Kenya plans to transform its entire building sector into a zero, emission one by 2040, following the unveiling of the Kenya National Buildings & Construction Decarbonization Roadmap (20262040). This plan aims at drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing climate, resilient infrastructure.
The roadmap was unveiled at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi by Public Works Secretary QS Nicholas Mutua on behalf of Principal Secretary Joel Arumonyang. This document places Kenya in an elite group of African countries with a well, defined national path towards achieving zero emissions in the building sector.
Presently, buildings are responsible for about 32 percent of the total carbon dioxide emissions in Kenya. This is a result of factors such as rapid urbanization, the low usage of energy, efficient materials, and a limited understanding of green construction standards.
Kenyas CO emissions have escalated from 3. 9 million tonnes in 1972 to 22. 4 million tonnes in 2021, thus highlighting the need for development that is responsive to climate challenges.
With the new roadmap, the government intends to lower the emissions from the building sector by as much as 75 percent by 2040 and expects all new buildings to be constructed following green standards.
It also supports Kenyas revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) where the country pledges to reduce emissions by 30 percent by 2030, with a 32 percent reduction being conditional on the receipt of support.
Developed in partnership with the Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN) and other sector stakeholders, the strategy sets out the necessary actions both for retrofitting the current buildings and ensuring new ones achieve even higher environmental standards.
In their statement, the officials highlighted that the plan provides a triple win of affordable, sustainable and resilient housing, which will absolutely help Kenya in its struggle to cover the housing shortfall of 200, 000 units per year.
The subsequent phase will be about the investments mobilization through a proposed Kenya Buildings Decarbonization Finance Accelerator that is aimed at scaling up the climate, friendly construction practices all over the country.
