NAIROBI, Kenya, May 7 — Climate experts and development partners have called for a unified national approach to methane reduction, warning that rising emissions are pushing the climate crisis closer to irreversible tipping points while threatening Kenya’s agriculture, economy, and public health.
Speaking during a Parliament-Media Breakfast Dialogue on Methane Emissions at Parliament Buildings on Thursday, scientists, environmental experts, and private sector players urged lawmakers to accelerate the implementation of policies and legislation aimed at reducing methane pollution.
The forum, held ahead of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Regional Seminar on Methane and Climate Action scheduled for May 14–18 in Nairobi, brought together legislators, researchers, development partners, and environmental stakeholders under the theme: “Enhancing Public Understanding and Parliamentary Action on Methane Reduction in Kenya.”
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Director of the Industry and Economy Division Dr. Sheila Aggarwal-Khan warned that methane emissions are increasingly undermining agricultural productivity while worsening climate-related disasters across the globe.
“We are seeing methane emissions growing globally and affecting agricultural productivity,” Aggarwal-Khan said.
She described methane as a “short-lived climate pollutant” that is significantly more potent than carbon dioxide in driving climate change, warning that urgent action is needed to prevent the world from crossing dangerous climate thresholds.
“The importance of methane as a short-lived climate pollutant is that if we reduce it now, we can actually stop global warming from reaching the tipping point,” she said.
Aggarwal-Khan noted that methane emissions from organic waste, livestock, rice farming, and oil and gas leaks continue to rise globally, even as countries struggle with declining food production and worsening air pollution.
“On the one hand, we are seeing extreme climate events causing declines in agricultural productivity. On the other hand, methane emissions are continuing to grow globally while further affecting agricultural productivity,” she said.
She pointed to innovations in organic waste recycling, livestock feed production, and fertilizer generation as examples of how methane reduction could unlock economic opportunities.
“We see innovations converting organic waste into livestock feed and fertilizer,” she said. “That could be very important as we think through how to reduce methane emissions across the country.”
Aggarwal-Khan also emphasized the role of the media in combating misinformation and helping the public understand climate action initiatives.
“It’s unbelievably important for farmers and for those looking for investment opportunities to understand that reducing methane can actually present economic potential,” she said.
Also addressing the meeting, climate expert Dr. Michael Andersen from the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry warned that pollution-related deaths could rise sharply if countries fail to act decisively on emissions.
According to Andersen, Kenya recorded approximately 5,000 pollution-related deaths in 2019, while global deaths linked to pollution stood at about 1.1 million.
He warned that the number of pollution-related deaths in Kenya could increase to 25,000 annually by 2050 if urgent interventions are not implemented.
Andersen called for coordinated action involving Parliament, government agencies, development partners, and the private sector to ensure climate policies are effectively implemented.
He stressed that decisions made by policymakers today would shape the future of environmental conservation and climate resilience.
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Senior Scientist Dr. Claudia Arndt said methane reduction remains one of the fastest and most effective ways of slowing global warming before the climate crisis reaches irreversible levels.
“If we don’t reduce methane, we get to the tipping point, and other methane sources from permafrost and elsewhere are released. Then we actually reach the point of no return,” Arndt warned.
She noted that livestock remains Kenya’s largest source of methane emissions, followed by waste and rice farming, but emphasized that proven solutions already exist.
“We do have solutions. We know what works, and we have an idea of what works in different systems, but we need to scale up,” she said.
According to Arndt, improving livestock feed quality could increase milk production by about 30 percent while reducing methane emissions by 15 percent.
She added that improving animal health could dramatically reduce emissions while strengthening food security.
“If we were effectively able to eliminate calf mortality, we could feed 4.5 million more Kenyans with meat,” she said.
Arndt further revealed that modelling in Kenya’s beef sector showed methane emissions could be reduced by up to 50 percent by 2050 through improved feeding, animal health, breeding, and management practices.
“Methane is not just a pollutant, it’s an opportunity. We can capture it and use it as biogas,” she added.
Regen Organics Managing Director Michael Lwoyelo said poor organic waste management has evolved into a major climate and public health challenge in urban areas.
“Organic waste is not just a societal problem. It’s not just a public health problem. What we are now seeing is that organic waste is actually a climate problem,” Lwoyelo said.
He noted that Kenya generates approximately 22,000 tonnes of waste daily, about 60 percent of which is organic and capable of emitting methane when left to decompose without oxygen.
“Methane is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” he said.
Lwoyelo said improper waste disposal is worsening flooding, air pollution, and disease outbreaks in urban areas.
He highlighted circular economy solutions that convert organic waste into livestock feed, fertilizer, and biochar as viable approaches for reducing methane emissions while improving food security and soil health.
The experts’ submissions were echoed by lawmakers, who pledged to strengthen legislative and policy frameworks to support methane reduction initiatives.
National Assembly Departmental Committee on Livestock and Agriculture Chairperson Dr. John Mutunga said Parliament has a responsibility to champion public awareness and develop methane-focused regulations.
“Methane is potent and therefore responsible for 30 percent of global warming,” Mutunga said.
“There is need for appropriate regulations, legislation, and policies,” he added.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Pastoralist Group Abdullahi Bashir also called for methane-specific laws and greater inclusion of pastoralist communities in climate discussions.
“There are a number of regulations and Acts that we have, but nothing specific on methane. It is upon Parliament now to structure specific methane regulations,” Bashir said.
He further challenged researchers to conduct more studies on methane emissions from camels, noting that pastoralist communities have largely been left out of climate policy conversations.
The upcoming IPU regional seminar is expected to bring together lawmakers from across Africa to discuss climate action and strengthen the role of parliaments in reducing methane emissions.