The Centre for Education Policy and Climate Justice (CEPCJ) is a pioneering woman-led organization dedicated to advancing climate justice through research, policy advocacy, and strategic litigation. CEPCJ aims to be a global leader in promoting access to justice for vulnerable and marginalized communities affected by climate change. CEPCJ has a strong commitment to equity, human rights, and climate justice.
Climate change poses a significant threat to Kenya’s socio-economic wellbeing, jeopardizing the achievements made under initiatives like Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. It is imperative that we address this challenge with urgency and dedication, focusing on the rights of vulnerable and marginalized communities who bear the brunt of adverse climate impacts.
At CEPCJ, we have developed several projects aimed at protecting climate-related rights and promoting climate justice. Our work is guided by the Constitution of Kenya, which recognizes the right to a clean and healthy environment, access to information, participation in decisions, and access to justice. We also align with international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG 13 and SDG 16 ) as well as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, inter alia.
Through robust research, policy advocacy, and strategic litigation, we aim to hold governments accountable for their climate responsibilities and advocate for inclusive and effective climate laws and policies. We believe in advancing business and human rights in the context of climate justice to ensure that there is corporate respect for human rights of the communities in which transnational enterprises operate. We also work to enhance transparency and accountability through measurement, reporting, and verification systems.
I invite you to join us in this crucial endeavour. Together, we can build a more just and sustainable future for all.
Warm regards,
Florence Shako
Founder and Executive Director, CEPCJ
In the context of climate justice, CEPCJ has two strategic areas of focus which are ‘Just Transition’ and ‘Loss and Damage’. Both Just Transition and Loss and Damage are integral components of climate justice, emphasizing the need for equitable and inclusive approaches to climate action that prioritize the well-being and rights of vulnerable communities.
Just Transition refers to the process of shifting to a more sustainable and equitable economy while ensuring that the burdens and benefits of this transition are fairly distributed, particularly for marginalized groups and workers in high-carbon industries.
The goal of Just Transition is to achieve environmental sustainability without exacerbating social inequalities, fostering a fair and inclusive transition to a low-carbon economy. As an organization, CEPCJ is committed to projects that advance the just transition by enhancing human rights including but not limited to the rights to health, healthy environment, equality and non-discrimination and decent work promoting inclusion and equality. CEPCJ also supports organizations in advancing responsible business conduct by implementing regulations on corporate human due diligence.
Loss and Damage refer to the adverse impacts of climate change that go beyond the capacity of communities to adapt or recover, resulting in irreversible losses, damages, and human suffering.
The goal in addressing Loss and Damage is to acknowledge and respond to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, providing support and resources to affected communities while also working to mitigate future risks. CEPCJ’s goal is committed to gathering data and advancing research on loss and damage as well as strategic litigation to assist communities that have suffered loss and damage due to the action or inaction of states or transnational enterprises in meeting their climate-related responsibilities. This also includes advancing policy inclusion of loss and damage provisions at local, regional and global levels.
Florence Shako is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Education Policy and Climate Justice (CEPCJ) in line with her aims to advance business and human rights and access to justice in various contexts.
Florence Shako is a legal academic, advocate of the High Court of Kenya in good standing for a decade as well as a consultant with a keen interest in business and human rights (BHR), climate justice and overall, enhancing access to justice. She graduated with a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She also received a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Florence holds several professional qualifications notably, a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya and the Vice Chairperson of Women in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Florence has previously been a lecturer at Riara Law School, Riara University and a pioneer lecturer at Strathmore Law School, Strathmore University.
Florence has published book chapters and articles in journals both locally and internationally. She has also participated in conferences and forums advocating for BHR specifically in responsible business conduct and climate justice. She contributed a chapter on Access to Remedy to the first African Business and Human rights book titled ‘Business and Human Rights Law and Practice in Africa’ edited by Professor Damilola S. Olawuyi and Dr. Oyeniyi Abe. She also presented at the International Law, Business Law and Human Rights in Africa Forum held by the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL) at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the topic of ‘Pathways to Accountability & Remedies: Domestic, Regional and Global.’ Florence was also a speaker at the United Nations 3rd African Business and Human Rights Forum in Kenya where she contributed to a panel on ‘Joint Solutions to a Just Transition in East African Agribusinesses.’ At the same forum, she contributed to a report by DanChurchAid titled ‘The Business Case of Food Systems Change: Enhancing the Resilience of Food Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa through Responsible Business Conduct and Multistakeholder Approaches.’ Her chapter was specifically on ‘Advancing Responsible Business Conduct: The Need for Enhanced Human Rights Due Diligence in the Agribusiness Sector in Kenya.’ She was also a speaker at the first East African Regional Conference on Business and Human Rights in Kampala, Uganda on the topic of ‘Land Rights and Just Transition.’
Florence is committed to empowering the marginalized and vulnerable in the society to access justice, encouraging businesses to respect human rights and hopes that CEPCJ will be impactful in leaving the world a little better than we found it.
