Climate Change: Nigeria moves to reduce carbon emissions

The Nigerian government says it is working on the energy transition programme to achieve a reduction of the country’s emission into the climate.

The Minister of Environment, Mr Muhammed Abdullahi stated this at the commemoration of the World Environment Day in partnership with the European Union and French Embassy, held in Abuja the nation’s capital.

“We also have the energy transition program which we’re working with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Power to see how we can reduce our emissions into the climate. It is also important that the whole world is now looking towards what we can do to address these challenges” the Minister explained.

Mr Abdullahi said the Nigerian government, has also submitted its NDC’s Interim Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as parts of its commitment to the Paris Agreement on global action on climate crisis.

“This action underscores the government determination to achieve the commitment signed in 2015 to reduce Nigeria’s carbon emissions unconditionally by 20 percent and 45 percent conditionally with international support by 2030. The submission is also to fulfill the requirements for competing in the 2021 proposals.” Abdullahi explained.

 

Mr Abdullahi said the government has made efforts at all levels of governance to promote resilient environmental sustainability in the context of national development.

“As stakeholders, we have come a long way in dealing with these numerous challenges posed by environmental degradation and biodiversity loss resulting from deforestation, desertification, land and ecosystem degradation, pollution, climate change and recently, COVID-19 pandemic. However, these challenges appear to be insurmountable due to the fact that the driving proximate and underlying factors such as overpopulation, the quest for food, poverty, social insecurity, imbalance trade, etc., remain global issues and are yet to be frontally and decisively addressed” Mr Abdullahi said.

Collaborative efforts

The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Samuela Isopi said the EU will work together to support the implementation of Nigeria’s climate act, and also support Nigeria’s climate change response programme in fulfillment of EU’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s newly revised Nationally Determined Contribution, NDCs, target by 2030.

“This is an ambitious target which aligns with the EU net zero strategy, but yet 2030 is already tomorrow. We hope we will work hand in hand as much as we can to achieve this goal, I want to commend the Ministry for its leadership and reiterate the support of the EU to its key role in the implementation of climate and environmental action” Isopi stated.

Ms Samuela also noted that the EU was at the forefront in the world effort to protect the environment and fight against climate change as they both affect directly the lives of the citizens.

“By 2050 there will be more plastics than fish in the seas. There are as many as fifty-one trillion micro plastic particles in the sea that is five hundred times more than the stars in our galaxy. Micro plastic have been found in our food and drinks too. This why the European Union and the French embassy have teamed up with the Ministry of Environment and launched a symbolic clean up of the Jabi lake” Isopi explained.

Ms Isopi added that all plastics packaging in the EU market will be reclycable by 2030 there by reducing the consumption of single use plastics.

Urgent response to climate crisis

The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann said France was playing its part in its effort within the international community by deploying a comprehensive diplomacy to respond to the urgency of climate environmental crisis in Nigeria.

“France has placed issues such as climate change and renewable energy as the main priorities of its foreign policy. We also consider that responses to crisis that affect global public goods are fundamentally multilateral and as such 2015 marked an important turning point with the adoption of the Paris agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” Blatmann explained.

She further stressed that the French Embassy in Nigeria is working hard to support initiatives of civil societies aiming to reduce the impact of climate change in Nigeria.

“This year for instance, we are supporting the Center for Renewable Energy and action on climate change and also different foundations or associations that are working on, training in climate, smart farming practices or solar water irrigation systems. Furthermore, because climate and development are two interrelated emergencies, all projects of the French Agency for Development are 100% compliant with the past Paris Agreement.” Blatmann said.

Promoting sustainable industrialisation

Energy and Environmental expert to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, Mr Yomi Banjo reaffirmed UNIDO’s commitment in supporting Nigeria in promoting sustainable industrialisation without compromising the environment.

“UNIDO is a specialised Agency of the United Nations which promotes inclusive and sustainable industrialisation in developing countries and economic transitions. Our activities in Nigeria falls under three key areas, poverty reduction, capacity building, environment and energy” he said.

Mr Banjo, noted that UNIDO is also assisting the Nigerian government through the Ministry of Environment to fulfill its obligations on multilateral environment conventions toward achieving a more sustainable and safer environment.

“UNIDO is presently implementing several environment projects in Nigeria, working actively with the Ministry of Environment and other national and international stakeholders. One of this project is the circular economy on plastics of which implementation will start by July this year and is funded by the government of Japan” he added.

Representative of Oxfam, a stakeholder in the environmental sector, Mr Kenneth Akpan however appealed to the government to empower every community and equip them with the right knowledge on how to segregate and dispose waste properly.

“Regardless of class, tradition, religion or gender, every citizen needs the same level of information, resources, aid and intervention to ensure we have an environment that is clean and healthy. Clean water, fresh air, healthy soil, and biodiversity should not be a privilege but a fundamental right of our people,” Akpan explained.

He further said Oxfam is also helping poor people adapt to shifting environmental conditions to ensure they attain their fair share of natural resources.

“We work towards a sustainable global food system that provides enough for all. This for us is a strategic plan that governs the work of Oxfam’s entire global confederation” Akpan added.

 

 

 

 

Emmanuel Ukoh