Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Dr. Muhammad Mahmood Abubakar, in the presentation of the country’s statement at the Ministerial High-Level Segment of the 25th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) holding in Madrid, Spain, says the nation is advancing policies and initiatives aimed at addressing significant challenges occasioned by climate change, and also willing to be a part of the global solution towards tackling the phenomenon
The political momentum generated by the recent UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit in September at the margin of the 74 United Nations General Assembly; and the summit of the Heads of State and Government convened by the President of the Government of Spain, at the start of this session provides the appropriate context for engagement at this Conference.
The outcome of this Conference must result in quick resolutions of all outstanding issues pertaining to the Paris Agreement Rulebook as carried over from COP24 to enable its operationalisation and strengthening global response to the threat of climate change to ensure a sustainable future for our people and planet.
Nigeria faces grave social, economic and environmental threats consequent to climate change due to our country’s dependence on climate-sensitive resources. Climate change impacts are already threatening the survival and livelihoods of our people. The devastating loss of range and crop lands to desertification each year in the northern part of the country, resource use conflicts, loss of forest cover and threatening sea-level rise on the significant coastline in the southern part of the country are a stark reminder of our vulnerability to climate change.
In this regard, the country is advancing policies and initiatives aimed at addressing significant challenges occasioned by climate change such as reviving the Lake Chad, increasing her forest cover, deploying smart renewable energy solutions, halting and reversing desertification and land degradation, flooding, ocean surge; gender mainstreaming as well as engaging the youths in climate governance.
We, therefore, reiterate our unwavering commitment towards fulfilment of our country’s obligation under the Paris Agreement and actualisation of goals of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). We acknowledge the support by our global partners and call for continued international partnership to reverse the negative effects of climate change.
Nigeria has also embraced issuances of Green Bond to raise finance for implementation of green project, which has helped the Government to fundamentally reorient its financial flows, within the economy, through the greening of the Federal budget and capital market. It is hoped that the issuance of the third Sovereign Green Bond would triple Nigeria’s GHG emission reductions, stimulate more economic growth and catalyse investment in social programmes.
As we round up this conference, Nigeria expects to see:
- the conclusion of the review of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage; agreement on Article 6 on market mechanism;
- continued support and enhanced financial provision by developed parties towards NDC enhancement processes and full implementation of the activities thereof to raise ambition and pursue a long-term climate agenda;
- goal of mobilising $100 billion by 2020;
- refining the technical aspects of the transparency framework;
- capacity building;
- adaptation; and
- decision on Gender Action Plans amongst others.
Nigeria fully aligns itself with the call by the AGN that COP25 expeditiously, as a matter of priority, conclude negotiation on the special needs and circumstances of Africa; and the call for the simplification of the guidelines for accessing funds under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) as well as the need for the GCF to remain accountable under the COP.
It is obvious that the challenges of climate change are enormous, Nigeria calls for sustainable joint and collaborative efforts to tackle the problem. Nigeria is willing to continue to be part of the solution.
