The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) opened a meeting on Monday, October 1, 2018 to consider its Special Report on “Global Warming of 1.5 ºC”.
Opening ceremony of IPCC 48th session in the Republic of Korea
Representatives of the IPCC’s 195 members governments will work with scientists from the IPCC from October 1 to 5 to finalise the Summary for Policymakers of the report, whose full name is “Global Warming of 1.5 ºC, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 ºC above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty”.
Governments invited the IPCC to prepare the report in 2015 when they adopted the Paris Agreement to combat climate change. The report, known as SR15, will be the main scientific input at the Talanoa Dialogue in the Katowice Climate Change Conference (COP24) in December this year in Poland.
“Governments have asked the IPCC for an assessment of warming of 1.5 ºC, its impacts and related emissions pathways, to help them address climate change,” IPCC Chair, Hoesung Lee, said. “Together we will produce a strong, robust and clear Summary for Policymakers that responds to the invitation of governments three years ago while upholding the scientific integrity of the IPCC,” he told the meeting.
The Paris Agreement sets a long-term goal of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 °C.
Subject to approval, the IPCC will release the Summary for Policymakers of the report at a press conference on Monday, October 8.
Twenty-seven nations across the continent have committed to restore 111 million hectares of degraded land as part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) and the Bonn Challenge – exceeding the 100-million-hectare AFR100 target. In realising these commitments, countries will spur climate resilience, economic growth and more.
Wanjira Mathai, Senior Advisor, WRI and Co-Chair, Global Restoration Council
AFR100 was launched in 2015 in response to the African Union (AU) mandate to bring 100 million hectares of land into restoration by 2030. The initiative is led by the African Union’s NEPAD Agency in partnership with 27 participating countries, 27 technical and 12 financial partners. Founding partners include NEPAD, the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), World Resources Institute (WRI), GIZ, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the World Bank.
During the 3rd Annual AFR100 Partners Meeting in Nairobi on August 2018, member country representatives, as well as technical and financial partners supporting implementation, reaffirmed that the initiative is a powerful lever to bring forest landscape restoration to scale.
“It is a testament to the continuing political will to restore landscapes across Africa that the AFR100 partnership has exceeded its 100-million-hectare target in commitments. We must sustain this momentum and move from pledges to implementation. There are already many examples of restoration success underway in African communities from which we can collectively learn, to realise these commitments,” said Wanjira Mathai, Senior Advisor, WRI and Co-Chair, Global Restoration Council.
In the margins of the meeting, two countries pledged to restore a combined 19.6 million hectares of land towards the 100-million-hectare target: Burkina Faso (5 million hectares) and the Republic of Sudan (14.6 million hectares). These pledges follow commitments made by Togo (1.4 million hectares) and Tanzania (5.2 million hectares) in the weeks prior to the meeting.
“Sudan is delighted to be able to commit to restore 14.6 million hectares of degraded land as part of AFR100. Restoration in Sudan will support in the reduction of youth immigration and food security for the poorest communities, as well as help the country to respond to international commitments,” said Ali Hamid Osman, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for the Sudan Sustainable Natural Resources Management Project and Sudan’s AFR100 Focal Point.
“The fight against desertification and land degradation is a major challenge for Burkina Faso’s sustainable development and economic vitality. Our 5-million-hectare commitment to the AFR100 Initiative will improve food security and create more robust livelihoods, both of which are conducive to resilient restoration and productive agro-ecosystems. In our context, special attention and effort should be given to sustainable employment and entrepreneurship for young people and women, to provide economic opportunities through the restoration of our lands and forests,” added Adama Doulkom, Coordinator of the Great Green Wall Initiative for the Sahara and the Sahel, Burkina Faso.
“Indeed, of all the Bonn Challenge’s regional platforms, AFR100 is the most successful, contributing over half of the current global commitment of 170 million hectares. Ideas can only take root if they are owned and while many have contributed to this momentum we must recognize the fundamental role that NEPAD has played in making this an African led and owned initiative, and particularly the inspiring work of Mamadou Diakhite and his team.” stated Stewart Maginnis, Global Director, Nature-based Solutions Group, IUCN.
Restoration is widely understood as a key pathway to meet climate change, desertification, biodiversity and sustainable development goals in Africa, and to secure vital food, water, and energy resources.
