President William Ruto has called on the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) to transform the momentum generated by COP30 into tangible action capable of addressing what he termed the “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Speaking during the 7th Session of UNEA at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Dr. Ruto urged Member States to ensure that the global shift toward a green economy is matched by clear, enforceable commitments.
He warned that while artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and electrification are reshaping global production and trade.
The President said this transformation must be grounded in environmental protection, fairness, and respect for human dignity.
“If this transformation is not aligned with environmental protection, equity, and human dignity, we risk building a high-tech economy on the old foundations of extraction, exclusion, and pollution,” he cautioned.
Ruto emphasized Africa’s leadership in advancing climate ambition, saying the continent continues to shape global solutions not as victims but as “co-architects” of collective action.
He called for stronger backing for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), particularly for countries tasked with safeguarding global public goods while grappling with poverty and limited fiscal capacity.
The President urged Member States to match environmental commitments with the financial and technical resources needed to implement them.
He noted that developing nations cannot be expected to shoulder global responsibilities without adequate support.
UNEA-7, the world’s highest-level decision-making body on environmental matters, is convening in Nairobi to negotiate resolutions aimed at accelerating global environmental governance and action.
