By Murimi Gitari ,July 9, 2021
The Kenya government has called on the private sector to embrace green energy to keep up with global efforts for a safer environment.
Betty Maina, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development said that the government is committed to providing an enabling environment towards embracing green growth.
“As a country, we have attained a milestone developing renewable energy resources in agriculture, water harvesting, environmental legislation, sound waste management through recycling efforts and wastewater treatment,” Maina said during a meeting in Nairobi during the launch of two reports on sustainable textile and leather sectors in East Africa.
Maina urged the private sector to invest in eco-technology, to enhance the efficient use of raw materials and energy, and to promote green manufacturing.
Dr. Virander Paul, High Commissioner of India to Kenya also appealed to Kenya to borrow from his country’s journey towards the adoption of green growth and the management of climate change, noting that India was on course to mitigating climate change through renewable energy as part of an effort adhering to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
“Our goal is to ensure that we attain 40 percent of power from non-fossil sources by 2030,” he added.
Ashish Shah, Director, Division of Country Programmes at the International Trade Centre (ITC) noted the marked shift in international textile and leather supply chains towards stricter environmental compliance.
“Most of this change is being driven by international brands, but buyers with their conscious choice of supporting sustainably produced goods are also a key factor”
Miriam Bomett, Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Deputy Head of Policy, Research and Advocacy, noted the strategic role played by the local textile and leather sectors; the leather and apparel sectors have been identified in government’s development blueprints, due to their potential to enhance rapid economic growth.
She noted that to stabilize and accelerate their growth, it is important that the government continues strategizing and re-designing approaches to create an enabling environment to attract investments, and make Kenyan industries more competitive.
The reports are set to guide industry players and policy makers on sustainable textile and leather sectors in East Africa, in aligning their manufacturing processes and policy with the global trends.
The reports, focusing on renewable energy and industrial sustainability were prepared within the framework of ITC’s support to Indian Trade and Investment for Africa (SITA) programme
