KENYA CALLS FOR ACTION AT FIRST FCLP MINISTERIAL MEETING IN NAIROBI
Kenya hosted the 1st Ministerial Meeting and Third All-Member Gathering of the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership (FCLP) on 3rd March 2026 in Nairobi, bringing together global leaders to strengthen cooperation on halting and reversing forest loss while advancing climate action and sustainable development.
The meeting was officially opened by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr. Deborah M. Barasa, who was accompanied by the Forestry Principal Secretary, Mr. Gitonga Mugambi.
The event convened the Ministerial Co-Leads Hon. Katie White (Minister for Climate Change, United Kingdom) and Hon. Vickram Bharrat (Minister for Natural Resources, Cooperative Republic of Guyana), alongside Sherpa Co-Leads Jo Macrae (UK) and Kevin Hogan (Guyana). Sherpas from 38 member countries and observer institutions also participated in the discussions.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Barasa highlighted Kenya’s growing investment in forest protection, including enhanced fire surveillance, early warning systems, community-based fire management, and strengthened response capacity through the Kenya Forest Service (KFS).
She noted that as Africa’s urban population continues to expand rapidly, sustainable forest management and forest-based industries offer significant opportunities for climate mitigation, adaptation, job creation, and economic diversification.
Looking ahead to the African COP scheduled for 2027, the CS described the meeting as a strategic opportunity for the continent to demonstrate leadership in climate action and environmental stewardship. She further emphasized that the FCLP provides an important platform for aligning national, regional, and global forest-positive development efforts.
Dr. Barasa stressed that achieving ambitious forest and land-use goals requires unlocking large-scale financing, strengthening governance and land tenure systems, ensuring cross-sector policy coherence, and mobilizing private sector investment through de-risking mechanisms.
In his remarks, Forestry Principal Secretary Mr. Gitonga Mugambi reaffirmed Kenya’s strong commitment to reversing forest loss while advancing resilient, low-carbon development. He noted that Kenya’s transition toward a climate-resilient, forest-positive economy is anchored in key legal frameworks including the Forest Conservation and Management Act and the Climate Change Act.
The PS also highlighted progress under the #15BillionTrees Growing Initiative, which aims to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes and increase national tree cover to at least 30 per cent by 2032.
Other speakers included the Secretary of Forest Development, Mr. George Tarus, and Ms. Emelyne Cheney, Director of the FCLP Secretariat, among others.
#15BillionTreesBy2032 #JazaMiti #15BWajibuWaKilaMkenya #ClimateAction