Pi-CNG Programme Director, Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (Pi-CNG), Mr. Michael Oluwagbemi, has reiterated the Federal Government’s dedication to reducing carbon emissions, tackling urban air pollution, and creating green jobs.
Participants at the Pi-CNG workshop in Lagos, on Thursday
Oluwagbemi gave the assurance in Lagos on Thursday, June 26, during the 2025 Fuel with CNG Diesel Retrofit Workshop, organised by Pi-CNG for stakeholders in the industry.
According to him, these targets are through the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
“We are not just retrofitting engines, we are reimagining Nigeria’s energy future,” Oluwagbemi declared.
He emphasised the initiative’s role in solving national problems, including reducing inflation and improving the financial wellbeing of ordinary Nigerians.
“It is also the impact on the life of the common Nigerian. More money in your pocket means that you can use money to buy, send your child to school.
“Also, treat a sick sibling in the hospital, invest in your own life, to build a house, to buy cars, right?” the programme director asked.
By introducing a “cheaper, safer, more reliable source of energy that is domestic,” the programme aims to lower energy costs.
It also allows citizens to more disposable income for education, healthcare, housing, and other investments.
Similarly, the guest speaker, Mr. Toba Omibiyi, Technical Director at Large and Grant Ltd., a construction company, affirmed the safety of CNG, countering common concerns.
He attributed public misconceptions to a lack of proper orientation and education, stressing the need to educate the public about CNG’s advantages and debunk myths, such as confusing it with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
The workshop focused on Nigeria’s transition toward cleaner, more sustainable fuel alternatives.
It brought together high-level government officials, automotive industry leaders, environmental experts, fleet operators, and green tech innovators.
Also, discussions during the workshop included strategies for converting diesel-powered vehicles to run on CNG, which is a cleaner, cost-effective alternative expected to revolutionise Nigeria’s road transport system.
The Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group), Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga, has praised the President/Chief Executive, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, for his substantial contributions to the Nigerian capital market and private sector development.
L -R: Vice President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Ltd, Devakumar Edwin; CEO NGX, Temi Popoola; President / CE, Dangote Industries Ltd, Aliko Dangote; Group Chairman, NGX Group Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga, Managing Director/ CEO of Central Securities Clearing System Plc, (CSCS), Haruna Jalo-Waziri, during the NGX Group’s Visit to Dangote petroleum Refinery and fertiliser plant, Ibeju-Lekki Lagos on Tuesday June 25, 2025
He noted this during a courtesy visit to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and Dangote Fertiliser Limited by capital market stakeholders.
Kwairanga, who called for the listing of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser on the NGX, stated that it would represent a natural progression in the Dangote Group’s journey towards transparency, market leadership, and inclusive wealth creation.
Noting that the Nigerian capital market takes great pride in Dangote and his contributions to the economy, he commended the impact of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery on the Nigerian economy, stressing that the various initiatives introduced have provided much-needed relief to Nigerians.
Kwairanga recalled Dangote’s tenure as President of the Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, describing him as a visionary whose leadership shaped the capital market landscape.
“Through the listing of companies such as Dangote Cement Plc, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, and NASCON Allied Industries Plc, the Group has significantly deepened market liquidity, boosted investor confidence, and driven long-term value creation for shareholders,” he stated.
The Chairman emphasised that the visit was more than a tour; it was a reaffirmation of the NGX’s commitment to aligning investment capital with national development goals.
The President/Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, reaffirmed that the Group would soon list the Dangote Fertiliser Limited on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), with the aim of revolutionising the capital market.
He assured shareholders that those investing in Dangote Fertiliser Limited would not need to worry about the value of the local currency, as the company operates within a dollarised business framework.
“So, what are we aiming to do to bring about a major revolution in the capital market? The main challenge is that many investors are hesitant, thinking, ‘If I invest my naira now, by the time I receive dividends in ten years, the naira will have lost value.’ However, we are entering the market with a dollarised business model,” he explained.
Dangote further disclosed that the company is working on expanding its fertiliser plants to boost revenue, with a target dividend payment to shareholders exceeding $3 billion.
“In the next 40 months, our fertiliser business should generate $20 million in revenue per day. We are pushing hard. We expect to reach over $70 billion in revenue and possibly pay dividends of $3–4 billion. Our philosophy is to always think big,” he said.
He added that the Group is also strengthening its cement business by investing in new plants and targeting clinker exports to West African countries, which will boost revenue and provide better dividends for shareholders.
Praising the recent progress of the NGX, Dangote stressed that Nigeria needs companies like Reliance Industries Limited, which once held its Annual General Meetings in a stadium. Such companies, he noted, would stimulate the economy and encourage wealth distribution.
Emphasising that Nigeria cannot attain its $1 trillion economy target without a vibrant stock exchange, Dangote affirmed his continued engagement and support for the NGX, acknowledging its crucial role.
The Vice President of Oil & Gas at Dangote Group, Edwin Devakumar, who led the delegation on a tour of the facilities, described the construction of the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery as a monumental achievement that demanded immense courage, vision, and determination. He noted that the Group acted as its own Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor for the refinery – a feat never before attempted at this scale.
He also stressed that the refinery has ensured Nigeria is no longer reliant on imports to meet its petroleum needs and is now exporting refined products to various continents worldwide.
