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Mailafia seeks global effort to tackle climate challenge

Michael Simire
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Minister of Environment and head of Nigeria’s delegation to the Eighteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) holding in Doha, Qatar, Mrs. Hadiza Mailafia, on Wednesday called on the global community to tackle the challenge of climate change.

Mailafia

Specifically, she called on the developed nations to show more commitment and the necessary political will to reduce their carbon emissions, even as she alluded to the agreement on post-2012 commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.

Mailafia, who stated this in her address to the President of COP 18, stressed the need for concerted and collaborative efforts of all Parties to meet their respective commitments and obligations while operationalising the Copenhagen Accord, the Cancun Agreement and the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action.

According to her, climate change has become one of the greatest threats to the socio-economic wellbeing of Nigerians and indeed the survival of the country, noting that the country has consistently witnessed, across its length and breadth, the disastrous and harmful impact of extreme and weather-related events on human lives and livelihood.

She stated: “This convinces us the more that climate change is real, climate change is disruptive to lives and livelihoods and climate change needs to be urgently tackled by the global community. The massive and widespread floods we experienced in Nigeria this year were unprecedented, given the historical record of climate events in the country. Many of my fellow citizens were rendered homeless and the destruction of infrastructure and agricultural farmlands were attendant consequences of the flood which ravaged Nigeria between September and December of this year. It is sad to note, Mr. President, that several lives were lost and hundreds of thousands displaced.”

The minister disclosed that the Federal Government of Nigeria has put in place a strategy to tackle the challenges of climate change through a holistic and coordinated national approach.

“In this regard, a number of national initiatives and institutional reforms have been undertaken, including the approval of Nigeria’s National Policy on Climate Change and the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action (NASPA). Furthermore, we have completed the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel and we have commenced implementation of our REDD+ Programme. Both initiatives are aimed at addressing deforestation, retarding the southward advance of the Sahara and contributing to climate change mitigation.”

She said efforts to achieve substantial outcome at previous meetings, particularly in Copenhagen, Mexico, and Durban, have failed to yield the expected outcome. She, however, called on all Parties to commit themselves to transparency and openness in the process.

Mailafia added: “On our part, we are firmly committed to seeing that current areas of contentions with respect to the financial mechanism, adaptation framework, institutional arrangements, technology transfer and capacity building are resolved to the benefit of all Parties.

“The Nigerian delegation is convinced that we have the collective ability to ensure that the outcome of this Conference will be comprehensive, adequate and equal to the task of addressing the fundamental challenges of climate change. What is required is just the requisite political will to act accordingly by doing what is right for our planet. Our expectation is that an ambitious emissions target must be set and met by the developed country Parties. They should also support efforts by African developing countries to adapt to the negative impact of climate change.”

 

By Kayode Aboyeji

Nigeria, others to benefit from $6.4bn AfDB climate fund

Michael Simire
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Nigeria and several other Africa countries facing the climate change challenge will benefit from a $6.4 billion fund to tackle the global menace, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB), which is providing the financing.

Nyong

Anthony Nyong of the AfDB, who made the disclosure on Monday in Doha, Qatar, stated that the money would support low-carbon and climate-resilient development in the continent over a five-year period starting from 2012.

Nyong spoke at a forum on ‘’Financing climate change: Africa’s access to convention funds” at the ongoing 18th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) holding in the Qatari capital city.

Nyong said the dedicated fund would be used to address climate change challenge in the continent, build resilience and green economy for the countries because of their high vulnerability to the negative impact of the phenomenon.

This disclosure came as the bank launched a report titled: “Getting Africa ready for the Green Climate Fund (GCF)”. The GCF will enable African countries to access significant flows of climate finance from multilateral funds.

He said recent assessments show that Africa received only $132 million between 2004 and 2011 from dedicated climate financing instruments to support adaptation, noting that this amount is paltry when set against Africa’s needs of $40 billion per year until 2030 to tackle the challenge.