“In times of ever-increasing pressure on land, water, and biodiversity, the restoration of degraded forests and lands is more urgent than ever. Bringing back trees into the land offers multiple benefits for sustainable development, the fight against poverty and hunger, for conserving biodiversity and for adaptation to climate change. Restoration is spectacular in that every $1 invested there is the potential for $27-$35 in return. Seeing communities who restore their land reap a share of their restoration proceeds, is an honour,” said Mamadou Diakhite, Sustainable Land and Water Management (SLWM) Team Leader at the NEPAD Agency, home to the AFR100 Secretariat.
“It was a great success that the Global Landscapes Forum conference in Nairobi took place back-to- back with the third annual AFR100 partners meeting at the end of August there. We have sent a strong signal for the integration of reforestation, restoration and sustainable rural development. The broad concept of landscape restoration provides us with strong ideas in the fight against hunger and poverty through implementing the entire Agenda 2030 – and mainly SDG2 (zero hunger) and SDG15 (life on land),” said Bernhard Worm, Senior Policy Officer at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Participants of the recent AFR100 meeting also endorsed the motion to have the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declare a UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, first proposed in March 2018 by El Salvador’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources – intended to increase the visibility of and resourcing for countries’ restoration efforts.
Nigeria marks its independence on Monday, October 1, 2018 in the face of some environmental disasters especially flooding which has become a yearly occurrence, threatening lives, property and sources of livelihoods.
Incidentally, as at independence in 1960, the country was considered as among the safest abodes on earth, as there were no record-breaking environmental disasters whether man-made or natural.
In this report, Innocent Onoh looks at some of the contemporary environmental problems affecting Nigerians, their causes and ways of checking them.
Following a week-long series of activities by the European Union and partners, the Climate Diplomacy Week 2018 in Nigeria was rounded off in Abuja on Friday, September 28, 2018.
Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador, Ketil Karlsen
The European Union delegations around the world utilised the Climate Diplomacy Week as a time to reach out to communities and partner organisations to highlight positive global action and collaboration on climate change. The focal areas of the programmes were on renewable energy, food security, water management, waste management, youth engagements, and environmental degradation as it relates to climate change.
The week opened in Abuja on Monday, September 24 with a policy dialogue and panel discussion on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy potentials. In attendance were the European Union, Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen; Regine Hess, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Abuja; Representatives from the Federal Ministry of Environment, civil society organisations, corps members and members of the public.
In line with the central theme for the EU climate diplomacy week 2018, “Talanoa Dialogue”, a panel session focused on Youth Involvement in Climate Action held on Thursday, September 27. The panel, which was moderated by ‘Seyifunmi Adebote, had as panelists Climate Change and Sustainability expert, Linda Akpami; Climate Reality Leader, Abdullahi Ali Buhari; and Femi Akanji, CEO of Dapper ESL. The interactive session ended with the audience pledging to take six different climate actions towards Nigeria achieving her Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
The event ended on Friday, September 28 with a dialogue on waste management. Maria Yetano Roche of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environmental and Energy made a presentation on “Climate Change and Waste in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities”; Funto Boroffice, CEO of Chanja Datti Recycling Limited, made a presentation on “Integrating Economic Incentives to Promote Environmental Consciousness”; and Manuina Maibe, Head of Product Development, Sustainability and CSR of Visionscape Group Nigeria, made a presentation on “Sustainable Systems for Waste Management in Emerging Markets”.
There were exhibitions and presentations by a number of resource persons and schools, movie screenings and other activities as other lineup of the week’s activities. The Climate Diplomacy Week 2018 in Nigeria by the European Union Delegation in Nigeria and ECOWAS, the Embassies of Germany, Sweden, and France, One Environment, Stop Don’t Drop, Chanja Datti and #PickThatTrash has been able to raise public awareness, open platforms for further discussions, and promote policies and practices for a climate-resilient future.
No fewer than 150,000 persons have been displaced by flood in Bayelsa State, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) disclosed on Sunday, September 30, 2018.
Flooding in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State
Mr Yakubu Suleiman, Co-ordinator, Emergency Operation Centre E, Rivers/Bayelsa Territory of NEMA disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa, the state capital.
Suleiman said that several homes, farmlands, schools and churches were submerged in the affected communities across eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
He said the agency was taking inventory of the affected persons to ensure that they were free from diseases.
Suleiman said that the displaced persons have been evacuated to the Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Biseni, while some tents have been mounted at the Egbebiri Community, all in Sagbama LGA.
