The Role of Competition Law in Environmental Sustainability

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), there is a 50% chance that the average global temperature will hit 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels in the next five years due to increased greenhouse gas emissions. This will negatively impact the economic, environmental and societal wellbeing of global citizens and, therefore, a collaborative and inclusive approach is necessary to attend to this existential threat.

As a research and policy adviser working in a competition agency, I find myself pondering what role competition law practitioners can play in mitigating this crisis.

To tackle this question, it is important to internalize the facts. For starters, fossil fuels remain the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% and about 90% of global greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions respectively. These emissions arise from, among others, industrialization, deforestation, mass transportation, and inefficient waste management.

Altered weather has resulted in perennial droughts and famine, floods and unprecedented heat waves across the World. As a result, food production cycles have been severely disrupted, putting millions of lives and livelihoods at risk. At the moment, over four million Kenyans are in need of humanitarian assistance due to food shortages in various parts of the country.

The impact on climate change on our economy is a fiscal liability equivalent to 2% - 2.8% of Kenya’s GDP, annually.

To counter these negative effects, sustainable practices that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must be adopted to realize economic and social development. Such aspirations align with this year’s World Competition Day Theme on Competition Policy and Climate Change.

One of the areas where competition law can play a role in alleviating the impact of climate change is in the global aviation industry. This key cog of global commerce is responsible for 12% of carbon dioxide emissions from transport sources. Joint ventures and code-sharing agreements, on the face of it, may raise anti-competitive concerns, especially where competing airlines share strategic information. However, these agreements may occasion economic and operational benefits through efficient use of resources, knowledge transfer and risk reduction.

These agreements may enable airlines to shore up the load factor in an aircraft, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions per passenger. Despite these obvious public interest benefits, these arrangements have the potential to restrict competition, resulting in concentration on certain routes. The onus is on competition agencies to be more expansive in their consideration and analysis of transactions to ensure they only approve them when the gains to the Public, including positive environmental impact, is demonstrated. It is also critical to implement a robust compliance regiment to compel undertakings to deliver on their commitments.

Further, Kenya’s meat and offal exports were estimated at over USD 75 million in 2021, with the top destination being the Gulf region. Conversely, animal agriculture is responsible for 16.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and causes significant environmental degradation, from biodiversity loss to deforestation.

This presents a dilemma to the Government; balancing between revenue from the exports and environmental degradation. In the same vein, the Kenya Meat Commission enjoys Government backing in terms of funding and wider access to markets, price discounts, among others, compared to the small scale exporters. To create a level playing field, the Government should formulate policies supportive of small-scale farmers including extension services, access to funds that will support improved farming and source for markets for their products.

Thirdly, we must acknowledge the major strides that Kenya has made in the past decade in its ongoing transition from ‘dirty’ to clean fuels. Two of the strategies adopted are to deepen the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and investment in wind power.

At the moment, 53% of urban and 5.6% rural households consume LPG which emits less carbon than charcoal and kerosene which have been ubiquitous in our society for decades. The pursuit for a 100% transition to clean energy by 2030 has been buttressed by an October 2022 State agreement to fast-track construction of a natural gas pipeline between Kenya and Tanzania.

While this is expected to increase penetration of clean energy in Kenya, it may raise competition concerns regarding wholesale and retail distribution model adopted when the project is commissioned. The Government should ensure that access and quality is not compromised due to distribution monopolies that may arise in the value chain. In addition, the relevant agencies must ensure that the quality of gas being distributed is beyond reproach in order to safeguard consumer welfare.

The shift to renewable wind power presents social and competition concerns. The former is centered on perceived health concerns, displacement and loss of agricultural land and harm to the eco-system, among others. The wind power equipment, transported from the port of Mombasa by road, covers 1,200km to the Turkana Plant thereby, contributing to air pollution. Competition concerns arise due to the length of contracts awarded, some running for up to 20 years. This may foreclose other players willing to invest in this sector, with probably more efficient technology. The Government should review such contracts in order to open up the market and benefit from the most modern technology that is also environmentally sustainable. This will in effect, result in lower consumer prices.

It is estimated that Kenya generates 22,000 metric tonnes of waste per day, with around 60% of it being recyclable organic waste. The Dandora dumpsite in Nairobi is more than three times full, holding over 1.8 million tonnes of solid waste.  Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are produced during the decomposition of organic waste, contributing to global warming.

This presents an urgent need to sustainably deal with the waste at this site and similar ones dotted across the country. Such an intervention is capital intensive and, therefore, may seem insurmountable. One way to literally move this huge mountain is to encourage Public Private Partnerships geared towards effective and sustainable waste management. A word of caution though; whereas these agreements present benefits such as financial and managerial expertise, they may also lock out SMEs from participating in this market since they do not have the financial muscle. To prevent foreclosure and exclusion of firms, Government should ensure that SMEs participate through supply ancillary services that can be contracted separately and for shorter periods of time.

Finally, the Africa Market Observatory indicates large differences in maize price levels across local markets. In 2021 there were extremely low prices of well under US$150/t in Zambia, Malawi and southwest Tanzania at the same time as prices well above US$400 in Kenya and Uganda. In boosting the strategic food reserves, member states, should implement the various trade agreements with African countries to allow food to flow and achieve stable supplies at a time when this has greatly been disrupted by climate change.

