President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya has challenged African countries to strategically position themselves to fully benefit from the lucrative carbon trade that presently stands at billions of dollars annually.
Addressing the Second Africa Carbon Forum at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kibaki urged African scholars to use scientific evidence to demonstrate the real value of forests in carbon reduction in order to negotiate binding Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM).
The President noted that according to the Stockholm Environment Institute, the global carbon market was currently worth $126 billion and projected to be worth $2 to $3 trillion by the year 2020.
“For Africa to benefit from this massive global market, the private sector, civil society and communities must play a major role. We must not lose sight of our internal responsibilities and abilities which could also enable us to internalize an African CDM market,” he said.
The Head of State also urged the forum to come up with recommendations that will ensure the continent becomes competitive in the carbon market and trade, and also guarantee that part of the benefits accrued are channeled to local communities as well as environmental conservation programs.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
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