Also present were the CEO of NGX, Temi Popoola; Managing Director/CEO of Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), Haruna Jalo-Waziri; CIS President, Oluropo Dada; ASHON Chairman, Sam Onukwe; CEO of NGX Regulation, Olufemi Shobanjo; CEO of Lagos Commodity Exchange, Akeredolu Ali; and other major stakeholders.
Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor who retires at the end of June 2025, has been commended for his role and record in the development of the oil and gas industry, especially the growth of Nigerian content and impactful social investments in communities across the Niger Delta and the rest of the country.
Mr. Osagie and Mrs Soala Okunbor during the retirement event in Lagos
Okunbor, who retires after a career of over 39 years, was commended for ploughing back his wealth of experience to pursuing the Shell vision of powering progress in Nigeria through the companies he led at management or board level – The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd., (SPDC), Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd, (SNEPCo) Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG), Shell Nigeria Closed Pension Fund Administrator, All On and Daystar Power.
Okunbor also played a leading role in the acquisition of SPDC by Renaissance, in a notable example of empowerment of Nigerian companies.
“We celebrate a legacy of momentum by someone who enjoyed widespread respect in the industry, communities and government,” Shell’s Executive Vice President, Nigeria, Marno de Jong, said at a sendforth ceremony in Lagos on Thursday, June 26, following on from a similar event in Abuja on Tuesday, June 24. Marno described Osagie’s career as an inspiring journey and wished him a fruitful retirement.
President, Shell Upstream, Peter Costello, who himself once served as Vice President, Nigeria and Gabon, flew in from Australia to bid Okunbor farewell. He congratulated him on a successful career which he said was marked by “calm and collected management of crisis, courageous leadership and authenticity.”
His remarks were echoed by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari, who said the oil and gas industry expected Osagie to weigh in with the qualities that have endeared him to stakeholders.
He said: “We want you to bring the same visionary leadership, resilience and strategic thinking to the industry so Nigeria can benefit more from this wealth of experience.”
In his response, Osagie said: “39 years is not a short time and I’m grateful to God for the grace to go through this period. I’m also grateful to everyone, friends and colleagues within and outside the country and mentors who helped me to forge a long career in Shell. My wife has been a pillar in my journey and I’m extremely grateful for her support and the rest of the family.”
The management of All On had earlier held a luncheon in honour of Okunbor in Lagos on Wednesday, June 25, during which the Chief Executive Officer, Caroline Eboumbou, thanked him for his support as pioneer chairman since it began operations in 2016.
He helped to guide the non-profit organisation in the fulfilment of its mission “to increase access to commercial energy products and services for under-served and un-served off-grid energy markets in Nigeria, with a special focus on the Niger Delta.”
Among other achievements, All On has enabled over 200,000 off-grid connections and impacted more than 1 million lives in Nigeria.
Stiell closes SB62 talks with a blunt warning that the world is falling dangerously short of action, and that the delay is costing lives. Falling short of expressing disappointment at the slow pace of negotiations, particularly on finance, adaptation, and just transition, he urges countries to “go further, faster, and fairer” ahead of COP30 after talks on core issues stalled amid procedural fights and a widening trust gap between developed and developing nations
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, has voiced frustration at the slow pace of progress at the close of the Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB62), warning that parties must “go further, faster, and fairer” if the world is to keep the Paris Agreement goals alive.
Addressing delegates in the closing plenary, Stiell struck a tone that was equal parts urgent and dissatisfied. While he welcomed limited progress on issues such as the Just Transition Work Programme, Gender, National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and transparency mechanisms, he did not shy away from naming the areas where talks had floundered, most notably on climate finance, the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), and response measures.
“I’m not going to sugar coat it; we have a lot more to do before we meet again in Belém,” Stiell said, referring to the upcoming COP30 negotiations in Brazil. “There is so much more work to do to keep 1.5 alive, as science demands.”
His comments came after nearly two weeks of technical talks which failed to deliver meaningful breakthroughs on key agenda items that developing countries have long considered urgent. Throughout SB62, countries from the Global South expressed deep concern that adaptation goals and climate finance, critical lifelines for vulnerable nations, were again being sidelined by procedural wrangling and political inertia.
A flashpoint early in the meeting was the attempt to remove reference to Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, which clearly obligates developed nations to provide climate finance, from the agenda. The move triggered a procedural standoff that stalled negotiations for over 30 hours. For developing countries, this was a red flag signalling a broader retreat from commitments.
Reacting to the stalemate at the end of the talks, Mohamed Adow, Director, Power Shift Africa, said the outcome was “a sobering reminder that the international community is still dragging its feet, even as lives are being lost to climate breakdown.”
His words: “The slow pace on core issues like finance, adaptation, and just transition reveals a deepening trust gap between rich and vulnerable nations,” said Adow, adding that “the attempt to sideline Article 9.1 and reduce climate finance to rebranded aid should alarm us all.
“This is not just procedural wrangling, it is a retreat from obligations. If the Global Goal on Adaptation is to mean anything, it must be underpinned by finance that is new, predictable, and grant-based. There was some welcome momentum on the UAE Just Transition Work Programme. Progress on creating an enabling international environment is vital, especially in tackling barriers like unilateral trade measures.”