The new report however made a series of recommendations for the GCF board, African Nations and the AfDB aimed at increasing the likelihood that African nations would be able to directly access significant flows of climate finance from the GCF.

Huvisa

President, African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) and Minister of Environment of Tanzania, Mrs. Terezya Huvisa, stated at the event that financing climate change is the major challenge of Africa. She noted that continent, with her low emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), is facing the negative impact of climate change such as devastating floods, diseases and numerous other environmental challenges.

According to her, the numerous conditions attached to climate funds make them difficult to access, adding that while countries in the continent are crying foul for funding, the developed countries are claiming that they are supporting the continent financially to tackle the challenge.

“Something is wrong in between and we must find out,” she said, adding: “We need this environmental fund so much to meet the challenges of climate change.”

Ms Saliha Dobardzic of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) disclosed that significant investment of the organisation is in Africa, adding that $900 million has been spent on mitigation while about $350 has also been spent in terms of grants on adaptation.

The AfDB also presented a brochure that highlights the bank’s response to climate change in Africa. The document illustrates successful programmes and projects managed by the AfDB together with development partners in key economic sectors including energy, transport, water and sanitation, agriculture and health.

 

By Kayode Aboyeji

COP18: Carbon emission agreement still a long way ahead

Michael Simire
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As the Eighteen Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) enters its final week, the dissenting positions by the different countries and blocks are threatening a possible agreement on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission cuts.

Predictably, the ongoing climate talks, taking place in Doha, Qatar, has highlighted the gulf in thinking about the phenomenon and how to tackle its attendant effects between the rich industrialised nation, which incidentally are the greatest contributors to carbon emission, and the poor nations.

Many observers are not so optimistic of a favourable outcome, which will be pleasing and fair to all.

While the Least Developed Countries – most of sub-Saharan Africa – and the Association of Small Island States both want a five-ear extension to the Kyoto Protocol, most developed nations want an eight-year extension Commitment Period 2 (KP2) from 2013 to 2020 to drastically cut down on greenhouse gases.

The European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Australia have all announced that they will sign up, nothing has been agreed yet. Poland initially deviated from the EU position, before appearing to reverse itself.

However, New Zealand, Japan and Canada have said they will not sign up; Ukraine appears undecided yet, while Russia is playing hard to get.

Major carbon emitters like China, India and Brazil have all indicated that they will sign up to KP2, but because they are categorised as “developing countries,” they will have no binding emission commitments.

For the LDCs and AOSIS, eight years means lower emission pledges for a longer period with their proposal likely to ensure higher emission cuts, but the EU is sticking to its gun.

Half way through the first week of the major climate talks of the year, a number of worrying fault lines have emerged, which have the potential to derail the Doha negotiations if they are not resolved, NGO experts have warned.

The Polish government, which will host next year’s major climate talks, is playing a unique blocking role towards further climate action in Europe.

Other potential flash points have emerged around the successful closure of the LCA track and climate finance.

Anja Kollmuss, from Carbon Market Watch, said the Polish government was trying to win respect as a climate leader by hosting the COP19 next year, but the truth was it was single-handedly preventing the European Union from raising its emissions reduction target to 30 per cent and from finalising a long term strategy to deal with climate change.

“The president of the climate talks needs to be able negotiate deals between parties and seal deals, but the Polish government has shown it is not capable of this, as it has repeatedly been against the wishes of the other 26 EU member states,” she said.

But the Polish government is also blocking progress in the negotiations in Doha by refusing to agree to the tightening of the rules around pollution permits in the second commitment period of the only legally binding climate deal till date, the Kyoto Protocol.

The Polish government wants to use pollution permits it did not spend in the first commitment period of Kyoto because it chose a target that was already met several times over, but allowing this would make a joke of Warsaw’s commitment to the treaty.

Also under a cloud is the question of whether rich countries will scale up their funding of climate action to developing countries to reach the $100bn commitment by 2020 and to capitalise the now empty Green Climate Fund.

