President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced a new bi-annual award at the just concluded fifth United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) and United Nations Environmental Program Jubilee (UNEP@50) celebrations at UN Gigiri in Nairobi.
The award, dubbed “Mazingira Global,” seeks to recognize people and institutions championing environmental sustainability and peace with an additional monetary award of 20,000 USD.
The assembly concluded with the adoption of 14 resolutions to strengthen actions for nature to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of the resolutions is to forge an international, legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution.
According to UN-Habitat, Kenya has long struggled with strewing the Indian Ocean coast, with about 3.7 KGS of plastic per capita leaching into bodies of water each year.
Kenya is an emerging leader at the end of plastic resolution adoption and is among the first countries in East Africa to limit single-use plastics since 2017.
According to President Uhuru Kenyatta, the global campaign to beat plastic pollution by 2024 is a milestone towards getting recognition.
“We suffer from porous borders because it is seemingly difficult for individual countries to implement these bans if their neighbouring countries aren’t. It is only by working together globally will we be able to succeed in the war against plastics.” the head of state noted.
UNEP Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms Inger Andersen, commended Kenya for the tremendous steps in banning the single-use of plastic seven years ago.
She said, “as UNEP we have phased out mercury in household items, phased out ozone-depleting substances, and shall continue even as we globally combine our efforts to implement these resolutions. We can and shall find a solution in any way we can when nations unite.”
President Uhuru Kenyatta urged the youth to be at the forefront in vocalizing and taking up climate matters for posterity.
“With access to all these different technologies, we can be as inspirational as those who were there before us and acknowledge that we are not doing it for ourselves but our future generations. The youth, therefore, need to be at the forefront in using all available technology and articulate them to the current issues to safeguard our planet for future generations,” President Uhuru concluded.