COP 27 has been referred to as an ‘African conference’. It provides an opportunity for climate activists and organisations across the continent to be actively involved in climate action. Kenyatta University Green Education Hub organised a pre-COP 27 workshop attended by the Hub’s climate ambassadors, students from other universities under the Kenya Inter-University Environmental Association (KIUESA) and nongovernmental organisations among them Green Planet Kenya and We Don’t Have Time-Kenya Chapter.
The workshop’s primary objective was to equip the Hub’s ambassadors and the university community with relevant climate change knowledge and existing opportunities for climate action.
Dr. Innocent Ngare, agriculture and environmental studies faculty member and a climate and urban sustainability studies expert, delivered the keynote address. In his remarks, Dr. Ngare stressed the importance of research in enabling communities to comprehend climate change challenges and necessary action. He emphasised that research can lead to the development of locally-led mitigations and adaptations to solve climate change impacts affecting a society’s economic, social and environmental dimensions. 
Dr. Ngare exposed participants to the existing climate change protocols, noting their importance in global efforts to reduce emissions, build resilience to climate change and promote global climate action. Students were encouraged to initiate individual and collective initiatives and explore avenues for climate financing to support green innovations.
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Peter Kamau, a Programs Manager at We Don’t Have Time NGO, Kenya Chapter, urged the participants to be the hummingbirds in promoting climate change awareness, advocacy and embracing green lifestyles. Mr. Kamau pointed out that universities are the best institutions to provide knowledge on climate change through teaching, campus operations and community engagement. He asked the students to develop blogs and other social media resources to spread climate information to the public.
Mr. Enock Kitheka, representing the KIUESA chairperson, on his part, called for practical climate action initiatives rather than ‘just talk’ due to the dwindling window within which we can solve the climate crisis. He stated the objective of KIUESA as bringing together university environmental student clubs in Kenya to implement environmental-friendly projects in universities and communities. Mr. Enock urged the participants to act as role models in embracing sustainable lifestyles and to encourage their peers and communities to avoid engaging in activities that lead to environmental deterioration.