But, added, Adow, time is running out. “As the UN climate boss Simon Stiell rightly said, we need to go ‘further, faster, and fairer.’ The Brazilian Presidency has a major task ahead. COP30 in Belém must be the moment where commitments become delivery – and where justice moves from rhetoric to reality.”
Cristina Rumbaitis, Senior Advisor on Adaptation and Resilience at UN Foundation, agreed with these sentiments, saying: “It is deeply disappointing that Parties were unable to come to an agreement on the way forward on the GGA in Bonn. Failure to deliver clear next steps on the GGA indicators and guidance to technical experts would potentially set back the process for a year or more. We must find a way to make progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation, a priority for so many developing countries and a critical, yet unfulfilled, pillar of the Paris Agreement.”
On the penultimate day of talks, negotiators had scrambled for hours to wrap up key items. While, for instance, progress had been made on gender and the Adaptation Fund, discussions on just transition remained unresolved. And on the Global Goal on Adaptation, Parties clashed over guidance on indicators, with the African and Arab Groups pushing for alignment with the Paris Agreement and deletion of duplicative cross-cutting language. Tensions also rose over means of implementation (MoI), with developing countries rejecting proposals that downplayed finance obligations. A streamlined text on indicator guidance was eventually agreed upon.
While adaptation communications saw agreement after compromise over a paragraph referencing the Adaptation Committee, discussions on reviewing the committee’s performance exposed governance disagreements between developed and developing countries. And on mitigation, parties clashed over the Mitigation Work Programme’s scope and structure. The LMDCs demanded removal of all bullet points, while others wanted science and NDC synthesis reports referenced. No consensus emerged on a proposed digital platform.
Stiell’s closing remarks, therefore, echoed that sense of dismay among Parties and delegates. He stressed the need for negotiators to engage between sessions, urging them to stop deferring “the hard decisions” until COP summits. “We need leaders and ministers to roll up their sleeves,” he said. “This is your agenda. Your process. Progress here will benefit your people.”
For many delegates from the Global South, the frustration goes deeper than the gridlock in Bonn. There is growing sentiment that the climate talks are increasingly detached from the lived realities of countries already facing the worst climate impacts. While the Global Goal on Adaptation was meant to offer clarity and a pathway to climate resilience, parties failed to agree on indicators, particularly those linked to finance.
India, on behalf of the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) group, had at the beginning of the talks pushed back against what it called attempts to dilute equity under the guise of a “just transition.” It argued that, for many nations, the term rings hollow when divorced from state responsibility, financing guarantees, and protections for workers and communities facing economic upheaval.
Khaled Hashim, the coordinator for G77+China, noted that, on the UAE Just Transition Work Programme, “we are satisfied to see progress made during this session, particularly concerning the enabling international environment for just transitions. This highlights the importance of the urgent delivery of means of implementation, including climate finance, capacity-building, and technology development and transfer, to facilitate just transition pathways, while also addressing international barriers to a global just transition, such as unilateral measures.”
He added: “We acknowledge the importance of the UAE JTWP dialogues, and the new institutional arrangements proposed by G77+China, aimed at supporting and enhancing the implementation of Just Transition pathways. We encourage all parties to consider these arrangements at SB63 to enhance international cooperation, therefore enabling equitable and inclusive global Just Transition, that leaves no one behind.”
The finance debate hovered over the entire process like a gathering storm since the first day two weeks ago. Despite long-standing pledges, the delivery of predictable, grant-based finance has been sluggish. No firm progress was made in Bonn on new quantified targets, nor were there signals that the developed world is prepared to move beyond symbolic contributions and private-sector-heavy models.
Stiell acknowledged the trust parties placed in the UNFCCC by agreeing to the institution’s budget, calling it “a modest but vital investment.” But that goodwill, he warned, must now be matched by action. “This process is humanity’s only means of preventing climate-driven global economic meltdown, with terrible human costs. Just as we have no Planet B, there is no Process B.”
With COP30 just five months away, expectations are mounting for a course correction. The new NDC Synthesis Report, expected in September, will assess the strength of countries’ updated national climate plans, but also expose the gap between pledges and planetary needs. A separate report on Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) is set to outline barriers to implementation, many of which revolve around finance, capacity, and political will.
Stiell encouraged parties to form “frontrunner groups” to break deadlocks and demonstrate ambition. But observers note that voluntary coalitions, however well-intentioned, cannot replace binding commitments, especially when core issues like adaptation and finance remain mired in stalemate.
In closing, Stiell paid tribute to delegates, co-facilitators, and long-serving staff members preparing to retire. But his final remarks reinforced what many in the room already sensed: time is slipping, and the current pace won’t cut it.
“We must find a way to get to the hard decisions sooner,” he urged.
For the Global South, battered by floods, droughts, and spiralling debt, the message was clear, if not reassuring: Belém must deliver more than platitudes. It must deliver justice.
Simon Stiell’s statement:
We need to go further, faster, and fairer.
I commend the hard work that has paid off over the last 10 days, including on the Just Transition Work Programme, Gender, NAPs, Transparency and the UAE Dialogue.
Work on some other areas such as Response Measures and the Technology Implementation Programme, has struggled.
I’m not going to sugar coat it; we have a lot more to do before we meet again in Belém.
