In Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, the 2023 China-Africa Sustainable Investment Summit started on Thursday, with delegates emphasizing the need for increased collaboration to achieve a fair and environmentally friendly transition.
The summit was co-hosted by the international conservation organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Alliance of Chinese Business in Africa for Social Responsibilities (ACBASR), and the Financial Center for South-South Cooperation. It was attended by senior policymakers, diplomats, investors, and green entrepreneurs.
Throughout the day, representatives of green startups from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda made presentations to Chinese investors, hoping to establish business partnerships.
Marco Lambertini, special envoy for WWF, stated that the summit offered a platform for Africa and China to exchange knowledge and best practices necessary to promote ecological stewardship and sustainable growth.
While acknowledging the heavy toll that the climate crisis and loss of biodiversity are taking on Africa, Lambertini mentioned that capital and green technologies from China can be utilized to reverse the current trajectory. He stressed the importance of prioritizing environmental protection and biodiversity conservation in China’s investments in Africa.
Zhang Yijun, the minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, affirmed China’s commitment to green development in Africa amid growing trade and economic ties between the two sides.
Delegates at the summit called for increased cooperation to support the transition to green energy through robust financing, skills development, and technology adoption.
James Kakeeto, the regional energy officer at WWF Africa, described bringing together Chinese investors, African entrepreneurs, and green innovators as a significant step in the efforts to decarbonize the continent, which is already grappling with climate emergencies.
Kakeeto expressed hope that the platform would facilitate the realization of infrastructure that is more diverse, inclusive, greener, lower in carbon emissions, and more resilient to climate change. He noted that Chinese-funded renewable energy projects in Africa will promote nature-positive development and create green jobs for the youth.
Wilfred Kenga Baya, the assistant director of Energy in Kilifi County, a coastal region in Kenya, stated that China has become Africa’s reliable ally in the continent’s efforts to transition to greener economies and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
Baya emphasized that both the central and county governments in Kenya are leveraging Chinese investments and capacity development in the renewable energy sector to achieve a fair, resilient, and green transition.
