Successes and Pitfalls of Global Climate Regimes in Kenya: Insights on Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement

Abstract

Kenya has been an active signatory to international multi-lateral conventions and ratifier especially on those touching on climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and distension on marine and terrestrial well-being. This study was set to establish the dynamics of international conventions on climate change and how they affected Kenya’s environmental policies and legislations keeping in mind the fact that they were developed in an effort to mitigate climate change in line with the standards and targets laid down by the two most prominent global climate change regimes i.e. the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and Paris Agreement (2015). Focus was also directed at finding out how Kenya has successfully or otherwise implemented the objects and spirit of these conventions. The specific objectives included to examine the influences of the two climate regimes on Kenya’s policy making and legislations on climate change and to evaluate the success and pitfalls that arose in an effort to comply with the obligations set by them. It was found out that Kenya, like other developing countries party to these environmental conventions receives a lot of financial and technical assistance. It is inferenced that Kenya has done pretty well in the achievement of targets in the areas of afforestation, land restoration, agroforestry, green energy, rehabilitation, and carbon storage enhancement in accordance with Article 34 of Kyoto Protocol. Furthermore, great strides in mobilizing internal resources to finance climate change mitigation, resilience, and adaptation are noted but overreliance on external financing is still a challenge.