Nairobi hosts UNEA-7 amid demands for rapid, science-driven action

Environment, Climate Change and Forestry CS Dr Deborah Barasa, delivers Kenya's National statement at the 7th Session of the UNEA-7 in Gigiri, Nairobi, on December 8, 2025. [Courtesy]

The seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) opened in Nairobi on Monday with a forceful appeal for countries to abandon incrementalism and deliver measurable action as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution intensify.

Chaired by UNEA President Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Amri of Oman and hosted by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr Deborah Barasa, the opening session set a decisive tone for a week expected to influence global environmental governance for years.

“The era of small, cautious steps has passed,” Dr Barasa declared, warning that the world can no longer afford slow or fragmented responses. President Al-Amri reinforced her message, stressing that “incrementalism is insufficient to cope with the pace of change.”

Both leaders highlighted the gravity of converging environmental emergencies and urged governments to shift from rhetoric to coordinated, science-driven interventions.

Nairobi, home to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), once again positioned itself as the epicentre of multilateral environmental diplomacy.

Dr Barasa’s opening address highlighted the interconnected nature of today’s crises — from climate shocks and biodiversity collapse to land degradation, toxic pollution and unsustainable consumption patterns, all compounded by political instability.

“The challenges we face are unique and deeply intertwined… These crises cannot be tackled in isolation,” she said, calling for bold, integrated and inclusive solutions. Kenya, she announced, has tabled five resolutions at UNEA-7 — three sponsored and two co-sponsored — aimed at accelerating innovation, strengthening equity, and advancing science-based environmental governance.

President Al-Amri echoed the call for ambition and collective responsibility. “We reaffirm our shared responsibility: to transform our determination into tangible results,” he said, urging Member States to ensure that commitments made in Nairobi translate into real projects, enforceable legal frameworks and measurable gains for both people and ecosystems.

Key negotiations this week include UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy (2026–2029), the Programme of Work and Budget (2026–2027), and a Ministerial Declaration that will guide the global environmental agenda in the years ahead. Success, Al-Amri said, will depend on resolutions that move decisively “from wording to action.”

Dr Barasa also emphasised inclusive governance, calling for women, youth, Indigenous peoples and local communities to have stronger voices in environmental decision-making. She reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to aligning national development with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and scaling up nature-based and circular-economy solutions.