00:00 Thank you for allowing us to have this interview with you, Your Excellency, and welcome to
00:05 the Road to Net Zero with Khalid Stimes.
00:08 Your Excellency, the Global South faces a lot of challenges, the climate change.
00:14 What do you have in mind?
00:15 What are the challenges?
00:17 What is there to tell the people?
00:19 You know, what can we do about these challenges?
00:21 Do you think these challenges can be, you know, perhaps addressed at COP28 with some
00:30 tangible outcomes?
00:31 Yes, there are quite a number of challenges facing the Global South, and more specifically
00:39 to the African continent.
00:42 We in Kenya have experienced serious climate crisis because of the devastating effects
00:53 of whatever is happening currently.
00:57 Last year, we experienced for the last 40 years the worst drought.
01:02 And as you know, us in Africa mostly do agriculture.
01:10 And if there is no rain at all, just because of the climate effects, then it affects quite
01:17 a lot of things.
01:19 People go hungry, animals die, and people become more impoverished.
01:27 So the challenges are there, and climate change crisis is real.
01:33 Something needs to be done about it.
01:35 We in Africa, actually about last month, on the 4th or the 6th of September, we hosted
01:43 the first Africa Climate Summit 2023, which was being organized by the African Union.
01:53 And we tried to put our minds together as the African continent to see how best we can
02:00 be able to overcome this crisis.
02:03 And overcoming it is by looking at how best all of us can be able to work towards the
02:10 UN SDGs to bring down the climate levels to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
02:20 And there was a huge declaration on how we should do it, and almost everybody accepted
02:26 that this is a crisis that actually needs to be addressed by every continent, every
02:32 person on the planet Earth.
02:36 And therefore, when it happened, we were very happy to even host the UAE delegation led
02:43 by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Najjarber, who is also the COP 28 President-designate.
02:51 And he's coming with his big delegation consisting of another two ministers, one minister for
02:59 youth and the other minister for climate and environment.
03:03 It was a way of showing that whatever is going to happen for COP 28 is definitely going to
03:11 be different because according to Dr. Sultan, there is a lot to be looked at in terms of
03:19 inclusivity, in terms of equity, in terms of funding, which the Global South has been
03:26 mostly affected by not being included, by not being given the proper share of their
03:33 contribution towards solutions to climate change.
03:37 And also in terms of the financing aspects, which impact heavily on not being able to
03:44 mitigate against these challenges.
03:47 Dr. Sultan, attending at Your Excellency, it showed commitment of the UAE and shows
03:55 to what degree the UAE actually wants tangible outcomes in this COP 28.
04:03 What is your aspirations?
04:05 What would be a tangible outcome for Kenya, for the African continent in terms of perhaps,
04:11 you know, let's say, let's start with inclusivity.
04:15 Let's start with the financing aspect of it.
04:18 Let's start with even groundwork.
04:21 You know, you have been affected.
04:24 You already told us to what degree Kenya, you know, heavily depends on the agricultural
04:31 sector and it was affected by the droughts.
04:35 So maybe, you know, what kind of projects are you looking towards?
04:40 What are the things that would do that change or would prove the commitment through the
04:45 change?
04:46 The visit by His Excellency Dr. Sultan to us as a country felt like it's going to be
04:53 different.
04:54 He sought for our support at not only the national level, but also at the continental
04:59 level.
05:01 And the declaration that was done was that we need to support Dr. Sultan.
05:06 And because of the things he wants to bring on the table during this COP 28 summit, we
05:12 felt like it's going to be different from the others where we felt that the previous
05:19 COP 20, up to 27, have been something that is discussed and then it's not implemented.
05:28 So with his words of inclusivity and making sure the outcomes are implemented, we strongly
05:37 feel that he needs our support so that he can change the dynamics, he can change the
05:43 way the world is looking at climate change by making sure that everybody contributes
05:49 to the best solutions to overcome this crisis.
05:53 I can tell you for sure there was commitment, there were pledges to the tune of about $26
06:01 billion for mitigation and climate investments.
06:07 And UAE as a country, actually, out of that $26 billion, pledged about $4.5 billion in
06:16 transition, adaptation, and investment in renewables.
06:23 Kenya is one country that is really working very well towards the achievement of the 2030
06:29 UN SDGs, where I can tell you that over 90% of our energy generation is actually on renewables.
06:43 We have a milestone by itself.
06:45 Absolutely, absolutely.
06:46 It is a milestone.
06:48 And we thought maybe we'll achieve 100% target by 2030, as per the UN SDGs, but we've brought
06:58 it forward to 2028, that we should be able to achieve the 100% renewable target two years
07:07 earlier.
07:08 Our president is very passionate about this matter and he's actually committed also in
07:14 terms of greening the world of planting 15 billion trees in 10 years.
07:22 In 10 years.
07:23 In 10 years.
07:25 And I can tell you for sure, looking at the way he is dynamic and pragmatic in looking
07:33 at climate change and how it's affecting everybody, the rich and the poor, we need to support
07:40 this idea.
07:41 And with the drought, your excellency, do you think that it's possible to reach that
07:45 number?
07:46 It is.
07:47 It is possible.
07:48 It is, I can tell you, it is possible.
