Regional kick-off meeting 
Nairobi - kenya, 6-7 september 2018
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Urban Pathways regional kick-off (Africa)
Location: Nairobi/Kenya
 
UN-Habitat, in partnership with UN Environment and the Wuppertal Institut, launched the Urban Pathways project in Kenya through a two-day workshop  on the 6th and 7th of September, 2018. Participants were from Ghana, Tanzania, Nextbike, the World Bank, representatives from the civil society in Kenya, representatives from the Kenyan Ministries of Environment and Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, and county representatives of Nyandarua, Kiambu, Kisii and Nairobi.

The objectives of the workshop were to introduce the Urban Pathways project to mobility, energy and waste management stakeholders in Africa, and to understand challenges and opportunities in implementing low-carbon urban energy, mobility and resource management solutions in Kenya and other countries in Africa.  

The Urban Pathways project follows a structured approach to boost Low Carbon Plans for urban mobility, energy and waste management services that deliver on the Paris Agreement and the New Urban Agenda.  The project develops national action plans and concrete local implementation concepts to boost low-carbon urban development in key emerging economies - India, Brazil, Kenya and Viet Nam. Key components are capacity building, establishment of partnerships and concrete project preparation.

Date:                         6-7 September 2018
Venue:                     Nairobi
In his opening remarks, the Director of Roads under the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Martin Eshiwani, noted that the Government of Kenya was implementing measures to ensure low carbon emissions. “The Government  is aware of the road challenges when it comes to road safety and accessibility. We see and encounter daily conflict on roads: drivers, cyclists and pedestrians all struggling for space. We acknowledge that development of structures is key to accommodate all.” 
 
Mr. Andre Dzikus, a representative from UN-Habitat said: “UN-Habitat is working with other partners to ensure that there is low carbon emission, and we are glad that the Urban Pathways project is a vehicle that will enable us implement the New Urban Agenda as well as achieve SDG on climate change”. He also added that 11 % of carbon emissions were due to road transport and the other 2% came from air and marine transportation. Aderiana Mabandi, a UN Environment representative, said that “air pollution contributes to deaths globally, so air quality measuring is essential in helping to curb the carbon emission rates and finding appropriate solutions to the challenge.” 
Kenya is part of the multinational coalition that ratified the Paris Agreement. “As we support the Paris Agreement on low carbon, our partnership with UN-Habitat is key for leveraging our strength at both national & local levels. It is prudent for us to establish communication strategies for low carbon footprints” said Mr. Abdu Muwonge, a World Bank representative and team leader of the Kenya Urban Support Programme. He emphasized the need to support the counties with time-bound action plans; to incorporate low carbon plans in their projects; to encourage the use of  non-motorized  transport as a priority; to advocate for better energy technologies; to encourage participatory dialogue with academics and citizens; and to develop a toolkit and guide on how to reduce carbon emissions, which can be disseminated to the counties.