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Highlights of the NMG & KenGen Sustainable Energy Conference

Kenya is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions.

Net zero refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal out of the atmosphere.

“Currently, over 75% of the country’s energy generation portfolio is green energy,” CS Monica Juma said.

The Sustainable Energy Conference, organised by Nation Media Group (NMG) in partnership with Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) is a step towards that goal.

Some key highlights of the conference include issues affecting Africa’s clean energy deployment, financing for sustainable energy, diversity and inclusivity, sustainable energy projects and transition into technology.

“To combat climate change, fossil fuels are no longer a sustainable source of energy. As the world strives for sustainable development, clean and renewable energy sources have taken centre stage on how we produce and consume energy.”, KenGen CEO Rebecca Miano said.

Globally, electricity generation use and disposal accounts for more than 70% of global carbon footprint. Across the East African countries, there has been an increase in efforts to provide access to energy resulting in reduction in the number of households without access to power.

“Cheap, sustainable, and accessible energy should be at the forefront of our conversation. This should be a basic human right for everyone,” Chairman of the Nation Media Group, Dr. Wilfred Kiboro said.

Representatives attending the conference on behalf of various firms talked about how their companies have managed to become more ‘green’ in terms of daily use of energy to power their operations.

At KenGen, there’s adoption of a green energy strategy in expanding power generation with an emphasis on renewable sources such as geothermal, hydro, wind and solar. This is in line to achieving sustainability and value creation.

The Sustainable Energy Conference seeks to turn the global spotlight on Africa’s climate change initiatives and begin to tell African energy and adaptation stories and experiences to the world.

CS Juma said, ‘from access to electricity of 35% in 2013, today we are at close to 80% By 2030, the target is to achieve 100% access”.

“We are stemming our efforts to meet electricity demand while generating clean energy for all. 80% of our energy coming from renewable resources” – General (Rtd) Samson Mwathethe, EGH, MBS, DCO, KenGen Board chairman.

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Panellists at the Financing for Sustainable Energy slot at the Sustainable Energy Conference.

Sustainable energy financing

The theme of the discussion was Financing for Sustainable Energy.

Various heads of companies shared their take on the above-mentioned subject. The Key Financing Areas that were discussed include Green Bonds, use of Pension Funds, CDM revenues, use of Private Capital and refinance projects.

According to KenGen, the private sector and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) can complement public finance and increase financial-resource mobilization for energy investments in developed and developing markets.

Financiers such as The World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), European Investment Bank (EIB), German’s KfW, the French Development Agency (AFD), Japan’s JICA, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and A.P. Moller Capital are in attendance.

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