Hon. Dr. Ashebir Woldegiorgis Gayo, First Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) today delivered a keynote address during the opening ceremony of the Regional Seminar for African Parliaments titled ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, being held on 15 and 16 May 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The event is being jointly organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Parliament of Kenya in cooperation with Climate Parliament. Speaking on behalf of the Pan-African Parliament, Hon. Dr. Gayo commended organisers for choosing to focus on methane emissions within the global climate change agenda. This, according to the vice president, will enable targeted interventions with specific goals and measurable outcomes.
โIn many global discussions, climate change is usually approached in broadened and generalised terms. However, focusing on specific drivers such as methane emissions allows to identify practical and targeted interventions that allow us to identify targeted interventions that can generate immediate and magnified impacts, said Hon. Gayo.
Methane is a strong greenhouse gas and a major driver of global warming over the short term, with emissions closely linked to agriculture, waste management and energy systems that are central to economies and livelihoods. Many of these emissions can be reduced with existing solutions that improve efficiency, reduce losses and lower costs across key sectors, while delivering co-benefits for public health, food security and economic resilience.
The first vice president of the Pan-African Parliament therefore recognised that addressing methane emissions represents a strategic opportunity for the continent to simultaneously tackle climate change, strengthen resilience, improve agricultural productivity, protect public health and promote substantive development.
Africa is already experiencing the most severe impacts of a changing climate. Hon. Gayo indicated that one of the most immediate and actionable opportunities to slow warming lies in reducing methane emissions.
The Pan-African Parliament believes the two-day regional seminar is a forum to deepen understanding of methane emissions and their relevance to key national priorities, including economic development, public health, food security and energy systems. The seminar will also emphasise concrete examples and the role of parliamentary tools such as legislation, budget scrutiny and oversight in supporting effective action. The first vice president is leading a delegation of the Pan-African Parliament, which includes Hon. Ben Salah (Tunisia) and members of the Kenyan delegation to the Pan-African Parliament.
