Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, has declared that Nigeria is unassailably dedicated to resourceful deliberations and amicable resolutions on globally acceptable framework for actions that will guide transition towards a pollution-free planet.
Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, presenting an update on the work the Nigeria Government is doing to #BeatPollution at the UNEA-3 in Nairobi, Kenya
The Minister made the statement in a speech at the opening of the 3rd United Nations Environment Assembly which opened on Monday, December 4, 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya.
“Pollution affects the air, soil, rivers, seas and health of Nigerians in an adverse way even though the actual cost has not been determined because usable data is scattered in compartments in various Agencies. It has been identified that transboundary pollution accounts for 28% of disease burdens in Africa.
“Therefore Nigeria uses regulatory framework and policies approach to address potential environmental and social impacts that may be generated during developmental projects,” he said.
“The Nigerian Government aligns itself with the position of the African Ministerial Group and the efforts of the International Community to achieve pollution – free planet. In pursuit of a clean and healthy environment, the Nigerian Government has embarked on a number of programmes, activities and projects aimed at managing and preventing pollution,” Jibril added.
He listed some of these activities to include: solid waste management, remediation of polluted sites, chemicals and hazardous wastes management and air quality management.
According to him, Nigeria flagged off an action plan for the management of spent oil in September, 2017 and launched a customised storage tank for this purpose.
He pointed out that, after UNEA-2, the nation revised and updated the Environmental Impact Assessment Act to expand the legislative coverage in line with Principle 17 of Agenda 21. He added that additional guidelines were produced on strategic environmental assessment, decommissioning of facilities, waste management, urban development, pesticides, renewable energy, as well as social and health impacts, among others.
“This is to ensure that all development projects factor in environmental concerns, wastes management and mitigation measures into project planning and implementation in order not to exceed Environmental thresholds,” the minister added.
Over 4,000 stakeholders on Monday, November 4, 2017 converged on the green terrains of the UN office in Nairobi, Kenya to witness the opening ceremony of the 3rd United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-3).
Prof. Judy Wakhungu, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources
This year’s edition of the assembly, which is the highest level decision-making body on the environment, aspires to consider new policies, innovations and financing capable of steering the world “Towards a Pollution-Free Planet.”
The UNEA-3 brings together governments, entrepreneurs, and activists who will share ideas and commit to taking positive action against the menace of pollution.
UNEA-3 aims to deliver a number of tangible commitments to end the pollution of air, land, waterways, and oceans, and to safely manage chemicals and waste, including a negotiated long-term programme of action against pollution that is linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The High-Level Segment of UNEA-3, which will take place from 5-6 December, is also expected to endorse a political declaration on pollution, aimed at outlining policy measures for, inter alia: addressing pollution to protect human health while protecting the developmental aspirations of current and future generations.
The ministerial segment will debut the interactive ‘Leadership Dialogues,’ aimed at providing participants with an opportunity for high-level engagement and discussion on how to achieve a pollution-free planet.
Other UNEA-3 outcomes will include voluntary commitments by governments, private sector entities and civil society organizations to address pollution, and the ‘#BeatPollution Pledge,’ a collection of individual commitments to clean up the planet.
Discussions at UNEA-3 will draw on a background report by the UNEP Executive Director, titled ‘Towards a Pollution-Free Planet.
The Report explores the latest evidence, as well as responses and gaps in addressing pollution challenges, and outlines opportunities that the 2030 Agenda presents to accelerate action on tackling pollution.
Welcoming delegates to the assembly, Prof. Judy Wakhungu, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources, declared that the assembly’s focus on beating pollution is very timely as pollution increases with every effort to provide services to our citizens.
“It is time, the world addressed this challenge without delay and agree on a common goal as a pollution-free planet cannot be achieved without working together,” she said.
The environment is our responsibility; it is the source of our well-being. The fate of our world depends on the quality of the care we give it,” Prof Wakhungu added.
