In the run-up to the UN
Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, I suggested that it would be
ludicrous to expect World leaders to sign an international binding agreement to
protect the planet’s life-support system. It was therefore hardly surprising
that the Rio+20 did not deliver a universal, binding agreement.
The fitting outcome from
Rio+20, I argued, would be a pragmatic framework for national responsibility
and local action. In this regard I think Rio+20 was a success. In a 49-page
redemptive document entitled the “The
Future We Want”, World leaders from 193 Member States of the United Nations
reaffirmed fundamental principles and renewed urgent commitments. In the words
of the UN Secretary – General Ban Ki– moon, “the document provides a firm
foundation for social economic and environmental well-being”.
In my view, the document provides
a framework for a wide range of actions by governments and communities, including:
detailing how the green economy can contribute eradicating poverty while
engendering sustained economic growth, enhancing social inclusion and creating
opportunities for employment; taking steps to account for natural capital and
that “Net” National Product (NNP) be adjusted for
the depreciation of natural capital; strengthening institutional framework for
sustainable development, including effective representation and devolution of
resource governance.
The Rio+20
Summit set a pragmatic action framework for sustainable cities and human
settlement, which is especially relevant for Kenya. In “The Future We Want” the leaders commit to promote policies that
support inclusive housing and social services; a safe and healthy living
environment for all; affordable and sustainable transport and energy;
promotion, protection and restoration of safe and green urban spaces; safe and
clean drinking water and sanitation; improved urban planning and slum upgrading;
and management of waste through the application of the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and
recycle).
Food
security and nutrition has become a pressing challenge, especially in Africa.
Rio+20 affirmed the necessity to promote, enhance and support that improves
food security, eradicates hunger, while conserving land, water, plant and
animal genetic resources, biodiversity and ecosystems, and enhancing resilience
to climate change.
Furthermore,
Rio+20 recognized the critical role that access to sustainable modern energy
services contributes to poverty eradication, saving lives, improving health and
providing basic human needs. The World leaders reaffirmed support for
implementation of policies appropriate energy mix to meet developmental needs,
including renewable energy sources and other low-emission technologies.
Of special interest to
Africa was the recognition by the World leaders that poverty eradication,
promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and production, and protecting
and managing the natural resource base are the overarching objectives of and
essential prerequisites for sustainable development. Moreover, Rio+20
recognized that sustainable development could only be achieved with a broad
coalition of governments, civil society and private sector.
Here
is what I think are some practical steps we can take here in Kenya to operationalize
the action framework outlined in “The
Future We want” by World leaders at Rio+20 Summit.
1. Adopt “natural capital
accounting” and assigning a value on the functions of protected forests,
including their role in curbing erosion, providing clean water to cities,
supporting wildlife and regulating the rain cycle to ensure enough rainfall for
crops;
2.
Adopt an audacious futuristic energy policy, which: specifies targets for transition to a clean, reliable, secure and
competitive energy supply; promotes off-grid, distributed energy solutions for
rural areas; sets a fuel economy standard of 25 kilometers per liter for all
cars by 2030, including tax incentives to purchase more fuel
efficient vehicles; sets a national energy efficiency target of 15-25% by 2030;
reduces market entry barriers and provide
high quality energy services; and, facilitates the creation a Renewable Energy
Research Council to set priorities for energy research.
3. Smallholder agricultural production
systems need an enabling environment to thrive: plant, soil and animal health
extension services; timely and accurate climate forecast; quality inputs
(seeds, animal breeds and fertilizer); reliable water supply; stable land
tenure rights; access to affordable financial services, including insurance;
appropriate mechanization; access stable markets; value addition through
cottage processing.
5. Cities offer an excellent space for
promoting sustainable consumption and production. Simple, low cost distributed
innovations can deliver phenomenal reductions on urban water demand while
creating new jobs in green plumbing and ecological engineering, improving
environmental quality and creating exquisite habitat for urban flora and fauna.
We must reduce demand for centralized portable water
through water use efficiency, reuse, recycling and purification of domestic
wastewater, roof catchment and the super abundant urban storm runoff.
6. In
globalized and rapidly changing world, our education educational institutions,
especially higher education must have a proclivity for research, innovation and
entrepreneurship, which are necessary to develop human capacity, technology and
employment for advancing national sustainable development objectives.
The
Rio+20 Summit was a success. It is now our responsibility to operationalize the
audacious action framework of the Summit.
No comments:
Post a Comment