Global Warming: KenGen Joins UN-Backed Campaign, ‘Business Ambition for 1.50C’ 

Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) has joined the UN-backed universal campaign to combat global warming, becoming the first public service agency in Kenya to do so.

The campaign, dubbed ‘Business Ambition for 1.50C’, is backed by a global coalition of the United Nations leaders, business organisations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

By committing to this ambition, KenGen is expected to establish emission reduction targets through investments in green and clean energy that will go a long way in limiting the earth’s warming to 1.5°C as per the Paris Agreement of 2015.

Under this arrangement, the company commits to annually disclose its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions as a way of checking and reducing its carbon footprint.

KenGen Managing Director and CEO, Mrs Rebecca Miano say the platform reiterates the organization’s position as a regional business champion and pacesetter in the Climate Change Action.

“By joining the below 1.5-degree global campaign, we are only reiterating our business as usual. We have shifted our investments to green and renewable energy and harnessing of low carbon sources of energy,” said Mrs Miano, adding, “We have also intensified environmental conservation activities and energy efficiency improvement across the company.”

KenGen is a participant member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). The Global Compact is a non-binding United Nations pact to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies and to report on their implementation.

The CEO said the organization joined UNGC in May 2019 as a tier II Participant. The Participant tier is ideal for business leaders such as KenGen because it accelerates their sustainability efforts while scaling up their impact across the globe.

The UNGC Kenya is the local network office that spearheads and catalyzes actions aimed at promoting good business practices.

KenGen’s commitment comes at a time when the world is working towards stemming the climate change crisis by setting science-based reduction targets aimed at halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and hitting net-zero emissions by 2050.

Currently, KenGen produces about 72% of the electricity consumed in Kenya, with over 80% of this being sourced from renewable sources. The company, which has a total installed generation capacity of 1,818 MW has been focusing on renewable energy development including the latest Olkaria 1 AU 6 geothermal project which is envisaged to add 83.3 MW to the national grid this year.