“Our collective goal must be to embrace ways to reduce pollution drastically,” said Dr. Edgar Gutiérrez, Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica and the President of the 2017 assembly.
“Only through stronger collective action, beginning in Nairobi this week, can we start cleaning up the planet globally and save countless lives.”
New report on the environment
According to a new UN Environment report, everyone on earth is affected by pollution.
The report, entitled “Executive Director’s Report: Towards a Pollution-Free Planet”, is the meeting’s basis for defining the problems and laying out new action areas.
The report’s recommendations – political leadership and partnerships at all levels, action on the worst pollution, lifestyle changes, low-carbon tech investments, and advocacy – are based on analysis of pollution in all its forms, including air, land, freshwater, marine, chemical and waste pollution.
Overall, environmental degradation causes nearly one in four of all deaths worldwide, or 12.6 million people a year, and the widespread destruction of key ecosystems.
Over a dozen resolutions are on the table at the assembly, including new approaches to tackle air pollution, which is the single biggest environmental killer, claiming 6.5 million lives each year. Over 80% of cities operate below UN health standards on air quality.
The report reveals that exposure to lead in paint, which causes brain damage to 600,000 children annually, and water and soil pollution are also key focus areas.
Also, over 80 percent of the world’s wastewater is released into the environment without treatment, poisoning the fields where we grow our food and the lakes and rivers that provide drinking water to 300 million people.
According to recently published report by the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, welfare losses due to pollution are estimated at over US$4.6 trillion each year, equivalent to 6.2 per cent of global economic output.
“Given the grim statistics on how we are poisoning ourselves and our planet, bold decisions from the UN Environment Assembly are critical,” said head of UN Environment, Erik Solheim. “That is as true for threats like pollution as it is for climate change and the many other environmental threats we face.”
Corroborating the report, Ibrahim Jibril, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Environment in his statement at the plenary averred that “pollution affects the air, soil, rivers, seas and health of Nigerians in an adverse way even though the actual cost has not been determined. Trans-boundary pollution, according to Jibril, “accounts for 28% of disease burdens in Africa.”
Over 4,000 heads of state, ministers, business leaders, UN officials and civil society representatives gathered on Monday, December 4, 2017 at the third UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi to tackle the global menace of pollution.
Opening session of the the third UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi
The assembly runs for three days from Monday at UN Environment headquarters in Kenyan capital city. As the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, it brings together governments, entrepreneurs, activists and others to share ideas and commit to action.
“Our collective goal must be to embrace ways to reduce pollution drastically,” said Dr. Edgar Gutiérrez, Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica and the President of the 2017 assembly. “Only through stronger collective action, beginning in Nairobi this week, can we start cleaning up the planet globally and save countless lives.”
The report’s recommendations – political leadership and partnerships at all levels, action on the worst pollutions, lifestyle changes, low-carbon tech investments, and advocacy – are based on analysis of pollution in all its forms, including air, land, freshwater, marine, chemical and waste pollution.
Overall, environmental degradation causes nearly one in four of all deaths worldwide, or 12.6 million people a year, and the widespread destruction of key ecosystems.
Over a dozen resolutions are on the table at the assembly, including new approaches to tackle air pollution, which is the single biggest environmental killer, claiming 6.5 million lives each year. Over 80% of cities don’t meet UN health standards on air quality.
Exposure to lead in paint, which causes brain damage to 600,000 children annually, and water and soil pollution are also key focus areas. Our seas already contain 500 “dead zones” with too little oxygen to support marine life. Over 80 percent of the world’s wastewater is released into the environment without treatment, poisoning the fields where we grow our food and the lakes and rivers that provide drinking water to 300 million people.
There is also a huge economic cost. A just-published report by the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health says that welfare losses due to pollution are estimated at over US$4.6 trillion each year, equivalent to 6.2 per cent of global economic output.
“Given the grim statistics on how we are poisoning ourselves and our planet, bold decisions from the UN Environment Assembly are critical,” said head of UN Environment, Erik Solheim. “That is as true for threats like pollution as it is for climate change and the many other environmental threats we face.”
