National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula urged African lawmakers in Nairobi to establish a dedicated Climate Change Fund financed by taxing natural resource extraction, seeking to reduce the continent’s heavy reliance on unpredictable international aid as climate impacts intensify.
Pan-African Parliament Discussions in Nairobi
African nations must move beyond diplomatic declarations and build domestic funding models that make polluters pay for environmental restoration, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said during a meeting with members of the Pan-African Parliament at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi. The discussions centered on developing and implementing a Model Law on Climate Change for Africa, aimed at strengthening legal frameworks across member states.
Wetang’ula argued that the continent can no longer treat climate disruption merely as an external diplomatic talking point. He pointed out that extreme weather, severe water stress, and erratic agricultural seasons are intensifying. We need to commit and punish climate polluters. We are on our own,
Wetang’ula said.
Proposed Mineral Taxation and Financing Gaps
To close widening financial deficits, Wetang’ula proposed levying taxes on the extraction of minerals and other natural resources, with a portion of the revenue ring-fenced for climate mitigation, adaptation, and local environmental restoration. He emphasized that the continent's natural wealth should directly support vulnerable communities rather than leaving individual nations to manage heritage preservation alone.
The push for domestic revenue streams comes against a backdrop of severe shortfalls in international public support. According to United Nations Environment Programme estimates, developing nations will require between $310 billion and $365 billion annually by 2035 for adaptation measures. In stark contrast, international public adaptation finance totaled just $26 billion in 2023.
Pan-African Parliament Committee on Agriculture Vice-Chairperson Euphreme Outata supported the push for legislative mechanisms tied to resource extraction. Africa is paying a heavy price for climate change.
Commonwealth Conference Debates and Global Accountability
The Nairobi meetings follow Wetang’ula’s earlier addresses at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, where he criticized major industrial economies for failing to meet their obligations under international treaties. He stressed that developing countries continue to bear the greatest burden of climate change despite contributing the least to emissions.
Citing the legally binding international treaty adopted in December 2015, Wetang’ula argued that major environmental offenders must take responsibility for their commitments. He also condemned attempts by certain major polluters to dismiss climate initiatives as a hoax, warning that such rhetoric undermines multilateral cooperation.
Kenya Domestic Adaptation Initiatives and Oversight Pressures
On the domestic front, Kenyan officials highlighted ongoing resilience projects designed to protect rural livelihoods. Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’, speaking alongside parliamentary delegations, pointed to national investments in climate-smart agriculture, small-scale irrigation, and the solarization of agricultural value chains as vital steps that have yielded positive community outcomes.