• Kenya has officially joined the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI). According to Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Adan Duale, this took place during the inaugural ministerial meeting of the multilateral climate change forum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on October 16, 2024

Kenya has officially joined the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI). According to Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Adan Duale, this took place during the inaugural ministerial meeting of the multilateral climate change forum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on October 16, 2024.

Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, chaired the meeting.

“Kenya has officially joined the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) during an inaugural ministerial meeting of the multilateral climate change forum held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” Duale said.

The MGI was launched in 2021 by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Its main focus is catalyzing a collaborative regional approach to combating climate change.

According to its founding charter, MGI is open to countries in Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa classified as regional members, while other nations across the world may be admitted as non-regional contributors.

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The MGI Governance framework was agreed upon by founding member countries in October 2022, and a dedicated MGI secretariat is due to be established in Riyadh. The Saudi government has committed $ 2.5 billion, while the United Kingdom government has committed to contribute 10% of the $10.4 billion needed to support the clean energy initiative.

Kenya has joined other countries, including Lebanon, Algeria, Chad, Senegal, Nigeria, and Gambia.

The MGI aims to eliminate or reduce carbon emissions by 670mm, plant 50 Billion trees across the region, reclaim 200mm hectares of degraded land, water conservation, and promote sustainable development.

The Deputy Director General and head of the Middle East Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Abdishakur Hussein, notes that environmental diplomacy is key to the Republic of Kenya.

“Environmental Diplomacy is a key focus area of Kenya's Foreign Policy, and we shall use every tool from the toolbox to identify, develop, and advance shared priorities in the environmental space with our Middle Eastern partners,” he said.