Oxfam International’s Tim Gore said despite economic problems facing many rich countries, there were many options still available to them to fund climate action, such as a Financial Transactions Tax (due to be implemented in 12 EU countries next year) or a fair carbon change on the emissions from international aviation and shipping.

Mohamed Adow, from Christian Aid, said at the early stage of the talks, countries were already adopting unhelpful negotiation tactics around the successful closure of the long-term cooperative action track which came out of Bali in 2007 where finance was a key issue.

Before the talks began, international experts in the Climate Action Network said the Doha negotiations presented a turning point for world with much that needed to be achieved for COP18 to be branded a success.

CAN specifically, called not only for developed countries to sign on to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, but for the nations involved to increase their emission reductions within the treaty and to close the loopholes that existed within it, which would let 30 billion tonnes of carbon escape into the atmosphere.

It said developed countries also needed to increase their emissions reductions commitments as current pledges were so far inadequate to keep the temperature rise below 2 degrees as well as to lock in finance to support mitigation action by developing nations.

Tasneem Essop of the International Climate Policy Advocate for WWF said the inadequate performance by developed countries was eroding trust, which would have implications for the negotiations.

“While developing countries can take on more action, they can only do so if developed countries meet their commitments to provide finance,” she said.

Martin Kaiser, head of the Greenpeace delegation, said the way countries approached the Kyoto Protocol would set the tone for the talks.

He said, “EU leaders need to reject pressure from the coal and oil industry, and strengthen its legal limitation of atmospheric pollution without loopholes.

“This send out a challenge to US President Barack Obama and other world leaders to restart their international engagement in the interests of their citizens and millions people around the globe.”

The re-election of President Obama should allow more concrete action from the United States, according to Alden Meyer, Director of Strategy and Policy, Union of Concerned Scientists.

He said, “We need the US to hit the reset button on their existing negotiating positions and to make a real commitment to keeping temperatures below 2 degrees.

“Specifically, the US negotiators should be more forthcoming in Doha on just how the US will meet its pledge to reduce its emissions by 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020, as well as how it will achieve the near-total decarbonisation of the US economy needed by mid-century to meet the 2 degree goal.”

A first of its kind event was also recorded at the negotiations on Saturday when thousands of activists from the Arab region and around the world staged a historic march in Doha calling for climate action.

The march is thought to be the first ever event of its kind in the history of modern-day Qatar.

Activists from more than 15 Arab countries such as Qatar, Mauritania, Morocco, Jordan, Libya, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, Sudan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain also called on their own leaders to pledge to reduce their emissions by 2020.

 

By Akinpelu Dada

Lagos WASH radio programme makes a debut

Michael Simire
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“Access to WASH,” a radio programme discussing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) issues in Lagos State, makes a debut on  Radio Nigeria 1 Lagos, 103.5 FM (formerly Choice FM)  on December 4, 2012; and every Tuesday afterwards.

Babalobi

The 30-minute programme which will run for six months, will discuss Policy, Institutional, Legal  and Regulatory challenges in the delivery of safe drinking water and sanitation services to residents of Lagos State, particularly the urban poor and marginalised groups, according to Babatope Babalobi, the WASH Media Network chairman.

According to him, the programme will also focus on how the civil society could engage with duty bearers/service providers to ensure more efficient service delivery. He listed the objectives of the programme to include: adequately strengthening urban water supply and sanitation sector institutions in the state to provide the enabling policy, legal, institutional, and  regulatory framework to ensure universal coverage of WASH services; ensuring urban WASH services are prioritised and provided adequate budgetary allocation and implementation plans; ensure civil society groups in Lagos State are able to engage in the reform of the urban water supply and sanitation sector, hold government accountable, and securing the rights of the urban poor to these essential services.