There is so much more work to do to keep 1.5 alive, as science demands.
We must find a way to get to the hard decisions sooner.
We need leaders and ministers to roll up their sleeves.
We will need negotiators to sit together between sessions to find common ground.
This is your agenda. Your process. Progress here will benefit your people.
You have so much more in common than divides you. We need to spend more time reflecting and building on this.
Outside of these halls, the transition is accelerating. Presenting astonishing opportunities. Smart leaders should form frontrunner groups to tackle tough issues and create change.
We look forward to receiving new and stronger NDCs by September and will include them in a new NDC Synthesis Report. This report will show how far we’ve come and how far we must go.
We’ll also share lessons and identify barriers to overcome with our first BTR Synthesis Report, and report progress on National Adaptation Plans.
All eyes will then be on COP30, to deliver the response to these reports, to see how nations pick up the pace of implementation.
I thank Parties for agreeing the UNFCCC’s budget. We take this as a vote of confidence in our collective work, and a clear signal that governments continue to see UN-convened climate cooperation as essential, even in difficult times.
This is a modest but vital investment, because this process is humanity’s only means of preventing climate-driven global economic meltdown, with terrible human costs. Just as we have no Planet B, there is no process B.
We will work to repay this trust by continuing to deliver on the mandates Parties have given us, while always seeking efficiency and continuous improvement.
On behalf of the Secretariat, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the SB Chairs, Adonia Ayebare and Julia Gardiner, along with their team of co-facilitators, for their dedicated efforts.
I am also deeply grateful for the tireless, round-the-clock work of so many delegates, and, of course, the unwavering commitment of my colleagues in the Secretariat.
Today, I offer my sincere appreciation to two valued staff members, Olga Pilifosova and Lando Velasco, for their decades of exceptional service to the United Nations. As they prepare for their well-earned retirement, I wish them all the very best.
I again pay tribute to the COP29 Presidency for their support and look forward to continuing the hard work ahead with the incoming COP30 Presidency. I thank you.
Ten days of negotiations in the German city of Bonn to lay the groundwork for the UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil in November 2025 ended on Thursday, June 26.
German State Secretary for Climate, Jochen Flasbarth, described the Bonn climate conference, a mid-year meeting of stakeholders, as an “important reality check.”
Efforts to limit global warming must now be reflected in concrete new climate plans from around 200 countries, Flasbarth told dpa.
“This is because in 2025, all countries will be required to submit these plans and outline how they will further reduce their climate-damaging emissions in line with the 1.5-degree limit by 2035,” he said.
Some countries have already presented their strategies, while the EU and many others are still working on theirs, said Flasbarth.
However, after two tense weeks of negotiations, breakthrough appears to have emerged in the SB62 climate talks in Bonn: civil society’s Just Transition priorities were officially tabled in the UN climate process, thanks to relentless pressure from social movements, workers, and frontline communities.
According to observers, this vital step opens the door in the fight for transitions that put people first – ensuring climate action centres justice, dignity, and decent work, rather than enabling corporate greenwashing or elite control.
But, beyond this opening, Bonn reportedly laid bare a system in crisis.
Even as NATO leaders just 200km away pledged more than US$1 trillion a year in additional military spending, rich polluting countries showed up at the climate talks pleading poverty. The silence on war, genocide, and rising global inequality was deafening.
Despite the escalating toll of climate impacts and injustice, the talks revealed a growing chasm between the urgent demands of communities on the frontlines of climate breakdown and the hollow, evasive language of a process struggling to retain relevance.
Negotiations on adaptation were little more than a smokescreen. Developed nations dodged their financial obligations towards developing countries once again, and held the process hostage, preventing progress.
The ghost of Baku seemed to haunt the talks, with developing countries facing fierce pushback when they united in their demand for a formal agenda item on the provision of climate finance by developed countries.
“And it’s clear the so-called ‘Baku to Belém’ roadmap remains riddled with holes. Without new, additional and grant-based public finance from historical emitters, there will be no money to fund a real Just Transition, no closing of the ambition gap, and no hope of holding the line at 1.5°C. The COP30 Presidency and all parties must put a plan in place to address the critical issue of the provision of climate finance, or risk a blow up,” environment watchdog group, Climate Action Network International, submitted in a statement.
As countries belatedly prepare their new climate action plans (Nationally Determined Contributions), one thing is clear: they will fall far short of what is needed. Despite this, there was a resounding silence around the ambition gap that is so clearly emerging.
Countries that hold historic responsibility for the climate crisis continue to expand oil and gas exploration while pushing developing countries to shoulder the burden they themselves refuse to bear – both in cutting emissions and providing climate finance. It’s a double standard that deepens injustice and delays real action.
Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of Climate Action Network International, said: “Enough is enough. While bombs get billions and polluters are increasing their record profits, Bonn has once again exposed a system rigged to protect polluters and profiteers – complicit in a global order that funds destruction but balks at paying for survival.
“But even in this broken space, people’s power shone through. Due to the relentless pressure from civil society, the Just Transition fight finally made it into the formal process, laying the table for a win for workers, for communities, and for every person fighting to build a future rooted in dignity and hope. Decision-makers must come to Belém with the commitment to make this a reality.