A broader UN Environment policy statement, released ahead of the meeting, highlights the links between events over the last 12 months – hurricanes in the Caribbean and United States, droughts in the Horn of Africa and Yemen, flooding in Bangladesh, India and Europe – and the decisions we take about our ecosystems, energy, natural resources, urban expansion, infrastructure, production, consumption and waste management.
Mr. Solheim makes it clear that all of the complex global processes linked to the environment, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, boil down to one simple message: we must take care of people and planet.
Mr. Solheim also points to many solutions to the problem of pollution and other environmental concerns, such as decoupling economic growth from natural resource use.
For example, the policy statement says that technically and commercially viable solutions can improve water and energy efficiency by 60-80% in construction, agriculture, transport and other key sectors, while saving $2.9 – $3.7 trillion a year by 2030. With over 60% of the urban infrastructure anticipated in the coming decades to be built, the opportunities to shape a better future “are simply staggering”.
“Focussing on the quality of growth is key for improvements in quality of life,” said Ligia Noronha, Director of UN Environment’s Economy Division. “That requires a culture that supports responsible production and does not hold up unrestrained consumption as an aspirational way of life. We need to invest differently to transform our economies, also bringing in the private sector to back clean growth.”
The assembly will also see the participation of celebrity activists, such as UN Environment’s new Goodwill Ambassador Ellie Goulding, announcements relating to the #BreatheLife and #CleanSeas campaigns, on air and marine pollution respectively, and the release of new research – from reports on environmental sources of antimicrobial resistance to the state of South Sudan’s environment.
The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has urged genetically-modified (GM) seeds and grains dealers to follow the due process.
Participants at the consultative forum
Director General/CEO of the NBMA, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, who said this at a consultative forum with Nigerian GM seeds and grain dealers in Abuja on Monday, December 4, 2017, pointed out that the agency would not hesitate to penalise any erring importer found breaking the laws guiding importation of GM seeds and grains.
Ebegba said that the key responsibility of NBMA is to ensure that the practice of modern biotechnology and use of its products, such as GMOs, are safe for human health and the environment.
He stressed the importance of the seeds and grain industry to the Nigerian economy and advised the importers of such products to always get the appropriate permits for the interest of the safety of Nigerians. He said that the agency is primarily concerned with the gene of insert.
He also said that there is no sacred cow and whoever imports GMOs without following due process would be made to face the law. Every importer must first apply to NBMA before bringing GMOs into the country, he declared.
He said: “We are working closely with our line and sister agencies such as the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS), Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), National Seed Council (NaSC), and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ensure that our operations are smooth and effective.”
He noted that the decision to repatriate the recently imported GM maize into the country was expected and any importer who brings in GM products without following the law will face the same situation.
The DG/CEO added that since existence of the agency, it has tried to put in place instruments and requirements to ensure effective operations.
Director General, NASC, Dr. Ojo, in his address, considered the meeting as timely as many industries have produced seeds and sold with falsified labelling without verifying their contents. He also urged the importers to always ensure due steps are taken for smooth business.
The Country Coordinator, Programme for Biosafety Systems, Dr. M.P.O. Dore, urged the media to embark on investigative journalism in reporting modern biotechnology to enlighten the public on the truth about GMOs.
Dr. Dore also stressed that even Europe that bans the practice of GMOs and their products imports large GM products into their countries.
More than 20 Nigerian and 60 Chinese suppliers met in a strategic sourcing development forum in Shanghai mid-November 2017 in a recent effort by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) to boost the capacity of indigenous vendors in the oil and gas industry.
A cross section of participants at the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) strategic sourcing development forum held in Shanghai, China in November 2017
Coming shortly after the 4th edition of the Global Nigerian Forum in Aberdeen, Scotland, the latest event, which held in a global financial powerhouse with the world’s busiest container port, offered the Nigerians a compelling opportunity to engage their Chinese counterparts on cost leadership, more efficient supply chain and transfer of technology.
