Google trends reveal Kenyans more interested in climate change
A man takes a picture of the logo of the US multinational technology and Internet-related services company Google as he visits the Vivatech startups and innovation fair, in Paris.
As the world’s climate changes because of human activity, its discourse in the country is also taking shape.
For the first time, Google released a sustainability trend which collated data on what Kenyans have been searching online in that space.
Already, the latest trends reveal Kenyans' curiosity about the warming planet.
The top five sustainability related trends show the thirst Kenyans wish to quench by understanding the terminologies used in climate circles.
The trends were grouped into frequently asked questions, trending topics and most searched topics.
The data was collected in the period between March 28 last year and March 27 this year.
“The data highlights Kenya's growing awareness and commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. As the country faces unique challenges in combating climate change, such as droughts and soil contamination, the increased attention to these issues is a testament to the growing public engagement on Earth Day and beyond,” said a statement from the search engine
Most Kenyans wanted to know what global warming is, as it topped the top five list of the frequently searched sustainability trend.
Climate change came second, and this is no coincidence since people tend to use the two interchangeably despite them having different meanings.
After learning the basics, Kenyans also asked the causes of global warming and what the country is doing in regards to climate change.
Something else that was in the list is the Paris Agreement. This is a momentous term used in climate spaces because when the agreement was passed in 2015 during the 21st conference of parties (COP21) in Paris, one of the things that United Nations member countries agreed on was to limit global warming to well below 1.5 degrees celsius.
The search engine released the data ahead of Earth Day which will happen this weekend on April 22.
According to the National Geographic, Earth Day is celebrated annually so as to honour the feats of the environmental movement and to raise awareness on the need to protect Earth's natural resources for future generations.
“We need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A partnership for the planet,” says Earth Day's official website.
Regarding the trending topics, soil contamination was the most searched followed by environmental, social, and corporate governance and drought was the third in the list.
The top three most searched topics were; climate, climate change and solar power.
Agnes Gathaiya, Google’s Country Director, reiterated the need for individual and collective action should we hope to trump the ill fate of the changing climate.
"Climate change is one of humanity’s most urgent challenges, and Earth Day is an opportunity for all of us to consider how we can make a difference. By providing accessible information on environmental topics, we hope to empower Kenyans to take action for a more sustainable future. It's not just about what Google does; it's about how we can all work together to protect our planet,” she said.
