisis, citing recent deadly floods in Spain.
Despite the challenges, Kimutai remains determined to advocate for climate justice, highlighting Kenya’s leadership in championing Africa’s needs on the global stage.
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