“As this process drifts further from the real world, it is grassroots movements that continue to lead the way – resisting delay, greenwashing, and false solutions with vision, urgency, and courage. From the streets of Bonn to the heart of Belém, the fight for climate justice is turning into a roar that cannot be ignored.”
Caroline Brouillette, Executive Director, Climate Action Network Canada: “The world is facing a treacherous moment. Political headwinds and unfair economic rules are preventing the level of climate action we need. The UNFCCC feels increasingly disconnected from the real world.
“Amidst the dark clouds of these existential challenges to the planet and to this process, there is a ray of sunshine: parties are finding common ground around a Just Transition. The text forwarded to Belem offers us a fighting chance to a COP30 outcome that truly connects workers, communities and Peoples with the Paris Agreement.”
Amiera Sawas, Head of Research & Policy, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative: “As the Northern hemisphere suffers deadly heatwaves, UN climate talks remain frozen in an out-of-touch process. War and military spending escalated outside, while inside there was no discussion – and no finance. Civil society fought to bring negotiations into the real world, but geopolitics and the fossil fuel lobby kept derailing progress. Even successes, like the draft text for the ‘Just Transition Work Programme’ informed by workers and Indigenous Peoples, were nearly paralysed by fossil fuel interests at the end.
“We are already at risk of breaching the 1.5 temperature limit, there’s no time for paralysis. There’s a real risk that the UN climate talks fail to address the crisis’s biggest drivers: coal, oil, and gas. We cannot afford any more failure; we must urgently do better. And we will – whether inside or outside the UN. Brazil is talking big, but its actions speak louder than words and its recent approval of new oil extraction in the Amazon is the worst possible signal.”
Stela Herschmann, Climate Policy Specialist for Observatório do Clima (Brazil):“This is a party-driven process. What the Bonn meeting showed us is that the parties want to discuss public finance. Despite Brazil’s best intentions to streamline the agenda and make progress on other issues, it may not be possible to do so without including a conversation about public finance in the official COP30 agenda.
“Brazil had three priorities for Bonn. One of them, Just Transition, saw good progress and produced a preparatory text with key asks from civil society organisations so this work programme can actually deliver justice to the people. The other two resemble Baku. The text on indicators for the global goal of adaptation advanced well but is being held until the last minute due to the discussion around finance and means of implementation.
“The UAE dialogue on the implementation of the Global Stocktake, did not progress as much. We will leave Bonn with two similar documents because the parties could not agree on a single informal note, and we can expect to see the same disputes over the scope and modalities in Belém.”
Mariana Paoli, Global Advocacy Lead, Christian Aid: “The Bonn climate talks have shown that there’s hangover from the chaotic ending at COP29 in Baku. Finance remains the elephant in the room. While negotiators circled around the issue in Boon, limited progress was made. We cannot afford another year of delay – COP30 must deliver where COP29 fell short.
“There has been an over reliance on the illusion that private finance will solve the climate crisis. Its growing presence in these spaces is starting to resemble a Trojan horse. Public grants-based finance is essential to deliver climate action, decisions should be done based on the needs of communities and not profits and should be rooted in fairness and science.”
Teresa Anderson, ActionAid International: “Rich countries’ continued refusal to put real climate finance on the table means that climate talks are facing uncertain times. For once, however, it’s not all bad news. Governments are starting to get excited about Just Transition, and shaping energy and food systems in a way that really works for workers, women, farmers and communities.
“This comes at such a critical time, amid so much economic uncertainty, when many people feel they are being forced to choose between their immediate needs and a climate safe future. If approved at COP30, the Just Transition mechanism will deliver action on the ground, requiring and supporting governments to put people’s needs first and foremost at the start of every climate plan. This represents a major evolution in climate action, and the spark of hope that our planet urgently needs.”
Nithi Nesadurai, Director & Regional Coordinator, CAN Southeast Asia: “The Bonn climate meeting took place within the backdrop of a continuing genocide in Gaza, a hot war and the NATO Summit. Interestingly, while developed countries blocked decisions on their financial obligations on all the major climate negotiating items, a short distance away in The Hague, NATO members readily agreed to increase their military budgets to 5 per cent of GDP.
“Easily amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars, it shows finance is available, unlike what they implied in the Bonn negotiations. If not for the progress on the Just Transition Work Programme, which gives civil society a core issue to rally around on the road to Belem, this meeting offered little to get excited about on all other fronts.
Nafkote Dabi, Climate Policy Lead, Oxfam International:“The Bonn conference exposes the stark injustice between rich and poor countries. The richest, primarily responsible for the climate crisis, are dodging their duty to provide public, grant-based finance for developing countries to adapt and rebuild. As warming spirals toward a catastrophic 3°C, urgent action is critical. Rich countries must own their climate debt and stop pushing private finance, that prioritises profit over people, as a solution. The Brazilian COP presidency must also step up and champion equity and justice in Belem.”
Sanjay Vashist, Director, Climate Action Network South Asia:“Climate talks in Bonn have failed South Asia once again. While our communities face climate-induced floods, heatwaves, and hunger, wealthy nations dodge their obligations, offering empty words on adaptation and loss and damage finance. The refusal to put public finance on the table is a betrayal. As we pivot to COP30 in Belém, we demand not just promises, but delivery – real, predictable, and equitable finance. The era of evasion must end. The lives of millions in South Asia depend on it, however the UNFCCC process appears to have succumbed to fossil fuel lobbyists and private sector forces.”