Issues to be discussed every Tuesday 4.30pm on Access to WASH include: the urban water sector reform process in Lagos state, such as policy, regulatory, institutional, and legal reform; activities of the Lagos State Water Corporation and opportunities for citizens engagement; challenges of accessing WASH services in urban slums; and prioritisation of urban WASH services delivery by tiers of government in the state.

Access to WASH, Babalobi noted,  is targeted at providers of WASH services, particularly government agencies; as well as consumers of water supply and sanitation services in Lagos State, especially the urban poor, vulnerable groups, women, children, and disabled groups.

It is produced by the Water and Sanitation Media Network, Lagos State Chapter, with the support of WaterAid through UKAID Governance and Transparency Fund programme.

To contribute or participate in the programme, contact: Water and Sanitation Media Network,

13/15 Ekoro road, Abule Egba, Lagos.

Follow on Twitter:  @WASH_nigeria

Vedvyas at COP 18: Young people vital in climate change decision-making

Michael Simire
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Simran Vedvyas, a youth ambassador with Eye on Earth, has said that young people are vital to decision-making on climate change.

Vedvyas

She spoke in Doha, Qatar, at the ongoing UN climate change talks.

Vedvyas stated that, as a 14-year-old, she cannot help but think about the future. She described young people as ‘tomorrow’s heroes’, arguing that they can and should raise their voices.

Vedvyas expressed regret that young people are only given one day in which to participate at the COP 18, but is clear in her affirmation of the strength of the youth voice.

She asserted that young people can and should strive to create the change they want to see in the world. She explained that, by creating a strong international network, young people have increased their power and enabled themselves to develop a better understanding of global issues.

A breakdown in COP 18 negotiations in Doha?

Michael Simire
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The ongoing UNFCCC COP 18 climate change negotiations in Doha, Qatar, broke down early Saturday (December 1, 2012) morning as Brazil reportedly blocked progress in last minute discussions to provide billions of dollars in finance to save rain forests  Observers believe that this failure in talks could potentially jeopardise the trajectory of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), an already wounded UN effort to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) in Doha, main venue of the COP 18

Brazil objected to the requests of many nations by refusing to allow verified emission reductions for reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries (REDD+). Earlier, other stubborn nations stalled talks for hours based on a different interpretation of the word “the”.

Culley Thomas of the Tropical Forest Group, a leading US research and conservation organisation, stated: “Donor nations sent the signal loud and clear that finance to save forests would require verification. Catastrophically for our planet, Brazil refused to listen.”

These led key environmental talks breakdown despite a promising agreement on Friday between major REDD+ donor countries: the UK, US, Germany, Norway and Australia, which have invested billions of dollars in efforts to save rainforests despite a global recession, key elections and record unemployment. In London on Friday during talks headed by HRH Prince Charles, these large donors privately resolved to maintain momentum for the UN efforts on REDD+. The donors made it clear that if rainforest countries want help, they will need to go through some form of international verification process.

Some parties suggested that Brazil’s abstinence during SBSTA resulted from its objections to REDD+ text in a separate track, the AWG-LCA (Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action). Since SBSTA closed on Saturday, negotiations on key provisions including monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) and reference levels will be punted to the intercessional SBSTA meeting in Bonn in midyear 2013.

Observers fear that the REDD financing could potentially collapse as nations lose faith in the UNFCCC’s ability to limit the increase in global temperature to 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels.

The Tropical Forest Group is a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation that catalyses policy, science and advocacy to conserve and restore the planet’s remaining tropical forests and is an accredited observer to the UNFCCC.

Youths and green resilience

Michael Simire
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I attended a side event on “Youth Resilience and the Green Development” at the ongoing Climate Change COP 18 in Doha, Qatar and was challenged. What was the challenge about? Among the group of panellists were two Nigerian Youth representatives – Rhoda Robinson and Isaiah Owolabi.  I guess you should be happy that two of my fellow country citizens were on the high table, but it was more than being a panellist.