In an opening speech, the General Manager of Shell China Strategic Sourcing Development, Ding Hiu Kwong, said local content development is not peculiar to Nigeria but a global trend, and Shell continues to focus on safety, quality and cost reduction in its quest for growth through strategic sourcing in China.
Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Tune Adelana, who represented the Executive Secretary, thanked Shell Companies in Nigeria for pioneering the effort to create collaboration between Chinese and Nigerian suppliers. He challenged the Chinese to establish visible presence in the Nigerian oil and gas industry and compete with the other international companies that are taking the lead in major projects.
Vice Chairman of the Petroleum Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Geoff Onuoha, who said Nigerian companies were keen to develop partnerships and effective collaborations for better service delivery, lauded Shell “for the tenacity and commitment in pioneering a game changing initiative.”
The NAPIMS Group General Manager, represented by Alexander Chukwu, enthused: “We expect to see the birth of new joint ventures and collaboration between Nigerian and Chinese suppliers.”
He advised the delegates to look beyond the event and take advantage of the opportunity to deploy technologies and solutions that deliver quality services and reduce cost.
SNEPCo’s Nigerian Content Development Manager, Austin Uzoka, said there were many areas in which Nigerian and Chinese suppliers could collaborate in the oil and gas company and that Shell would continue to provide the required opportunities within the limit of its resources and operations.
The Nigerian suppliers also visited some companies, such as Neway valves, the world largest valve manufacturer; Sulzer Pumps, Hilong and MSP Drillex facilities to help deepen their appreciation of best practices. The Chinese suppliers, on their part, obtained guidance on business development and capital investment in Nigeria, even as they set up initial connections with potential Nigeria partners. SNEPCo’s Contracting and Supply team will track the identified cost opportunities and work to embed them as part of an overarching cost reduction drive and faster supply chain transactions.
The Nigerian and Chinese companies found the network session rather useful, going by submissions.
“This event was beyond my expectation for a maiden edition. It has exposed our organisation to significant opportunities and immediate benefits to us and Shell through alternative sourcing,” said Tunde Oduwole of Future Oilfield Services (Nigeria) Limited.
Molly Zhu Xiuping of Morimatsu (China) Group saod: “The workshop helped us to understand the opportunities in Nigeria and how to do business in Nigeria. It was worth my while and I hope to develop further partnerships with the Nigerian company that has agreed to visit our facility here in China.”
Following on from the Government of Sierra Leone’s signing of the 25-year Power Purchase and Implementation Agreements with Joule Africa in August 2017, project documents have now been ratified by the Sierra Leone Parliament.
Ernest Bai Koroma, President of Sierra Leone
The development is said to mark another important milestone in the development of the Bumbuna II hydropower project which, when completed, will provide much-needed all-year round power to Sierra Leone.
Under the conditions of the agreement, local project company Seli Hydropower, jointly owned by Joule Africa and its local partner Energy Services Company (ESCO), will build an extension to the existing 50 MW hydro station, Bumbuna I, situated in the north east of the country, adding a further 143 MW of power capacity. Construction on the extension is anticipated to start in the second half of 2018 with operations forecast to start four years later. Seli Hydropower, will be responsible for building, owning and operating Bumbuna II and will also be responsible for operating Bumbuna I.
Commenting on this announcement, Patrick Beckley, Chairman of Seli Hydropower, said: “We would like to thank the Government of Sierra Leone for their ongoing support and in maintaining their commitment to the Bumbuna II project ahead of General Elections in early 2018. I am delighted that we received approval for ratification in Parliament with no exemptions – a clear indication that there is unanimous cross-party support for this project.
“The development of Bumbuna II has always been a key part of the country’s long-term energy strategy and we look forward to being able to deliver affordable, all-year round power for the consumers of Sierra Leone.”
Andrew Cavaghan, Joule Africa’s Chairman and a Director of Seli Hydropower, added: “I am pleased that we have reached another important milestone in the development of the Bumbuna II project. We are making good progress on all fronts and will look to build on this momentum in the coming weeks and months as we continue to consult with interested parties, appoint a contractor and finalise the relevant financing.”
