NAIROBI, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and African experts on Monday renewed calls for investments to spur uptake of clean energy that promotes climate action and guarantees sustainable livelihoods for communities.
The experts, who attended an event held on the sidelines of the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), said that a transition to green energy holds the key to taming the climate crisis that has taken a toll on the Global South.
The side event was convened by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Kenya's Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, and the World Wildlife Fund.
GEIDCO Chairman Xin Baoan said in a video message that greater uptake of renewable energy will boost climate action, ease pressure on vital ecosystems such as forests, while improving human health and the vitality of the global economy.
"A global energy transition that is orderly will help countries achieve climate goals, ensuring that economic development sustains harmony between man and nature," Xin said.
Alex Wachira, principal secretary in Kenya's Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, said that the uptake of clean energy has become a global imperative and helps chart low-carbon development pathways while reversing the harmful impacts of climate change.
Kenya generates 93 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, including geothermal, hydropower, wind, and solar, while the growth of electric mobility is improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions, Wachira said.
Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, director of UNEP's Industry and Economy Division, said that sustaining green transition calls for investment in supportive infrastructure as well as policy and regulatory incentives.
Aggarwal-Khan said that an increased awareness among policymakers, consumers, and investors on the benefits of transitioning to green energy will benefit the planet, already reeling from a runaway temperature rise.
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