From Nairobi to Rome, and back again. On Tuesday, Ali Mohamed, the special envoy of the President of Kenya for climate change, participated in a seminar organised in Rome by the Med-Or Italian Foundation.
- The seminar, titled “Kenya’s Renewable Energy and Green Industrialization Opportunities”, hosted at Med-Or’s headquarters and attended by key Italian political and business stakeholders, highlighted Kenya’s position as one of Africa’s leaders in the green transition: 92% of its electricity comes from renewable sources.
- Yet the country is also among those most affected by the consequences of the climate crisis.
- “The challenges that the global community faces cannot be solved if not together,” said Mohamed.
The value of multilateralism. Kenya hosts numerous UN agencies and positions itself as a staunch defender of a rules-based international order.
- “We really promote and support global multilateralism, the global multilateral agenda,” said Mohamed, who purposefully avoids framing the world as either multipolar or unipolar.
- He voiced concern about the current geopolitical landscape while reaffirming the imperative of global cooperation.
A long-standing friendship. The envoy underscored his appreciation for Italy’s international role and its ability to operate effectively within multilateral frameworks.
- The area he oversees—climate change—is, in his words, one that requires “international collaboration, international support and cooperation.”
- This is why “we’re very glad that Italy has been a strong country when it comes to multilateralism and tries to discuss and support matters of international agenda.”
- He also recalled the depth of the bilateral relationship, from the Italian space station in Malindi to the vibrant Italian and business communities living in Kenya.
Same space. “Italy and Africa are truly connected—divided by the Mediterranean, but part of the same geostrategic space. That’s why it’s important to strengthen this relationship.”
- Rome is seeking to consolidate that bond through the strategic vision known as the “Mattei Plan”.
- According to Mohamed, Italian technologies can play a decisive role in the sustainable development of the African continent.
Africa as a driver of the transition. Africa is experiencing rapid demographic growth and holds critical resources essential for the global energy transition.
- “Africa has close to 30% of the critical minerals that the world needs” and “has the greatest potential of renewable energy in the world,” the Kenyan envoy reminded.
- As investment levels remain critically low, Mohamed called for a paradigm shift—one that fuses European expertise with African potential.
The climate crisis is here. Mohamed frames climate change as a shared challenge: “It is here.”
- “Every year of the past eleven has been hotter than the previous one, with 2023 breaking all records, then 2024—we don’t know what 2025 will be like, but summers are already much hotter.”
- The Horn of Africa and its surrounding regions are experiencing droughts and floods. He recalls how, in 2011, more than 250,000 people died due to food insecurity linked to climate disruptions.
- “It’s disheartening to see that in some quarters climate change is still called a hoax,” especially when wildfires—from Italy to Greece to Los Angeles—are destroying thousands of hectares, increasingly driven by global warming.
Inequalities and responses. Kenya emits less than 0.01% of global greenhouse gases, yet it bears a disproportionate share of the damage.
- This is why Mohamed welcomes initiatives such as the Italian Climate Fund, calling it “a step in the right direction against inequality”—a €3.2 billion commitment, part of which has already been channelled to Kenya through multilateral financial institutions.
- “We’re here also to discuss how to manage these funds.”
What we’re watching. For Mohamed, the fight against climate change is not just a scientific urgency—it’s a matter of global justice and collective security.
- The links between climate, security and inequality are only growing stronger.
- The Italy–Kenya partnership is seen in Nairobi as a concrete example of effective and shared cooperation.
- Its implementation is closely watched—not only across Africa but increasingly in Europe as well.