Environmental experts on Monday, December 4, 2017 called on journalists to disseminate relevant information to educate the citizens about the causes of climate change so as to curb its consequences on the environment.
Dr Yerima Peter Tarfa, Director, Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment
The experts made the called at a one-day Media Workshop on the Environment for Reporters and Editors, organised by the International Environmental Roundtable for Africa (IERA), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in Abuja.
Mr Uche Agbanusi, a former National President of Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), said that the continuous emission of carbon dioxide and other hydrocarbon gases acted like a glass and caused sun rays to affect the earth.
He said that this explained the phenomenon of global warming and “greenhouse gases’’.
Agbanusi, who presented a paper on “The Push for a Greener Earth: How can the Media Help’’, underscored the need for humans to maintain a greener earth to achieve a green economy for the society.
He said that the natural environment had been in existence before the creation of man, while the arrival of man constituted an addition to the elements of the environment which were air, land and water.
“The arrival of man, which is not by accident, begins the course of environmental changes.
“Although there are also natural causes of change in the environment such as volcanic eruptions which also releases smelly sulphur dioxide (SO2) into the environment.
“The release of volcanic lava unto the soil and volcanic ash into the atmosphere also causes climatic changes,’’ he said.
He, however, said that more devastating effects were the changes which man caused through his anthropogenic activities.
Agbanusi said that the resultant changes were generally not the intended desire of man as they inadvertently happened through man’s actions.
“These actions are always voluntary and involuntary, depending on the goals of man’s activities,’’ he added.
He said the workshop was meant to arouse the media interest in environmental reporting to communicate environmental information directly and indirectly to the public, governments and organisations which influenced public awareness and response.
“This is to elicit personal commitments in improving the quality of their environment.
“It is also to make environmental reporters better informed to enable them to provide accurate information on the state of the environment in Nigeria,’’ he said.
He said that in view of the potent dangers posed by the depletion of environmental resources, man needed complete and sound information on what was happening in order to know what to do next.
In his contribution, Prof. Sani Mashi, the Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), attributed the changing patterns of the global weather to human activities that caused indiscriminate destruction of natural plants.
Mashi said that the implications of the development were the enormous environmental challenges facing the country, hence the need for the masses to receive proper education through the journalists’ reportage.
He said that NiMET had started developing formidable actions to confront the challenges so as to ensure that the information meant to educate the society was disseminated on time.
“The rainfall patterns have changed as a result of the effects of climate change and this is the reason for the heavy rainfall that causes flood in the country.
“NiMET, NEMA, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency and other related agencies have been critically looking at the issues by releasing flood alerts on time,’’ he said.
Mashi said that man had contributed immensely to the emissions of gases that caused climatic change, adding that the gases originated from burning of fossil fuels and forests as well as through industrial and agricultural processes.
He, however, noted that paucity of funds had limited the efforts of the agency to work actively to fulfil its mandates.
Also, Mr Oluyomi Banjo, UNIDO Environmental Expert, urged the Federal Government to implement the Multilateral Environment Agreement (MEA), which Nigeria was a signatory to.
According to Banjo, the MEA is a legally-binding agreement among nations which allows them to reach a target, especially in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the environment.
“What is expected of a country that is a signatory to the agreement is for the country to do an initial assessment to determine those industries using chemicals that wreak havoc on its environment.
“This will enable the people know the harmful effects of the chemicals used by the industrial sector, while improving the level of public awareness of environmental degradation issues.
“So, what we are doing in UNIDO is to assist countries, including Nigeria, to develop this initial assessment of the MEA initiative,’’ Banjo added.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) have announced a new three-year partnership agreement. The agreement comes on the heels of a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (2014-2017) in which the two organisations committed to deliver major eco-conservation programmes for Africa.