Romain Ioualalen, Global Policy lead at Oil Change International: “Bonn saw the Global North further retreat from its responsibilities to provide public finance for climate action, instead promoting fabricated narratives on private finance filling the gap – despite evidence the market-led approach is not delivering. On top of blocking finance, rich countries failed their homework on fossil fuels with four Global North countries responsible for 70% of projected oil and gas expansion, which made calls from developed parties to center the fossil fuel phaseout in the negotiations continue to ring hollow and hypocritical. An outcome on just transition in Belém is within reach and could provide momentum for centering justice in the transition.”
Ife Kilimanjaro, U.S. Climate Action Network:“Bonn confirmed the UNFCCC feels dangerously out of touch with global crises – war, inequality, and a climate already past 1.5 degrees. The fight for public climate finance was an uphill battle; rich nations diverted responsibility, pushing risky private solutions that won’t close the ambition gap. Yet, a vital glimmer of hope emerged: civil society secured demands in the Just Transition text. This shows organised people can make progress even in disconnected spaces. For USCAN, it’s clear: we must keep bridging the gap between power and lived realities, demanding genuine accountability and justice.”
Fernanda de Carvalho, WWF Global Climate and Energy Policy Lead: “The breakthrough we achieved in Dubai is at stake. Developed countries who should be leading the way, continue to explore for, and use fossil fuels while deforestation is on the rise. We need them to step up at the global level and commit to phasing out all fossil fuels, putting some much-needed momentum into the international climate talks. We also need strong measures to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. We look to Belém as a political course-correction moment, and we count on the Brazilian Presidency and the political will of all countries to deliver that.”
Avantika Goswami, Programme Manager, Climate Change, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India: “We do not see appetite to uphold multilateralism from developed countries, and Bonn made that clear. The refusal to dive deeper into Article 9.1 and hear out concerns from developing countries about unilateral trade measures, symbolise the imbalance of power that persists in this space. While civil society is driving momentum on issues like just transition, all other spaces remain paralysed by inequity, and refusal of the Global North to support, fund and enable climate action in the rest of the world in line with its historical duty.”
Ann Harrison, Climate Justice Policy Adviser, Amnesty International: “Human rights references and protections were again sacrificed at the altar of consensus which drives down ambition. UNFCCC reform must be on the table, including greater protections for free speech and peaceful protest which were further restricted, particularly for actions protesting the genocide in Gaza and solidarity actions for imprisoned defenders.
“Fossil fuel producers continue to undermine progress towards the full, fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase out and just transition we need. And let’s be clear, providing adequate public, grants-based climate finance, especially for adaptation and loss and damage is also a human rights obligation for developed countries, and it must be massively scaled up to contribute towards climate justice.”
Andreas Sieber, 350.org Associate Director of Global Policy and Campaigns:“Bonn was bogged down by political divisions and bruised by global tensions, with results that leave much to be desired. A serious injection of energy and urgency is required as we look ahead to COP30 in Belém. Negotiators must make progress on implementing the Global Stocktake, closing the ambition gap, and delivering the finance needed to turn ambition into action.
“Civil society must hold the line on the agreement to triple renewables and phase out fossil fuels, and rich countries must course correct after Baku’s shortcomings. COP30 has much to make up for, and for it to be a success, the Presidency must lead with the integrity, diplomacy and flexibility this crisis demands.”
Gaïa Febvre, Réseau Action Climat France, International Policy Lead: “As the Bonn climate talks come to a close, it is shocking to see France, once the proud ‘guardian’ of the Paris Agreement, actively blocking a more ambitious EU NDC.
“What’s the point of hosting summits and delivering grand speeches if, behind closed doors, France stalls the very commitments needed to keep 1.5°C alive? The Paris Agreement doesn’t need more ceremony, it needs leadership. It needs a France that pushes the EU to step up, not one that defends the status quo or fossil interests. The window to act is closing. France must choose: will it honor the legacy of Paris, or betray it?”
More than 5,000 delegates took part in the negotiations in Bonn. The city is home to the UN Climate Change Secretariat, which coordinates international climate policy.
The annual talks are seen as a critical step in shaping the global climate agenda ahead of the main event in the Brazilian city of Belém in November, known as COP30.
Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, has urged stepped-up efforts to expand investment in renewable energy to localise production of equipment used in the sector.
Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi
Egypt’s energy strategy focuses on sustainability, new investments, and boosting domestic production of green technology components.
Daily News Egypt, a partner of TV BRICS, reported this.
During discussions with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Essmat, the president reviewed Egypt’s updated energy strategy, with an emphasis on clean energy, grid resilience, and industrial self-sufficiency.
Presidential spokesperson, Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the meeting addressed several key issues, including the diversification of Egypt’s energy mix, the integration of renewable sources and battery storage technologies.
It also addressed efforts to improve the performance of the national electricity grid through interconnection projects with neighbouring countries.
Mahmoud Essmat revealed that an additional 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity is planned, with investments estimated at $2.3 billion.
The agenda also covered efforts to enhance local manufacturing in the energy sector, including cooperation with leading international firms to establish domestic production facilities for storage batteries and wind turbines.
