With just two weeks remaining until the African Climate Summit scheduled from September 4th to 6th, 2023, in Kenya, a collective of 300 NGOs has raised their voices in an open letter to President Ruto, denouncing the influence of the American consulting firm McKinsey on the agenda of the forthcoming summit. Expressing their concerns in a letter addressed to the Kenyan president, they alarmingly highlight the perceived diversion of the summit’s focus from African climate priorities to the concerns of Western nations.
The objective of the Nairobi summit, as articulated for months, has been to craft a new vision for climate action that aligns with the realities of Africa. However, according to the NGOs undersigning the letter to President William Ruto, the execution has fallen short. In their eyes, the significant involvement of the American consulting firm McKinsey in shaping the summit’s agenda does not represent Africa’s interests but rather those of Western governments and corporations.
Carbon Credit Market
As a prime example of their grievances, these NGOs point to the attention given in the agenda to the establishment of a carbon credit market. Advocates argue that this market aims to bolster the growth of carbon credit production across the continent while generating employment opportunities. Yet, in the view of the signatories of the letter directed at the Kenyan president, this approach is deemed a “false solution,” effectively granting Western companies a “license to pollute.”
Taking Control
The authors of the letter lament the relegation, as they perceive it, of vital African concerns—such as the phased-out use of fossil fuels and investment in renewable energies—to a secondary position. They urge President Ruto to regain control of the situation and entrust “a group of experts led by Africans” with the responsibility of reshaping the summit’s agenda.