Frederick Kwame Kumah, WWF Africa Regional Director
Commenting on the extended agreement, Frederick Kwame Kumah, WWF Africa Regional Director, said, “This is clear sign of total confidence and mutual recognition of both institutions. This shows appreciation of WWF’s added value in the partnership with the leading financial institution in Africa and one of the most respected multilateral development banks.”
Kumah said the two institutions’ three-year work plan will include, intensifying collaboration on the Bank’s New Deal on Energy for Africa and how to make it work to Light up and power Africa. “This will see us collaborate on the link between energy and the impact on natural systems like forests and the impact of increasing fuel needs and cooking stoves in rural areas,” Kumah added.
In addition, WWF will engage in agriculture and productive landscapes and sustainable palm oil; as well as sustainable infrastructure development and growth corridors in Africa and the role of wildlife and potential of ecotourism for Africa in recognition of the challenge that the illegal wildlife trade poses.
WWF and AfDB signed the initial MoU on 21 July 2011, which provided for a broad range of cooperation around green growth and sustainable development in Africa. The MoU was renewed in 2014 at the African Development Bank’s Annual Meetings in Morocco with a provision to host a WWF staff at the Bank’s head office in Abidjan. The renewed MoU contains the same provisions.
Six years of formal partnership has seen the AfDB and the WWF collaborate on the production of two knowledge products namely Africa Ecological Footprint and Africa Ecological Futures. The two institutions have equally collaborated on climate change; South-South cooperation; and fighting illegal wildlife trafficking, which saw the adoption of the Marrakech Declaration and discussions on the issues at the highest level at the UN General Assembly in New York.
AfDB Director for Agriculture and Agro-Industry, Chiji Ojukwu, applauded the renewed partnership, stating, “The Bank considers WWF a treasured partner as we pursue mainstreaming our green growth objectives within the High 5s.”
At an event held alongside the 69th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee (SC69) on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) announced generous new funding of $20 million to scale up the fight against illegal wildlife trade.
CITES Secretary-General, John Scanlon
The significant new funding will be provided by the European Union (EU) (€13,500,000), Germany (€400,000) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) (£4,000,000), which in addition to the support provided by France and the Principality of Monaco (€85,000 and €200,000) earlier this year, provides a total investment of a further $20 million for the implementation of the ICCWC Strategic Programme 2016-2020.
Mr. John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General, on behalf of ICCWC, highlighted that “these generous financial contributions mean we can scale up the level of support we give to countries to fight poaching and illicit wildlife trafficking, which is wiping out wild animals and plants, corrupting officials, creating insecurity and propelling local communities into a poverty spiral.
“It also recognises the central role of ICCWC in building the long-term capacity of the enforcement authorities dealing with wildlife crime, by giving them the tools, services and technical support they need to fight organised crime and corruption. Through this support countries will be better equipped to investigate, arrest and prosecute the offenders and members of organised crime groups that are behind these serious and highly destructive crimes.
“On behalf of ICCWC, the CITES community, and the large number of countries that will benefit from this much-needed support, we express our deep gratitude to our generous donors; the EU, Germany and the UK, as well as Monaco and France for their earlier contributions”.
Mr. Rodriguez Romero, on behalf of the EU, confirmed that the EU would provide new, additional support to the ICCWC strategic plan, with an allocation of €13.5 million under its Development and Cooperation Instrument. This comes in addition to the EU regional programmes in Asia, East, Southern and Central Africa with a total amount of €41 million implemented by ICCWC members: “The significant support from the EU to ICCWC demonstrates its commitment to address wildlife and forest crime, which forms part of its policy designed to achieve the sustainable development goals. Trafficking can only be successfully curbed if tackled in a holistic manner, with particular emphasis on the links between conservation, development and security. The EU pays particular attention to the active role that local communities and civil society organisations should play in improving and scaling up the fight against wildlife and forest crime. The EU will dedicate significant financial support to these actors under the wildlife and forest crime project, as a complement to its support to ICCWC”.