“We have carried out assessment on the affected communities, and we discover that no fewer than 150, 000 persons have been displaced and the number keep growing because the water is rising daily.
“Several communities have been submerged; markets, schools, hospitals and churches are already under the water.
“We have cleared some portions of lands for the IDPs at Biseni and we have mounted some tents at Egbebiri Community, all in Sagbama LGA.
“We have over 110 tents to be mounted in different locations; the emergency monitoring team is working round the clock to ensure that every affected home is assisted.
“The medical teams are on ground from the Federal and State Ministries of Health, to be assisted by members of the Red Cross Society, to avoid spread of diseases because of polluted water.
“On portable water for the affected persons, we have brought water treated plants to be installed in the camp, so, that the people will have access to portable water,” he said.
The mostly affected communities are in Adagbabiri, Anibeze, Biseni, and Trofani in Sagbama LGA.
The state of Lagos in Nigeria is currently having its fair share of waste management challenges, which is giving the government as well as the governed a cause for concern.
Waste management: Lagos waste PSP operators at work
But solid waste management is a global issue that affects everyone, the United Nations has said. According to the global body, the amount of waste produced by individuals is growing daily and often costs local authorities a large proportion of their budget.
The UN is bothered by the fact that poor solid waste collection and disposal can lead to serious health problems from uncontrolled dump sites and waste burning. It also leads to polluted air and water.
This is topic of focus as the world observes the 2018 World Habitat Day on Monday, October 1. This year’s theme is “Municipal Solid Waste Management” with the main global observance taking place in Kenya.
The UN designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It also reminds us we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns.
According to the UN, a change in public attitudes to minimise waste and stop littering, the regularisation of informal waste pickers, increased recycling and reusing, sufficient funding, solid waste planning including adequate landfill sites, can help cities to improve the current state of solid waste management and save money to become “waste-wise cities”.
Twelve countries – from Antigua to Mexico to Argentina – on Thursday, September 27, 2018 signed the Escazú Agreement during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Honduran prize-winning campaigner Berta Caceres was slain by gunmen on March 3, 2016 weeks after opposing a hydroelectric dam project
Said to be a first-of-its-kind human rights treaty, the agreement gives community members in these countries more say over projects or development that impact them and their environment. The agreement also makes it clear that these governments should be informing the public about potentially polluting projects, such as mining activity, as soon as possible.
Most importantly, perhaps, the treaty draws attention to the dangers environmental activists can face in this region of the world. The issue goes beyond their ability to speak freely and critically. This year alone, at least 66 environmental defenders have been killed so far, per The Guardian, which tracks this data in partnership with human rights group Global Witness. Last year, 197 environmental defenders were killed worldwide.
Sixty percent of these deaths occur in Latin America. And indigenous people are disproportionately at risk. The agreement notes that countries should take investigations seriously and create welcoming environments for radical thoughts as part of improving defenders’ protections.
“The Escazú Agreement has the potential to greatly reduce conflict and expand rights to all people,” said Andrew Steer, CEO of World Resources Institute, an international group researching issues around the environment, in a press release. “This will send a clear message throughout the region that all people should have the right to a healthy environment without fearing for their lives.”
Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean took steps to finalise the treaty earlier this year in a meeting that was six years in the making. The issue became more pressing as a growing number of deaths received media attention, including that of indigenous Honduran activist Berta Cáceres, who was killed in her home in 2016. Her family is still in search of justice, and they have little faith in the Honduran government’s ability to seek it. Cáceres’ trial was set to begin last week but was postponed after concerns over the judges covering up evidence.
Honduras still hasn’t signed the treaty, but the 12 signatures are enough for it to move forward. Hopefully, this Central American country – and the 21 other countries left to sign on – hopes on sooner rather than later to help stamp out the merciless killing of people who simply demand a right to clean air, water, and land.
Leaders in business, local government, and from across communities have continued to step up around climate action.
Under the umbrella of the 30×30 Forest, Food and Land Challenge, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and over 100 NGOs, businesses, state and local governments, indigenous groups and communities at the recently held Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) in San Francisco, California, issued 17 commitments to advance the forest, food and land agenda.
“Land, and how we use it, is the second largest source of emissions, but can deliver up to 30% of the climate solutions needed to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement,” says Sara Thomas the WWF Director, Activism and Outreach.