The move is part of a broader strategy to strengthen Egypt’s industrial base and reduce reliance on imports.
The current installed renewable capacity stands at 8,031 MW, derived from wind, solar, and hydroelectric sources.
The officials also reviewed projections under Egypt’s Integrated and Sustainable Energy Strategy, including solar and wind additions expected by mid-2028 and long-term goals for 2030.
Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited has rallied the support of nearly 500 chief executive officers and business leaders, all of whom are registered vendors with the company, in a bold push to accelerate oil and gas production in Nigeria.
Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited held its maiden edition of “Leaders and Contractors CEOs Safety Leadership Conference” with nearly 500 chief executive officers and business leaders, all of whom are registered vendors with the company, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. From left, Renaissance General Manager, Relations and Sustainable Development, Igo Weli; Managing Director & CEO, Tony Attah; Board Chairman, Dr. Layi Fatona; Chief Production Officer, Meshach Maichibi; and Director & Regional Coordinator, South-South Zone, for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Dr. Musa Zagi
This commitment was sealed at the 2025 “Leaders and Contractors CEOs Safety Leadership Conference”, held on Wednesday, June 25, in Port Harcourt with the theme: “Sustaining Goal Zero in a Transition Environment – Our Part to Play.”
The conference served as a strategic platform for partners and stakeholders to align with Renaissance’s transformative vision: to become Africa’s leading oil and gas company, driving energy security and industrialisation sustainably.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance, Tony Attah, described the company’s emergence as a symbol of ambition, renewal, and national opportunity.
“Renaissance is more than a name; it is a signal of a new era and a renewed commitment to excellence. We see it as a platform to catalyse Nigerian-led industrialisation, job creation, and economic growth,” Attah declared.
Attah described the Renaissance safety leadership conference as an essential part of the company’s journey. “It not only enhances collaboration and knowledge sharing, but it also reaffirms our commitment to a unified safety culture across all operations.”
He charged the business leaders to embrace the core values of Renaissance of collaboration, respect, integrity, safety, and performance which he said were foundational to Renaissance’s corporate culture and vendor expectations.
He said, “As we begin this new chapter, safety and asset integrity remain non-negotiable. We will walk this path together with our contractors, committed to our shared Goal Zero: zero harm to people and the environment.”
In his address, Chairman of Renaissance, Dr. Layi Fatona, and other senior leaders of the company including General Manager, Supply Chain, Gregory Akhibi, and General Manager, Greenfields Capital Projects, Mrs. Abimbola Tijani, reinforced the message of shared responsibility and collective ambition.
Tijani said, “This is not about production targets. It’s about generational impact. With over 600 million Africans still lacking access to electricity and 400 million of them in poverty, our mission is to unlock Nigeria’s immense resources and deliver prosperity through energy. But it requires deep partnership with our service providers, and above all, action.”
Responding to the charge by Renaissance leadership, Group Managing Director of The Future Concerns Group, Mr. Tony Oguike, expressed his company’s commitment to the Renaissance safety and leadership goals.
“I’m genuinely inspired. When your client is this focused and passionate, it drives your own commitment. Renaissance is clearly serious, and we’re ready to walk with them,” he said.
Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has reinforced Nigeria’s pivotal role in shaping Africa’s energy future through high-level engagements at the 2025 Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.
Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, with some delegates at the 2025 Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, South Africa
The Minister participated in a closed-door Ministerial Roundtable where he shared Nigeria’s strategies for aligning policy, regulation and financing to drive efficiency and unlock investments in critical energy infrastructure. The session brought together public and private sector leaders to accelerate project implementation and harmonise private sector capabilities with national energy priorities.
During a panel discussion on energy transition, Adelabu emphasised Nigeria’s pragmatic approach, stating that while committed to decarbonisation, the country’s vast hydrocarbon resources remain vital for economic and energy security – a stance aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision.
He asserted that no transition agenda can succeed without a well-structured policy framework, highlighting Nigeria’s recently approved National Integrated Electricity Policy as a blueprint for harmonising power generation, transmission and distribution, including gas-to-power and renewable expansion.
Adelabu outlined key investment priorities including grid modernisation to enhance reliability, increased renewable energy integration, and decentralised energy solutions such as mini-grids and solar home systems.
“Nigeria is open for business across the entire energy spectrum – from hydrocarbons to clean energy,” Adelabu declared, sending a clear message to global investors.
The Minister also held strategic bilateral talks with key stakeholders, including South Africa’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, where both leaders agreed on the need for a stronger African voice in global energy forums like the G20. They explored market reforms including Nigeria’s privatisation experiences, grid expansion financing through public-private partnerships, and potential collaboration between regional power pools for a more integrated continental grid.
Adelabu also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening energy ties with the UK in discussions with His Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Africa, Ben Ainsley. With the International Finance Corporation, he discussed expanding support for Nigeria’s energy compact covering both on-grid and off-grid electrification. Further engagements with Canada’s Ambassador and Siemens Energy focused on trade opportunities and grid modernization respectively.
Through these engagements, the Minister reinforced Nigeria’s leadership in driving a resilient, inclusive and sustainable energy future for Africa.
“Our goal is clear – energy access, sustainability and prosperity for Nigeria and the continent,” Adelabu stated, concluding a series of impactful discussions at the forum.