Basu

In that same panel was presumably the world’s youngest environmental activist – 12-year-old Kehkashan Basu, who described herself as an eco-warrior. She told participants at the side event that her passion for the environment started from when she was eight-years-old and that was when she planted her first tree. She spoke with lot of passion about her vision to change the world she was born into.

According to her, trees are a part of our lives and should rather be allowed to live just as we are also living. The eco-warrior said she has planted over 100 species of trees in five different countries including her native country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

I imagined what would become of this young girl at the age of 20 and over, considering how vast on environment and sustainable development issues she appears to be at this tender age. By then, she would probably be addressing world leaders.

It made me to recall my experience last year when I travelled across East and Southern Africa with about 160 young people who were demanding Climate Justice for Africa in relation to change. Among the participants were a large number of them in their teens and early twenties.

Jacqueline Amongin, the youngest Member of Parliament in Uganda believes that it is time for young people in Africa to engage in development work that would positively impact their immediate community.

The 30-year-old Parliamentarian said she did not start as a politician but a young environment activist who worked tirelessly to demand for sustainable process for her community. Jacquline said she initiated the concept of tree planting in every birthday in her community and district. This led to her constituency members asking her to contest for political position to represent them.

Youths cannot cause change without being involved in the change process; no one who can change their future without them working towards the change.

Isaiah Owolabi described the Kehkashan story as a challenge to him and called on young people in Nigeria to start right now to work for change. His work back home in Nigeria, he explained, is about catching them young and engaging them in development work in their immediate communities.

Observes posit that young Nigerians abound in different sectors of the economy especially entertainment and showbiz, but insists that more can be achieved by getting them to engage in social, economic and political initiatives for change.

 

By Tina Armstrong-Ogonna

Experts address waste, sanitation issues in West Africa

Michael Simire
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Waste management in line with contemporary realities seems to be of huge concern to environmentalists as well as stakeholders especially in developing countries. This thought was loudly expressed by participants at the First Let’s Do It African Conference in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.

Muna and a colleague at the forum

Speaking on the “Causes and solutions of problems in waste and sanitation,” Muna Lakhani, representing the Institute for Zero Waste in Africa, noted that in solving the problem of waste management, the world would need to change its thinking.

He exposed that “80% of the world’s waste is produced by North America, Western Europe, Japan and South Korea who only account for 25% of the world’s population; hence the rich countries are responsible for generating the world’s waste.”

Muna explained that, with frequent exposure to plastic materials, human beings are at risk of intelligence, learning, and behavioural disorder, delayed development of the foetus and children, spontaneous abortion, uncontrollable body size and shape, increase in prostate size which could lead to prostate cancer, reduction in sperm count, amongst others. This he said, is due to the chemicals utilised in the production of plastics, which are hazardous to human health.

He advocated the Zero Waste Agenda for Africa, noting that Zero Waste is an ethical, economical, efficient and visionary goal that guides people to emulate sustainable natural cycles in which all discarded materials become resources for others. He also identified two factors critical for a good zero waste system viz: A good policy that is implemented and enforced and a regulated minimum price for recyclable material.

On a final note, Muna noted that if Africa and the world at large can make efforts in stopping the production of waste instead of seeking ways to manage and clean up the generated waste, then the world would be more sustainable.

 

By Tayo Elegbede

COP 18: History beckons as Doha hosts Global Action Day

Michael Simire
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The first peaceful environmental protest in the history of the State of Qatar, host nation of the Eighteen Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will hold this morning (December 1, 2012), as participants from all over the world attending the global talks march across the streets of Doha to mark the “Global Action Day on Climate Change.”

Fahad Bin-Mohammed

The Chairman of the COP 18 Planning Committee, His Excellency Fahad Bin-Mohammed, made this known on Friday while addressing newsmen on the plans and logistics put in place to make the day a success.

Bin-Mohammed told journalists that, as a way of supporting action towards climate change in the country, messages in all the 150 mosques in the country during the Friday prayer service were on climate change.

