Nairobi, 28 March 2023 - The implementation of Paris Agreement climate plans by countries is the focus of a global exchange workshop taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from March 27-30, 2023.

With the support of the Government of Japan, UNDP's Climate Promise is helping countries turn their national climate pledges (NDCs) into concrete actions and enhance their ambition to curb irreversible risks. In 2021, the Japan Supplementary Budget (JSB) provided USD 42 million towards the implementation of the Climate Promise, enabling NDC implementation in 23 countries and territories.

The workshop brings together government stakeholders and UNDP staff from 20 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Africa, and Arab State regions. Countries will exchange best practices and lessons learned on how they are using funding from Japan to leverage their NDCs towards net-zero emissions and climate-resilient development.

"Kenya has shown significant ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent, equivalent to 45 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030," said Ms. Mandisa Mashologu, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Kenya. “We are proud to be hosting this meaningful global workshop in Nairobi, as we believe Kenya has a lot of leadership to show in this area to the rest of the world.”

The workshop provides an important opportunity to explore different key areas of work pertaining to climate action, including just transition, circular economy, adaptation, early warning systems and more. More than 60 participants will share knowledge, field experiences, challenges, and solutions in their respective countries, highlighting the importance of building partnerships and visibility efforts.

"It is imperative that all countries in the world tackle climate change through mitigation and adaptation actions,” remarked Mr. Yasuhisa Kitagawa, Deputy Chief of Mission of Japan to Kenya. “Japan has been providing various assistance on climate change and remains committed to supporting countries' climate targets including the one of Kenya, providing assistance to adaptation and mitigation actions, and continuing the discussion on loss and damage."

Mr. Alfred Gichu, the Conservation Secretary at the Kenya Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, noted that "This conference is important, especially as Kenya prepares to host the Climate Summit and the Africa Climate Week in September. This workshop will provide a platform for sharing ideas, co-creating solutions, and strengthening climate action networks."

The workshop comes at the heels of an announcement by UNDP that Japan will fund a second round of support to developing countries on climate change mitigation and climate-resilient development. The support package, worth approximately $23.6 milion, intends to respond to the growing demands of countries to take climate action and deliver on NDC targets.

Media contacts:  

For media enquiries, please contact: 

Martin Namasaka 

Head of Communications, UNDP Kenya 

Tel: 0742512139 

Email: communication.ke@undp.org 

About UNDP 

UNDP is the leading United Nations organisation fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. 

Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP.

About the Climate Promise 

In 2021, UNDP launched a new phase of Climate Promise – From Pledge to Impact – aimed at translating climate targets of countries into concrete action. Japan is the largest supporter of this phase and joins longstanding partners such as Germany, Sweden, the European Union, Spain, and Italy and new partners such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, Iceland, and Portugal to accelerate these efforts.  

Learn more at climatepromise.undp.org or follow at @UNDPClimate.