Posted on April, 23 2014

Kenya has one of the most dynamic economies in Africa, yet it is facing a number of pressing economic, environmental and social challenges. From climate change and natural resource depletion to high poverty rates and rising unemployment, the country is addressing these concerns through its commitment to a low-carbon and resource-efficient development pathway.

In recent years, Kenya has adopted several green economy-related approaches and policies, which include implementing renewable energy feed-in tariffs in 2008, embedding sustainable natural resource utilization into its 2010 Constitution and mainstreaming green economy in its Second Medium Term Plan (2013-2017).

Kenya is already moving towards a green economy. However, there is still untapped potential to pursue a development pathway that will create green jobs, accelerate poverty reduction, support sustainable growth and restore environmental health and quality. With targeted policy interventions and financing, the country can continue to generate new opportunities from this transition.

In this context, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, in partnership with UNEP, commissioned a study to assess the economic benefits and challenges of investing in priority economic sectors in support of Kenya’s transition to a green economy. Conducted in collaboration with the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) and the Millennium Institute, the study examines investments under “business-as-usual” (BAU) compared to green economy scenarios in four key sectors that are critical for the country’s green growth, namely: agriculture, energy, manufacturing and transport.

The results of this assessment will contribute not only to the realization of Kenya’s Vision 2030, but also to the ongoing debate on how the transition to a green economy can serve as an enabler of sustainable development, poverty alleviation and green job creation.

This study is the result of national stakeholder consultations held in February 2012 and September 2012, as well as regional stakeholder consultations held in April 2012 for communities in the coastal region, with funding from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

UNEP. (2014). Green Economy Assessment Report – Kenya