President Ruto has been on the frontline championing Climate action rather than more climate talks when the situation keeps getting out of hand.
Speaking at COP27 on behalf of the African Group and Kenya at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the president emphasized that the time for action is now not tomorrow.
COP 27, has assembled countries to take stock of actions aimed at achieving the world’s collective climate goals as agreed under the Paris Agreement, one that is a legally binding international treaty on climate change.
“Further delay will make us busy spectators as calamity wipes out lives and livelihoods in the face of impending catastrophe, whose warning signs are already unbearably disastrous,” Ruto said.
Reminding fellow leaders in COP27 that the consequences have had far-reaching effects on the world with adverse weather patterns hitting especially developing countries the hardest.
Resonating with the goal set earlier on goal as to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
Urging the leaders that lengthy discussions at Climate Change conferences, procrastination, and delaying tactics that have hampered implementation and delivery of action are cruel and unjust.
“We cannot afford to spend more time skirting around the real issues and we must break out of the open-ended, process-focused discussions we are trapped in,” Ruto said.
President Ruto Hinted at no time is available for member states to afford to slacken on their mandate to achieve the agreed goals but must focus on delivery and commitment to implementation.
Adding that the pledge made 13 years ago in Copenhagen, committing USD 100 billion annually, remains unfulfilled, such egregious and unexplained default is a major cause of persisting distrust and neither is there any sound reason for the continuing pollution.
Revealing that humanity is confronting unprecedented devastation on a global scale with the frequency of disasters like hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, heat waves, and droughts worsening every passing year.
Citing an example with Kenya which has had 23 counties have been affected by drought, the worst in 40 years, with an estimated 4.5 million people on the verge of starvation if the situation persists.
