President Ruto, along with four other Kenyans, shine in the Global Climate 100 List
President William Ruto during the launch of the Climate WorX Initiative that will employ more than 200,000 people across the country to help regenerate and conserve the environment in Korogocho, Nairobi County on September 12, 2024. PHOTO|PCS
Five Kenyans, including President William Ruto, Mithika Mwenda, Wanjira Maathai, Charlot Magayi, and Wawa Gatheru, have been
recognised among the top 100 environmentalists in the world by The Independent. The 'Climate 100 List' was launched on Sunday and includes activists, scientists, academics, philanthropists, political leaders, business and tech leaders, and fashion entrepreneurs. The British newspaper explained that the individuals on the list had developed or advanced innovative solutions such as hydrogen storage, sponsoring oceans, discovering plastic-eating bacteria, and revolutionising chemical-free textile dyeing.
"The Climate 100 List, however, neither ranks the personalities in order of importance nor compares one changemaker against another. Instead, it's a celebration of the people and companies dedicated to finding positive climate solutions," The Independent said.
"We also asked you, our readers, to nominate five unsung climate heroes, and they are included on the list too," they further explained.
The list was published ahead of New York Climate Week, one of the biggest events on the climate calendar.
Wawa Gatheru
Ranked at position 12
The Kenyan-American climate activist founded Black Girl Environmentalist, an initiative that supports women of colour and gender-expansive people.
"It aims to create a representative and inclusive climate movement, and is now one of the biggest Black youth-led climate organisations in the US, making her a powerful voice for underrepresented communities.
She was aware of the climate crisis while growing up, but came to the realisation that those most affected by it – people of colour – were generally not the same people making the decisions," The Independent said on its official website and further highlighted that the young woman saw that the narrative for people of colour was more likely to be "victim" rather than "problem solver".
"Black Girl Environmentalist aims to champion Black women as the leaders they already are," it says on her website.
Mithika Mwenda
Dr Mithika Mwenda has been ranked 64.
He is the co-founder and executive director of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), a coalition of more than 70 organisations not affiliated with the government that have come together to address problems related to the climate crisis.
According to The Independent, Mwenda has worked in the climate sector for a decade and strongly influences climate policy.
He advocates for sustainable solutions tailored to the needs of African countries rather than those of the Western world while ensuring Africa's development.
"Last year, PACJA criticised the decision to appoint oil executive Sultan Al-Jaber to lead COP28, a move it called the "lowest moment" for the UN.
Mwenda also said it was "hard to see al-Jaber leading objective, science-backed negotiations in the interest of the most vulnerable,"
The Independent said.
Speaking to Nation in a telephone interview, Dr Mithika said he was elated and humbled by the recognition.
"This is a major recognition of our work as PACJA and a footprint in our outreach as an indisputable voice of the communities at the frontline of the climate crisis," he said.
William Ruto
President William Ruto is ranked at number 71, three positions above US President Joe Biden.
According to The Independent, after serving as deputy president for nearly a decade and now as President, Dr Ruto has continued to expand Kenya's renewables sector, particularly in geothermal, wind, and solar power. The President has also emphasised the importance of reforestation and the protection of natural resources.
"He introduced an annual tree-planting holiday last November as part of his larger ambition for Kenya to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years.
He pledged to end the use of fossil fuels in Kenya's electricity production by 2030 and has encouraged sustainable farming practices and water management," they highlighted. Hosting the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi has also been cited as a big win for Kenya's President.
Wanjira Mathai
Wanjira Maathai, at position 91, is the fourth Kenyan to appear on the global 'Climate 100 List'. The Kenyan environmentalist says activism is deeply embedded in her DNA.
She is the daughter of Wangarĩ Maathai, an environmental and political activist who in 2004 became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, for her work in fighting deforestation and encouraging sustainable development.
Her mother set up the grassroots Green Belt Movement, which Wanjira continues to work on today. This movement has enabled 51 million trees to be planted in Kenya since 1977, tackling deeply entrenched problems of deforestation.
Speaking to Nation, the Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute, based in Nairobi, said she is honoured.
"To be part of the Independent top 100 climate innovators globally, a movement that transcends borders and sectors, united by a shared commitment to protecting the environment for the next generation is a profound honour and fuels my resolve to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible, inspiring others to join us in this critical mission."
Charlot Magayi
Ranked at position 94 above Elon Musk is Charlot Magayi who was born and raised in Mukuru slums, Nairobi.
According to The Independent, after becoming a mother at 16, she got a job selling charcoal. After seeing the effects of charcoal fumes on her village and her and her daughter's health, Magayi invented a clean stove in 2017 that uses biomass to cook, reducing pollution by as much as 90 per cent.
"Magayi founded her company, Mukuru Stoves, and soon became a successful entrepreneur and climate activist. The company has sold more than 400,000 stoves as of last year, and Magayi has received numerous awards, including the Earthshot Prize in 2023," they noted and add that she is currently building a 30,000 square foot clean energy campus in Kenya and working on other types of new fuels that can reduce pollution and fight disease.
The world's top environmentalist, according to the list, is 25-year-old Ayisha Siddiqa, who was born in Pakistan. Following her is Bill McKibben, the co-founder of 350.org, a global grassroots organisation. In third place is Greta Thunberg, who at the age of 15 inspired a global movement after holding her first school climate strike outside the Swedish parliament, calling for an end to reliance on fossil fuels. She is the founder of 'Fridays For Future', a youth-led and organised global climate strike movement. The Independent notes that Greta achieved what other activists had struggled to do by bringing the severity and urgency of the climate crisis into homes across the world, an impact that quickly became known as the "Greta effect".