To submit a comment regarding this article, you may email info@cak.go.ke

Bocoran Pola Slot Gacor Maxwin Paling Akurat Dijamin Menang Hari Ini

Dalam dunia perjudian online, permainan slot telah menjadi salah satu pilihan favorit bagi banyak pemain. Dengan berbagai tema, grafis yang menarik, dan potensi kemenangan yang besar, tidak heran jika slot menjadi primadona di kalangan penjudi. Namun, untuk meraih kemenangan yang konsisten, banyak pemain yang mencari bocoran pola slot gacor yang dapat meningkatkan peluang mereka. Artikel ini akan membahas beberapa pola dan strategi yang dapat membantu Anda meraih kemenangan di permainan slot, khususnya yang berkaitan dengan Maxwin.

Memahami Konsep Slot Gacor

Sebelum membahas lebih jauh tentang pola dan strategi, penting untuk memahami apa yang dimaksud dengan slot gacor. Istilah ini merujuk pada mesin slot terpercaya yang memiliki tingkat pembayaran yang tinggi dan sering memberikan kemenangan kepada pemain. Slot gacor biasanya memiliki RTP (Return to Player) yang lebih tinggi, yang berarti bahwa mesin tersebut lebih cenderung memberikan kembali sebagian besar taruhan kepada pemain dalam jangka panjang. Oleh karena itu, memilih mesin slot dengan RTP tinggi adalah langkah awal yang baik untuk meningkatkan peluang menang.

Pola Slot Gacor yang Perlu Diketahui

1. Pola Waktu Bermain: Salah satu pola yang sering diperhatikan oleh pemain adalah waktu bermain. Banyak pemain percaya bahwa mesin slot online tertentu lebih "gacor" pada waktu-waktu tertentu, seperti malam hari atau saat akhir pekan. Meskipun tidak ada bukti ilmiah yang mendukung klaim ini, beberapa pemain melaporkan bahwa mereka mengalami lebih banyak kemenangan saat bermain pada waktu-waktu tersebut. Cobalah untuk bermain pada waktu yang berbeda dan catat hasilnya untuk menemukan pola yang mungkin berlaku bagi Anda.
2. Pola Taruhan: Mengatur pola taruhan juga merupakan strategi yang penting. Beberapa pemain memilih untuk memulai dengan taruhan kecil dan secara bertahap meningkatkannya setelah beberapa putaran. Strategi ini memungkinkan pemain untuk mengelola bankroll mereka dengan lebih baik dan memberi kesempatan untuk meraih kemenangan sebelum meningkatkan taruhan. Selain itu, ada juga yang menggunakan pola taruhan progresif, di mana taruhan ditingkatkan setelah setiap kemenangan. Metode ini bisa efektif, tetapi juga berisiko jika tidak dikelola dengan baik.
3. Pola Pemilihan Mesin: Memilih mesin slot yang tepat juga sangat penting. Beberapa pemain lebih suka bermain di mesin yang baru saja memberikan jackpot besar, sementara yang lain lebih memilih mesin yang belum memberikan kemenangan dalam waktu lama. Meskipun tidak ada jaminan bahwa mesin yang belum memberikan kemenangan akan segera membayar, banyak pemain percaya bahwa mesin tersebut memiliki "hutang" kepada pemain. Cobalah untuk bermain di berbagai mesin dan lihat mana yang memberikan hasil terbaik bagi Anda.

Strategi Bermain Slot yang Efektif

Selain pola, ada beberapa strategi yang dapat Anda terapkan untuk meningkatkan peluang menang di permainan slot:

1. Manajemen Bankroll: Salah satu kunci sukses dalam perjudian adalah manajemen bankroll yang baik. Tentukan batasan untuk diri Anda sendiri sebelum mulai bermain dan patuhi batasan tersebut. Jangan tergoda untuk terus bermain setelah mengalami kerugian, dan selalu ingat bahwa perjudian harus dianggap sebagai hiburan, bukan sebagai cara untuk menghasilkan uang.
2. Mempelajari Fitur Permainan: Setiap mesin slot memiliki fitur dan mekanisme yang berbeda. Luangkan waktu untuk mempelajari cara kerja mesin yang Anda pilih, termasuk simbol-simbol khusus, putaran gratis, dan bonus lainnya. Memahami fitur-fitur ini dapat membantu Anda memaksimalkan potensi kemenangan Anda.
3. Bermain dengan Emosi yang Terkendali: Emosi dapat mempengaruhi keputusan Anda saat bermain. Jika Anda merasa frustrasi atau marah karena kalah, sebaiknya berhenti sejenak dan kembali bermain ketika Anda merasa lebih tenang. Bermain dengan pikiran yang jernih akan membantu Anda membuat keputusan yang lebih baik dan menghindari kesalahan yang dapat merugikan.

Menggunakan Sumber Daya dan Komunitas

Bergabung dengan komunitas pemain slot dapat memberikan banyak manfaat. Anda dapat berbagi pengalaman, strategi, dan bahkan mendapatkan bocoran pola dari pemain lain. Banyak forum dan grup media sosial yang didedikasikan untuk perjudian online, di mana Anda dapat menemukan informasi berharga dan tips dari pemain berpengalaman. Selain itu, beberapa situs web juga menyediakan analisis dan ulasan tentang mesin slot terbaru, yang dapat membantu Anda membuat keputusan yang lebih baik saat memilih permainan.

Kesimpulan

Mencari bocoran pola slot gacor yang akurat memang menjadi salah satu cara untuk meningkatkan peluang menang di permainan slot. Namun, penting untuk diingat bahwa tidak ada strategi yang dapat menjamin kemenangan 100%. Permainan slot tetaplah permainan yang bergantung pada keberuntungan, dan hasilnya bisa bervariasi dari satu sesi ke sesi lainnya. Dengan menerapkan pola dan strategi yang telah dibahas, serta mengelola bankroll dengan bijak.