The UK committed to an initial contribution of £1.6 million and reaffirmed its commitment of up to £4 million in coming years. Combating the illegal wildlife trade, which is fuelled by corruption and undermines good governance and the rule of law, is a priority for the UK Government. On October 11 to 18, 2018 the UK will convene a fourth high level meeting of global leaders to ensure the illegal wildlife trade stays at the top of the political agenda.
Mr. Gerhard Adams, from the Federal Ministry for the Environment and head of the German delegation, also confirmed an initial contribution of €400,000 to the Consortium. He referred to the G20 High Level Principles on Combatting Corruption Related to Illegal Trade in Wildlife and Wildlife Products and the Resolution on corruption adopted at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES. Instruments such as the ICCWC “Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit” are indispensable to implement important elements of those recommendations.
The ICCWC event at SC69 showcased how the generous contributions towards the ICCWC Strategic Programme will enable the Consortium to continue to provide support with the implementation of key tools developed by ICCWC to assist member states to strengthen their responses to wildlife crime, such as the ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit and the ICCWC Indicator Framework for Combating Wildlife Crime. It will also enable the Consortium to provide essential support needed for the implementation of recommendations and priorities identified through the use of these tools.
Funds will further enable the convening of law enforcement operations, supporting investigations and operational analytical work, and initiating activities that will intensify cooperation in the investigation of transnational criminal networks. As the event held today highlighted, the work of the Consortium will also place an emphasis on combating the corruption associated with wildlife crime, and on better equipping authorities to mobilise anti-money laundering and asset forfeiture tools.
The implementation of the Strategic Programme will actively contribute to the implementation of some of the key Decisions and Resolutions related to combating wildlife crime adopted at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP17, Johannesburg, September-October 2016).
The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) is a collaborative initiative of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank and the World Customs Organisation, established to provide coordinated support and strengthen criminal justice systems across the world to combat wildlife crime.
A framework aimed at expanding the frontiers of African women’s involvement in renewable energy was launched on Sunday, December 3, 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya. The launch comes ahead of the UN Environment Assembly, the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, which holds December 4 to 6, 2017.
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women
The framework, which seeks to reduce the access to energy deficit suffered by African women, is an initiative of United Nations Environment in collaboration with UN Women, the African Union and the Pan African Parliament.
In attendance at today’s panel sessions on “innovative solutions to empower African women in energy sector” and “the implementation of of the Libreville outcome statement” were representatives of UN agencies, African Union and its organs, development partners, regional economic commissions, private sector, women entrepreneurs, scientists and African civil society groups led by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).
Dr Joanes Atela of the African Centre for Technology Studies said over 70 per cent of Africans don’t have access to clean and sustainable energy, adding that this energy poverty is driven by economic poverty.
“There is a close relationship between access to energy and socio-economic development,” he said.
Atela noted that women are at the center of energy needs in Africa, adding that women’s needs are much more critical in national and regional development.
Panelists and participants identified access to finance, high interest rates, absence of enabling policies and poor implementation of existing policies as some of the challenges facing African women in the energy sector.
African women’s involvement in decision-making and policy processes in the energy sector remains very low in spite of increased focus on the sector.
According to experts, African women disproportionately bear the burden of energy poverty as they face significant health and safety risks from household air pollution, heavy fuel loads and lack of lighting.
Women, experts agree, can become powerful agents of change in the transition to clean energy by assuming roles in sustainable energy entrepreneurship. They can also become essential drivers in avoiding future emissions by actively contributing to climate change mitigation.
Some of the solutions the framework seeks to provide include investing and promoting clean energy and energy efficiency; innovative financing schemes; and education, research and development.
Others are: technology development and transfer; partnership opportunities to finance innovation; policy harmonisation; institutional and legal measures and reforms. The framework is expected to also tackle issues of land and environment degradation, pollution, social inequality and poor legislations.
Sunday’s sessions acknowledged the urgency in building synergies on sustainable access to finance, leveraging on cross-cutting policies where technology and finance can work together; and building the capacity of institutions that are good in generating data that can influence policies.