Environmental activists and climate change advocates seized the opportunity of a webinar hosted by Unity Bank to call for urgent and coordinated action to tackle Nigeria’s growing plastic pollution crisis, describing it as one of the greatest environmental threats facing the country today.
Plastic pollution
The call was made at the event marking the 2025 World Environment Day facilitated by Unity Bank’s Sustainability Team to fashion out innovative strategies to curb plastic pollution in Nigeria in line with this year’s global theme: “Ending Plastic Pollution.”
In his remarks, Mr. Usman Abdulkadir, Executive Director, Risk Management, Unity Bank Plc, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to sustainability, adding that issues like plastic pollution carry deep risk implications for businesses and communities.
“Environmental degradation is increasingly a business risk, not just a corporate social concern,” Mr. Abdulkadir stated. “We must all begin to view environmental stewardship as a duty that cuts across sectors – finance, government, industry, and civil society. Unity Bank remains committed to integrating ESG principles into its risk frameworks and sustainability agenda.”
Guest speakers included leading waste management entrepreneurs and environmental activists such as Sunday Kolawole Sholanke, Co-founder/CEO of PETsPoint Recycling Nigeria; and Omoh Alokwe, Co-founder/CEO of Street Waste Company Limited.
Speaking at the Wwebinar, Mr. Sholanke decried the alarming volume of plastic waste in Nigeria, putting estimates on the country’s waste generation to about 596 million metric tonnes annually, with 88% of it neither reclaimed nor recycled.
“Nigeria ranks as the 9th highest contributor to global plastic pollution. Much of Nigeria’s plastic waste ends up in landfills, drainage systems, and water bodies, causing extensive environmental damage and posing serious health risks,” he explained.
He also shared startling global statistics: “Over one million plastic bottles and 10 million plastic bags are produced every minute. In 2020 alone, eight million tons of plastic bottles were produced globally, with less than 30% collected and under 10% recycled. The rest is dumped, burned, or abandoned in the environment, worsening risks of flooding, climate disruption, and disease.”
He identified poor waste management culture, low public awareness, and lack of community collection infrastructure as major factors aggravating the Nigeria’s plastic waste crisis.
Calling on the financial services sector to be more proactive, Sholanke urged Banks to invest in green financing by increasing access to affordable credit for green businesses and eco-friendly initiatives.
Also speaking, Omoh Alokwe emphasised the role of regulators in strengthening enforcement and updating policy frameworks to reduce harmful practices that fuel the global plastic crisis.
Also speaking in the same vein, Mr. Ibukun Coker, Head of Strategy and Innovation at Unity Bank Plc, emphasised the Bank’s commitment to sustainable practices and environmental protection, highlighting the role of the financial sector in driving meaningful change.
“Plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue, it is an economic and public health crisis,” said Mr. Coker. “At Unity Bank, we believe that sustainability should be more than a policy; it must be embedded in how we operate, the projects we finance, and the partnerships we build.”
The webinar offered a platform for robust dialogue around sustainable actions and innovative solutions that can mitigate the escalating threat of plastic pollution and promote environmental protection.
Unity Bank says it has consistently championed environmental causes, including its annual Earth Day partnerships with non-profits such as RESWAYE to clean the Royal Beach in Elegushi, Lagos, part of its mission to protect marine ecosystems.
In its most recent Earth Day campaign, the Bank challenged every staff member across 32 states to plant a tree in their locality, driving a grassroots reforestation movement and reinforcing environmental awareness.
Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB), a leading Pan-African multilateral development bank committed to financing and advancing housing, urban, and related infrastructure development, has signed a $15 million loan agreement with Banque Mauritanienne de l’Investissement (BMI) to finance affordable housing in Mauritania.
The signing of the loan agreement between Shelter Afrique Development Bank and Banque Mauritanienne de l’Investissement
This transaction, signed Monday, June 23, 2025, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, is part of the ShafDB’s strategy to promote access to decent housing for low- and middle-income populations in Africa, and will strengthen Mauritania’s housing finance ecosystem, particularly for under-served populations.
The loan will be used to co-finance the construction of 1,000 homes in the town of Zoueratt and the servicing of 1,000 plots in the commune of Tevragh Zeina for the diaspora and residents.
Commenting on the agreement, Shelter Afrique Development Bank Managing Director, Mr Thierno-Habib Hann, noted that ShafDB and the BMI shared a similar vision: to help the diaspora and residents of the town of Zoueratt to build their own homes.
“This partnership with BMI will make it possible to offer affordable and decent housing to low-income households, filling part of the 50,000-housing deficit in Mauritania in a context where urbanisation is growing at a rate of 4%,” said Mr. Hann.
BMI Managing Director, Mohamed Yahya Sidi, welcomed the agreement, saying his institution was honoured to work with Shelter Afrique Development Bank to finance affordable housing projects in Mauritania.
“This partnership strengthens our commitment to Mauritania’s socio-economic development, broadens our inclusive housing finance solutions, and confirms our support for the country’s ambitious urban development programme,” said Mr. Sidi.
Through this partnership, it is estimated that around 5,000 jobs will be created, 12,400 people will benefit from the project and 2,000 households will gain access to housing through self-build or direct purchase.
