President Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, to a US-hosted virtual summit on climate in April to underscore the urgency and the economic benefits of stronger climate action, the White House said.

The leaders’ summit on climate will underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action, according to a statement by the White House on Friday. 

“It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow,” White House emphasised.

The two-day summit will be held from April 22 to 23.

Other African leaders invited for the summit include President Félix Tshisekedi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Gabon, President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria, and  President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa.

Other leaders are Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering.

Key themes of the summit will include galvanising efforts by the world’s major economies to reduce emissions during this critical decade to keep a limit to warming of 1.5 degree Celsius within reach and mobilising public and private sector finance to drive the net-zero transition and to help vulnerable countries cope with climate impacts, it said.

The summit will also look into the economic benefits of climate action, with a strong emphasis on job creation, and the importance of ensuring all communities and workers benefit from the transition to a new clean energy economy.

It will also look for ways to spurring transformational technologies that can help reduce emissions and adapt to climate change, while also creating enormous new economic opportunities and building the industries of the future, the White House said.

Among other key issues include showcasing sub-national and non-state actors that are committed to green recovery and an equitable vision for limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and are working closely with national governments to advance ambition and resilience, it said.

The summit will also discuss opportunities to strengthen capacity to protect lives and livelihoods from the impacts of climate change, address the global security challenges posed by climate change and the impact on readiness, and address the role of nature-based solutions in achieving net-zero by 2050 goals, the White House said.

Khusoko provides market insights into Africa's business investment as well as global trends that impact East African businesses.

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