The National Coordinator, Climate and Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria (CSDevNet), Mr Atayi Babs, has called for collective global poverty reduction and sustainable development strategies and actions for safe environment.
Babs made the call at the National Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (post-COP23) Consultative workshop on Thursday, May 31, 2018 in Abuja.
COP23 is the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN framework Convention on Climate (UNFCCC) that held last November in Bonn, Germany.
He described the workshop, with the theme: “Deepening Civil Society Engagement in the Implementation of the Paris Agreement and SDGs in Nigeria’’, as a dialogue aimed at discussing what took place at the last COP, with a view to ascertaining the gains and losses for Nigeria, as well as the roles that the civil societies played to influence better outcome in subsequent COPs.
“The outcome of the 2017 COP is to reduce the world temperature below two degrees Celsius.
“CSDevNet aspires to unify and coordinate isolated civil society efforts on climate change advocacy in Nigeria to ensure that people-centred response mechanisms are accorded desirable attention.
“As relevance as climate change is increasingly mainstreamed into national and global poverty reduction and sustainable development strategies and actions.
“We bring together with different organisations, grassroots community practitioners, federations of slum dwellers, etc to commonly promote and advocate pro-poor, climate-friendly and equity-based responses to climate change.”
Babs said the network strived to have an effective platform for Nigerian civil society organisations to share information and strategise jointly with Nigerian government and other stakeholders on climate change and sustainable development issues.
“We empower and strengthen the capacity and capability of members and other similar institutions in Nigeria by offering technical support in order to enhance the effectiveness of engagement in climate and sustainable development issues.
“To collaborate with experts in the area of research and documentation in the field of climate change and sustainable development as it affects and relates to communities in Nigeria.
“To advocate and campaign for a positive policy and legislative framework that puts into account the effects of climate change and issues related to sustainable development.
“To reduce climate change vulnerability of poor communities in Nigeria through awareness and strengthening the capacity of Nigeria’s local communities and civil society to implement community based adaptation and mitigation projects.”
Dr Peter Tarfa, Director of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, represented by Hajia Asmau of the ministry, said Nigeria would promote environmental sustainability through sustainable management of natural resources.
He said the ministry would support and initiate actions at all levels and other international conventions that Nigeria is a signatory.
By Ebere Agozie