Business and local leaders weren’t the only ones making gains for climate action:
An estimated 30,000 people took to the streets of San Francisco to speak out for strong climate action. Behind the WWF banner were 200+ WWF staff and supporters marching through San Francisco, with Panda Ambassadors mobilising in more than 10 cities across the country.
WWF at the Global Climate Action SummitWWF supporters and staff get ready for the Rise For Climate MobilisationWWF hosted the “Climate Change in My Lifetime” a panel featuring four activists from all corners of the US and their experiences with climate change in their daily lives
In a few days, as many as 181 countries will converge on Geneva, Switzerland, for the Eighth Conference of the Parties (COP8) to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) to shut off one of the last avenues of influence the tobacco industry has to interfere with public health policymaking at the talks.
Geneva, Switzerland will host the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC COP8) in October, 2018
At the conference holding from October 1 to 7, 2018, countries will advance a provision that will prohibit the tobacco industry from exploiting public badges, which are allegedly used by tobacco industry representatives to delay, block and weaken the treaty.
In the past year, in advance of COP8, Big Tobacco has allegedly escalated its attempts to re-normalise the industry: doubling down on promoting heat-not-burn products and launching a billion dollar foundation in hopes of regaining supposedly lost footing in policymaking spaces. This year, governments will also advance policies to eliminate the trade.
The policy to kick Big Tobacco out stems from a broader treaty directive called Article 5.3 that prevents industry interference in the halls of government. Internal industry documents show that when the tobacco industry successfully gains access to the talks by attending on public badges, they obtain confidential information, lobby government delegates, and attempt to water down public health policy.
“The number one barrier to fully implementing this life-saving treaty is industry interference,” said Michel Legendre, associate campaign director with Corporate Accountability. “With Big Tobacco on the defensive, and governments poised to give it the boot, the outcomes of this year’s Conference of the Parties will mark a turning point for public health.”
The policy decision to truly eliminate the industry from the halls of negotiation will have resounding implications for policymaking spaces in other arenas, like the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, where industry interference inside of the negotiating spaces appears to have been a significant barrier to real success.
“The Public Badges policy is a revolving door that Big Tobacco continues to exploit. The talks present a crucial opportunity for Parties to bound together to finally shut that door to stop Big Tobacco meddling,” said Philip Jakpor, Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) Nigeria Spokesperson.
The global tobacco treaty, known formally as the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), entered into force in 2005. To date, 181 countries and the European Union have become Parties to the treaty. It contains the world’s most effective tobacco control and corporate accountability measures – estimated to save more than 200 million lives by 2050 when fully implemented.
Other key developments/issues of focus at the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control include:
The Philip Morris International-funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World has launched and is expected to lobby heavily in support of the industry at this year’s negotiations.
For the first time, governments have seen hundreds of newly public internal documents that detail Big Tobacco’s extensive lobbying and manipulation schemes to undermine the talks.
E-cigs regulation
Strengthening of FCTC Article 19 with focus on facilitating access to justice for victims of smoking-related disease; healthcare cost recovery; and enforcing existing tobacco control measures or general laws relevant to tobacco, including injunctive relief.
The World Bank has announced its investment into battery storage for developing countries.
Senior Director and Head of Energy & Extractives at the World Bank, Riccardo Puliti
Battery storage allows for wind and solar energy to be used at a much greater scale by making it possible to store electricity and use it when it needs it the most.
However, battery technology is expensive and not yet widely developed in large-scale projects. Notably, in developing countries the gap is acute, despite wind and solar energy having great potential.
The financial institution has created a new programme which aims to close this gap.
The Accelerating Battery Storage for Development programme is a new, first of its kind, global initiative to accelerate the development of battery storage for energy systems in developing and middle-income countries.
This is great news for developing countries who often have unreliable electricity. The programme intends to combat this by increasing grid stability as well as helping move them towards a new generation of renewable energy.
The goal is to finance 17.5 gigawatt hours of battery storage by 2025.
Senior Director and Head of Energy & Extractives at the World Bank, Riccardo Puliti, said: “We are seeing historic low prices for solar and wind energy, and countries want to use as much of it as possible to meet their energy needs. But to make full use of solar and wind power, we need at-scale and affordable battery storage. Our goal is to catalyse new markets that will help drive down costs and make batteries a viable storage solution for developing countries.”
