STORY: Kenya launches 50 mln USD grassroots climate financing program
DATELINE: Sept. 6, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:31
LOCATION: Nairobi
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the program venue
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): WILLIAM RUTO, Kenyan President
3. various of the program venue
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): NJUGUNA NDUNG'U, Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury

STORYLINE:

Kenya on Monday unveiled a county climate financing program worth 7.37 billion shillings (about 50.6 million U.S. dollars) as it seeks to boost mitigation efforts at the local level.
   
President William Ruto, who launched the County Climate Resilience Investment (CCRI) Grants issued under the East African nation's Financing Locally Led Climate Action to Counties (FLLoCA) at the ongoing Africa Climate Summit in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, said that the funding will help rural counties, in particular, develop tailored climate resilience strategies.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): WILLIAM RUTO, Kenyan President
"Effective climate change action in Kenya remains hampered by serious resource constraints, a challenge we share with other developing nations. To put matters into context, the implementation of our updated NDCs requires 62 billion dollars. To access this level of funding, it is critical for us to collaborate with a broad coalition of stakeholders, led by development partners, in implementing various projects and programs."
   
Ruto said FLLoCA is dedicated to the delivery of locally-led climate action at the grassroots, which will be implemented in the country's 1,450 administrative units.
   
He noted that the program is part of Kenya's goal to attain 100 percent use of green energy by 2030 to drive its green industrialization agenda.

The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury Njuguna Ndung'u said that Kenya is pioneering leadership in financing climate initiatives at the local level.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (English): NJUGUNA NDUNG'U, Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury
"It is important to note that without the financial support that helps communities to develop in an inclusive manner and adapt to climate imbalance, climate change is projected to push tens of millions, especially at the low level into extreme and even abject poverty."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi.
(XHTV)