Chemicals in products have continued to expose humans and the environment to their negative impacts. Evidence from analysis of recycled plastic products sampled from markets in Kenya and other parts of the world has revealed high levels of POPs in recycled products including children’s toys.
This is exacerbated by weaknesses in the legal frameworks, the limited capacity of countries to screen imports for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and lack of transparency and traceability mechanisms for chemicals in products. To reduce exposure to these chemicals in Kenya, there is need to regulate the use of plastic products treated with chemicals and set stringent limits for POPs in products and wastes. Furthermore, there is need to strengthen the capacity to manage chemicals in products including capacity for screen of imports.
Lastly, the government should take lead in pushing for adequate measures to eliminate toxics in plastics in the ongoing plastic treaty negotiations to support non- toxic circular economy. This policy brief is intended for policy and decision makers in the national and county governments, particularly in the ministries of health, environment, labor and trade, as well as regulatory agencies such as the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards.
A critical look at the entire plastics cycle is also of crucial importance from a feminist perspective, because the plastic problem cannot simply be reduced to consumer use patterns or to harmful microplastics in cosmetic products. On the contrary, every stage of the plastics cycle reflects different gender-specific experiences and exposures.
With this edition of Perspectives, the Heinrich Böll Foundation explores some of the approaches and instruments that communities and their NGO partners have developed to create room for community-centred stakeholder participation, and to champion community interests and rights.
This edition of the Perspective brings with it a wealth of facts on renewable energy, green economies, climate change and reflects on the challenges different African nations and entities are faced with, in their quest for a self-sufficient and sustainable green society. It is a rich compilation of expert commentaries and contributions coming from different parts of Africa, telling African stories.
Fossil resources like coal, oil and gas are responsible for 63 percent of carbon emissions in the atmosphere by only 90 entities – the “Carbon Majors”. This discussion paper outlines the case for the Carbon Majors to provide funding via the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage for poor communities all over the world.
How could a just and democratic resource politics look like that respects both planetary boundaries and human rights? The Memorandum “Resource Politics for a Fair Future” is the outcome of a two-year international dialogue process of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
Finding a sustainable and affordable solution to the continent’s energy crisis, Africa has the chance to leapfrog dirty development pathways and power its economies and societies through renewable energy. The East African launch of this study on Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariffs comes at a time when Governments are directing their attention towards fossil fuels, neglecting the potential of renewable energy resources to profoundly transform societies and economies in the region.
The impacts and costs of climate change must, be addressed through coherent and effective climate change governance. However, available evidence suggests that environmental and climate change relevant policy in Kenya remains mostly incoherent and not integrated with longterm national development plans and policies.
Drought-induced reduction in hydropower generation has become a persistent feature in the region’s electricity generation. Expanding decentralized renewable energies for electricity generation provides an important and cost-effective measure of adapation to climate change.
The idea of growth as the way to end poverty and escape economic and financial crisis remains largely undisputed and is currently reflected in the concept of the green economy. But not everything that is “green” and efficient is also environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. This essay outlines a policy of less, of wealth in moderation, to enable the Earth’s resources to make a life of dignity and without need possible for all.
The policy brief discusses the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM’s) role in the UNFCCC climate governance architecture, and highlights the evolution of the mechanism. On Kenya it assesses institutions, actors, and the CDM’s implementation in the currently most important energy and forestry sectors, and the broader domestic project pipeline, considering public policy and governance dimensions.
In this essay, the President of the Heinrich Boell Foundation, Barbara Unmuessig, critically reflects on the opportunities for and the shortcomings of the concept of a "Green Economy" to influence economic policy making globally, its relationship to the paradigm of sustainable development and the need to rethink our understanding and focus on growth.
The people of Taita -Taveta county have for long been alienated from their land and land resources, with their struggles for land rights and tenure well-known. They are also alienated from the minerals, wildlife and forest resources which then impedes the development of these communities. It is therefore necessary to document these realities and suggest solutions to ensure that the rich mineral resources contribute to local development.
Pastoralism is essential for the sustainable management and ecological health of dry lands, but also highly sensitive to increasing environmental degradation and global warming. It is threatened by several factors like the sedentarisation policies, intensive agriculture, ecological degradation and low social status accorded to pastoralists among many others.
The study seeks to assess the unusual mortality of some of the perennial plants such as Acacia tortilis, Balanites orbicularis, Suaeda fruticosa and Zizyphus hamur in some coastal areas of Somaliland. The local communities, particularly pastoralists whose livelihoods are heavily dependent on rangeland conditions, have given different explanations on this disturbing trend, which surfaced in the early 1990’s.
In Somaliland, adverse impacts of climate change include recurrent droughts, increased biodiversity loss, species migration and encroachment of invasive plants, increased rural urban migration, changes in the vegetation types, soil fertility loss, and increased infestation of crop by pests and diseases and increased health risks.
Buug-yarahani waa tarjumaddii cilmi-baadhis lagu diyaariyay AfIngiriisi oo ku suntan “The impact of climate change and adoption of strategic coping mechanisms by agro-pastoralists in Gabiley region, Somaliland”. Waana mid ka mid ah saddex (3) daraasadood oo labada kalena kala yihiin: • Perennial Plants Mortality in the Guban Areas of Somaliland, • “the Impact of Climate Change on Pastoral Communities in Balli-Gubadle and Salahley Districts, in Somaliland”.
While Africa has contributed the least to historic greenhouse gas emissions globally, it stands to be the hardest hit by the effects of climate change. Africa will require substantial financial resources in order to adapt to the unavoidable consequences of climate change. At this year’s Climate Change Conference in Durban, climate finance is expected to feature prominently.
The study analysed the irrigation expansion strategy as a measure of increasing food security and securing livelihoods in Kenya, as well as its role as a measure to climate change adaptation in relation to other measures e.g. selection of crop varietal suitability, environmental conservation through afforestation, agro forestry and land use management and practices.