07:50 But it requires the concerted effort of everyone.
07:55 So a consensus, a collaboration.
07:58 Exactly, exactly.
07:59 One country alone cannot be able to achieve it.
08:02 But if you put all our heads together, if you put all our discussions and solutions
08:08 together, and if we do that and commit to implementing what we have decided to do, for
08:14 sure it is achievable.
08:16 You think the private sector plays a fair share, you know, in terms of perhaps assuring
08:25 that something is done in terms of climate mitigation?
08:30 The private sector has not been very strong, a strong player previously.
08:35 And that's why Dr. Sultan is talking about inclusivity, making sure that no one is left
08:40 behind, you know, from the rich to the poor, from the indigenous communities, from the
08:48 poor countries, the rich countries.
08:51 Everybody should be on the table because we are all affected.
08:54 And therefore, if we are able to put everybody's mind onto the issues that are facing us as
09:04 a planet, for sure a solution should be available.
09:09 Your Excellency, do you think there is awareness now, or do you think that awareness has to
09:14 also reach certain, perhaps, people within the society?
09:20 Or, you know, do people comprehend the degree of what's happening?
09:27 Absolutely, they do.
09:29 Everybody is.
09:30 Before we came here, I told you of a story when I was growing up.
09:35 You know, I was a young man growing in the Rulo village.
09:39 Our small stream, which used to flow through our land, which we were farming, used to have
09:49 fish, used to have tadpoles, used to have all kinds of animals and birds around, you
09:58 know, operating around the waters.
10:01 But currently, you pass there, 60 years down the line, and the river is non-existent.
10:09 You know, you cannot say that this is not affecting people.
10:14 It is really affecting people because 50 or 60 years ago, the world is not the same just
10:21 because of what is happening currently.
10:24 What we don't know is how do we make the people who are polluting most should be able to understand
10:34 that this thing of climate crisis is affecting everybody, and therefore they should change
10:39 their way of doing things.
10:41 Your Excellency, do you think regardless of perhaps international geopolitical differences,
10:48 you know, still we'll have an outcome from this COP?
10:51 I believe they should.
10:53 They should have a way of looking at things unlike before so that the outcomes are favorable
11:02 to everybody, are favorable to whatever everybody is facing.
11:08 And if anyone thinks that it is not going to go by what is expected of them, then it
11:15 will affect them and affect the rest of the world.
11:19 Humanity in general.
11:20 Exactly.
11:21 Your Excellency, has there been, let's say, some groundwork and collaboration between
11:27 the UAE and Kenya in terms of perhaps renewable energy projects in Kenya itself?
11:35 Yes, there has been.
11:36 As you speak, there is an MOU, a Moranda Move Understanding, in investments towards geothermal
11:47 development.
11:48 Kenya is among the top ten countries globally who have reserves of geothermal ready to be
11:59 exploited.
12:00 And as late as two months ago, there started discussions on how Mazda, a renewable company
12:11 in the UAE, will be able to go to Kenya and start developing renewable energy through
12:18 geothermal.
12:20 What do you think of the relationship with the UAE?
12:22 Do you think?
12:23 It's quite good.
12:25 The relationship between Kenya and UAE is quite warm, quite cordial.
12:31 And I can tell you for sure, it didn't start yesterday.
12:35 Kenya and UAE started the relationship way back in the 80s.
12:38 I saw the pictures.
12:39 And I showed you the picture of His Highness Sheikh Zayed.
12:44 May God have mercy on him.
12:47 When he actually went to Nairobi, went to Masai Mara, he went to Lake Bogoria in 1984,
12:57 and he was impressed that those geothermal reserves, he could be able to taste that salty
13:04 hot water that was coming from the hot springs in Kenya.
13:10 And ever since that time, the relations have been growing quite broadly and deeply.
13:18 And we are still on it, trying to make it even better.
13:21 In fact, we're in the process currently of signing the CEPA agreement, the Comprehensive
13:28 Economic Partnership Agreement.
13:30 But even if it has not been signed right now, already in existence is close to about 15
13:38 instruments of cooperation that have already been signed between Kenya and UAE.
13:43 And we are looking forward to also having the fourth round of our JCC, where we have
13:49 aligned close to a similar number of instruments of cooperation ready for signing.
13:55 So it's a very deep-rooted relationship.
13:59 It's a very old relationship.
14:01 And it is of importance, of course, to both our leadership, our people.
14:06 Your Excellency, is there anything that perhaps you would like to share with us, you would
14:09 like to share with the people?
14:11 Is there any kind of advice?
14:13 Is there anything you would like to say through our show?
14:16 I'm happy that Khaleej Times is doing a commendable job by actually picking up these kind of interviews.
14:23 They are able to disseminate information of countries on the way they are looking forward
14:31 to the COP28, and also showcase what countries have to offer during the COP28.
14:40 It's also important for you to know also that media houses play a crucial role in terms
14:47 of making people to meet connections, people to people connections.
14:53 Yes.
14:54 And also show how each country has in terms of opportunities and investment.
15:01 Thank you, Your Excellency.
15:02 Thank you so much.
15:03 Thank you.
15:04 Thank you.
15:05 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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