Denmark seeks to promote green, sustainable and inclusive economic growth and decent jobs with an emphasis on youth as well as market opportunities for Danish companies and investors with relevant solutions.
With a rapidly increasing population, it will be imperative for Kenya to stimulate continued growth through trade and investments while meeting Vision 2030’s ambition of a clean and healthy environment. Kenya is becoming increasingly vulnerable to effects of climate change and to the unsustainable use of natural resources, the effect of which is seen in the frequent droughts and floods that seriously affect agricultural production and food security. This is particularly evident in the arid and semi-arid lands where droughts are a key driver of poverty, causing spikes in food insecurity and undermining livelihoods and household resilience. Investment in green technologies by the private sector is to a large extent still seen as an unnecessary additional financial burden. Limited know-how and access to green financing continues to be a challenge to the establishment of green business models.
In support of the first strategic objective, the bilateral development programme will focus on climate innovation and the creation of green decent jobs, increasing food security, access to water, improving ecosystems and community resilience, and on supporting an enabling environment for private investment and trade. Broadening economic opportunities for women, youth, and marginalised communities will be at the centre. Preserving biodiversity and using natural resources sustainably, including water, to increase their contribution to economic growth and livelihoods of future generations constitute another central principle.
The Danish support to green, sustainable and inclusive growth is divided in the five engagements listed below.
Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT): Facilitates increased commercialization, decent employment and green transformation through targeted interventions in the selected value chains. Key work streams comprise work to build the capacity of value chain stakeholders, increase productivity, facilitate market linkages and access to finance.
Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC): Aims to foster private sector engagement in enhancing green growth and creation of decent jobs, primarily through supporting the growth and scale up of locally clean tech businesses addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation. KCIC provides incubation and acceleration support services and financing to clean tech businesses.
Trademark East Africa (TMEA): Through this engagement Denmark seeks to increase Kenya’s integration into the regional and global economy through improved business competitiveness, reduced barriers to trade and increased access to markets, based on sustainable and responsible trade.
Energising Development Partnership (EnDev): The programme is implemented on behalf of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and aims to develop a market-based medium-scale biogas activity for Kenya. It will work towards the development of a matured market for medium scale biodigesters in the agri-food sector, by addressing/removing current barriers for further market development.
Environmental Governance/FLLCA: Will support the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) and devolved climate finance through County Climate Change Funds (CCCF) for the benefit of communities in Kenya’s 47 counties.