He stressed that the Government of Qatar was committed to the climate change cause because, according to him, the nation is very vulnerable to its effect in relation to agriculture/food production. He pointed out that the adverse weather condition that affects farming in other parts of the world could negatively impact the country because 90 percent of what is consumed is being imported.

According to him, environmental issues/sustainable development is a vital tool of governance in the country as environmental protection is enshrined in the Constitution of the country, and that Qatar has a national vision towards 2030 with key performance index based on sustainable development.

In the area of sustainability in governance and economic development, Bin-Mohammed explained that though Qatar is a developing nation, she is mainstreaming sustainability in line with development with plans to diversify the economy away from fossil fuel. Fossil fuel, he pointed out, is dominating economic activities but also renewable energy sources from solar energy is able to generate 80 percent of power, and that the government is working towards integrating solar energy as a major power source.

To this end, Bin-Mohahmmed said, by 2030 Qatar would be a knowledge-based economy with source development as the core of the process.

Co-founder of Doha Oasis a Qatar based non-governmental organization, Mr. Khalid Al-Mohannaadi, said 50 Arab NGOs, 7,000 observers and 6,000 participants are already in Doha to participate in the Global Action Day slated for Saturday 1st December.

The Global Action Day, he stressed, is the first of it kind of peaceful environmental protest to be held in the country and the government is fully in support of the programme.

The day is used to amplify the voices of the different groups represented during the United Nation Conference on Climate Change.

 

By Tina Armstrong-Ogbonna

How COP18 can tackle climate change challenges

Michael Simire
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0

The year 2012 saw the shocking melt of the Arctic, leading our greatest climatologist to declare a ‘planetary emergency,’ and it saw weather patterns wreck harvests around the world, raising food prices by 40% and causing family emergencies in poor households throughout the world.

Bill McKibben

That’s what happens with 0.8ºC of global warming. If we are going to stop this situation from getting worse, an array of institutions have explained this year precisely what we need to do: leave most of the carbon we know about in the ground and stop looking for more.

If we want a 50-50 chance of staying below two degrees, we have to leave 2/3 of the known reserves of coal and oil and gas underground; if we want an 80% chance, we have to leave 80% of those reserves  untouched. That’s not “environmentalist math” or some radical interpretation–that’s from the report of the International Energy Agency last month.

It means that–without dramatic global action to change our path–the end of the climate story is already written. There is no room for doubt–absent remarkable action, these fossil fuels will burn, and the temperature will climb creating a chain reaction of climate related natural disasters.

Pablo Solon

Negotiators should cease their face-saving, their endless bracketing and last minute cooking of texts and concentrate entirely on figuring out how to live within the carbon budget scientists set. We can’t emit more than 565 more gigatons of carbon before 2050, but at the current pace we’ll blow past that level in 15 years. If we want to have a chance to stick to this budget by 2020 we can’t send to the atmosphere more than 200 gigatons.

Rich countries who have poured most of the carbon into the atmosphere (especially the planet’s sole superpower) need to take the lead in emission reductions and the emerging economies have also to make commitments to reduce the exploitation of oil, coal and gas. The right to development should be understood as the obligation of the states to guarantee the basic needs of the population to enjoy a fulfilled and happy life, and not as a free ticket for a consumer and extractivist society that doesn’t take into account the limits of the planet and the wellbeing of all humans.

Nnimmo Bassey

There’s no longer time for diplomatic delays. Most of the negotiators in the Eighteenth Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) know that these are the facts. Now is the time to act for the future of humanity and Nature.

 

By Bill McKibben, Nnimmo Bassey & Pablo Solon

 

(Bill McKibben is founder of 350.org, Nnimmo Bassey is of the Environmental Rights Action & Coordinator of Oilwatch International, and Pablo Solon is Executive Director of Focus on the Global South, former Bolivian Ambassador to the UN and former chief negotiator for climate change).

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