On 5th April 2023, KEPSA Environment Water and Natural Resources Sector Board led by the Chair Ms. Emily Waita engaged with the Principal Secretary of Environment and Climate Change, Eng. Festus Ng’eno at the Ministry Offices. The meeting focused on partnership and collaboration on climate change, circular economy for sustainable waste management and environmental laws and regulations. 

The PS acknowledged the long-standing working relationship between the Ministry and the private sector in advancing environmental sustainability in the country. He assured the role of government in providing an enabling environment for low-carbon investments, technologies and information.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Waita applauded the long-standing relationship between the ministry and the private sector in the formulation of environmental sustainability laws.  Through a collaborative effort, the private sector led by KEPSA supported development of the Sustainable Waste Management Policy 2021, Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022, Contribution to the National Greening and Forest Restoration Agenda, development of Private Sector Engagement Framework for Climate Change and the Private Sector Strategy on Climate Change Solutions (2022-2030).

Members provided additional details on the three thematic focus areas of the meeting. With the Ministry and the National Treasury and Economic Planning support under the Kenya GCF NAP Readiness Support Project, KEPSA developed the private sector engagement framework on climate action through the Climate Business Information - Kenya (CBIN-K).

The private sector also participated in the global climate change forum in year 2022 as part of Kenya's Delegates during COP 27 which took place in Egypt. COP 27 provided an opportunity to amplify the complementary role of private sector in achieving the nationally determined contribution targets, the climate change negotiations and progress of global climate actions.  There is opportunity to organize a business forum in the upcoming Africa Climate Week and Africa Climate Summit.

The Ministry provided an update on regulatory instruments on a circular approach to sustainable waste management. The ongoing development of the extended producer responsibility regulations will support the implementation of section 13 of the sustainable waste management Act, 2022. The development of the model county sustainable waste management bill, will see county governments align their waste laws to extended producer responsibility requirements and implementation of the act at county levels. There were ongoing efforts to align previous regulations for plastics, tyres, waste management and e-waste to the EPR regulations.  The private sector called on the need to develop a road map for the implementation of the sustainable waste management act, 2022 which comes into force two years after its enactment on 6th July 2022.

The Climate Change Director, Dr Pacifica Ogola, presented an update of climate change including the call for submission to climate change amendment bill, 2023 that seeks to provide institutional framework for carbon trading in the country. The climate change directorate will organize Education and awareness forums for the private sector and the wider citizenry in order to facilitate informed submission to the amendment. 

The following publications, which provide a national framework on business climate actions were officially handed to the Principal Secretary. They include Private Sector Strategy on Climate Change Solutions in Kenya 2022-2030, the Business Case for Investing in Climate Change and the Barriers and Challenges Analysis for Private Sector Investments in Climate Change.

Also Present in the meeting was Luke Otila- Ministry of Environment Climate Change and Forestry- MoECF and Dr. Ayub Macharia- MoECF- Director of Education and Awareness, the Vice Chair of KEPSA Environment Water and Natural Resources Sector Board, Dr. John Wandaka, and Faith Ngige, KEPSA - Environment and Climate and members of the sector board.