The UIC will be attending this year’s Africa Climate Week, hosted by the government of Kenya and organised in parallel with the African Climate Action Summit. The annual event will bring together governments, business, and international organisations to collaborate in sharing best practice in finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and finding solutions to adapt to the climate crisis. There will be four system-based tracks that will focus on specific themes including:
1. Energy systems and industry
2. Cities, urban and rural settlements, infrastructure, and transport
3. Land, ocean food and water
4. Societies, health, livelihoods, and economies
In addition to the main track events, a series of side events and action hub events will showcase and discuss the state of climate change mitigation and adaptation in Africa. As part of the activities UIC will host two events organised jointly with Kenya Railways Corporation:
- 5 September: “Green Rail Corridors: The Role of Railways in Protecting and Enhancing Biodiversity in Africa” Action Hub event on the role of railways in protecting and enhancing biodiversity in Africa. Speakers will discuss the key role railways play in not only connecting people and businesses but also their role in shaping how wildlife is connected across stretches of land.
- 7 September: “Transforming Mobility in Africa: Collective Transport as the Climate Solution” Side Event co-organised with UITP and SLOCAT, focusing on the importance of implementing sustainable modes such as walking, cycling, public transport and rail as a solution to the climate crisis, while also discussing the significance of National Determined Contributions (NDCs), capacity building and financing.
These events are aligned with UIC’s activities to advocate for railway investment as the backbone of sustainable mobility for the future, also reflected in Agenda 2063, Africa’s development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development. This is an important milestone for UIC’s advocacy work in collecting regional input for the work UIC is developing on climate finance for railways in LMICs, and Nationally Determined Contributions for rail, in the build up to COP28.
To check out other events on transport during the Africa Climate Week 2023, see the recommended list by UIC.
