President of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, Charlie Brown, was on Yaoundé, Cameroon from October 26 to 27, working with Kuepouo Gilbert, leader of the CREPD, a non-governmental organisation. The World Alliance and CREPD are partnering in a campaign to bring mercury-free dentistry to Cameroon.
Charlie Brown, President of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry
CREPD organised a mini-conference on the evening of October 27, where dentists and dental leaders; environmental NGOs from the political capital Yaoundé, the economic Douala, and the Far North region; and government officials gathered to discuss the “how” and the “when” for the transition to mercury-free dentistry.
“Dentists and consumers are both ready for mercury-free dentistry for Cameroun, and we can be the first nation in Africa to take this pro-public health action,” said Kuepouo. “We ask manufacturers to recognise that Africa wants an ample supply of the non-polluting alternatives that are plentifully available elsewhere.”
Brown was critical of Western interests, who he said have one standard for themselves and a different one for Africa.
“The do-gooder dentists from the West who come to place mercury fillings should stay out of Cameroun, and the medical interests should stop ‘donating’ mercury-laden products such as amalgam to Africa. The manufacturers need to shift their focus to mercury-free dental materials, and stop selling what the West doesn’t want in Africa.”
“That anyone would think they are doing good works by dumping a toxic product into Africa is unconscionable,” Brown added, who is in Nigeria to continue the campaign.
World governments attending this year’s largest wildlife summit have collectively endorsed actions on the conservation of a wide range of migratory species, many of which are near-extinct.
Driven by habitat loss, civil unrest and illegal hunting, the global giraffe population has plummeted by up to 40% over the last 30 years, and the species has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. For the first time, the Giraffe will receive protection under an international treaty with a listing on CMS Appendix II
The week-long CMS COP12 ended in Manila on Saturday, October 28, 2017 with decisions on 34 species in submissions made by 24 Parties from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. These include actions on Africa’s great carnivores, 10 species of vulture, and the endangered Whale Shark, known as the butanding in the Philippines.
“The Conference in Manila has been a real game changer for the Convention. An intensive week of negotiations have resulted in a stronger commitment by countries to step up their efforts to conserve the planet’s migratory wildlife. Thanks to the collective efforts of all, the Convention now has a compliance review mechanism and has adopted species that test the boundaries of international wildlife conservation,” said Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of CMS.
Governments also agreed to cooperate on reducing the negative impacts of marine debris, noise pollution, renewable energy and climate change on migratory species.
The Twelfth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP12) took place in Manila, the Philippines from October 23 to 28, 2017 under the theme “Their Future is Our Future – Sustainable Development for Wildlife & People”.
“The theme of this Conference has also contributed to a growing global recognition of the importance of nature to our human well-being and the multiple connections between wildlife and people. It has helped to convey the message that the future of migratory wildlife is integral to our own future and that we all have the responsibility to act. Agreements made at CMS COP12 have firmly underlined this important message,” said Chambers.
“Migratory animals play a critical role in our planet’s ecosystem. They act as pollinators, control pests and are a source of food and income. They are also an inspiration for people here in the Philippines and all around the world,” said Director Theresa Mundita Lim of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) and national focal point of the Philippines to CMS.
The CMS COP12 in Manila has been the largest-ever meeting in the 38-year history of the Convention, which is also known as the “Bonn Convention” after the German city in which it was signed.
COP12 saw some notable outcomes, including:
All fish proposals being endorsed, which means three species of shark and three species of ray will receive greater protection with the Whale Shark on Appendix I and the Angelshark being listed on both Appendices. The Dusky Shark, the Blue Shark, the Common Guitarfish and the White-spotted Wedgefish are listed on Appendix II.
All avian species proposals have also been approved for addition to CMS Appendices. On Appendix I are the Steppe Eagle; four species of Asian Vulture, five Sub-Saharan Vulture Species, the Lappet-faced Vulture and the Christmas Frigatebird. A subspecies of the Black Noddy, the Yellow Bunting and the Lesser and Great Grey Shrike are now listed on Appendix II.
For the first time, the Giraffe will receive protection under an international treaty with a listing on CMS Appendix II. Although populations in many Southern African countries are thriving, they are in overall decline across Africa with less than 90,000 animals remaining in the wild.
The Leopard and Lion will also be listed on CMS Appendix II, paving the way for a joint initiative on protecting Africa’s great carnivores. The African Carnivores Initiative will become a focal point for the implementation of resolutions and decisions on lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs under CMS and CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
The Chimpanzee is now listed on both CMS Appendices. Humans’ closest relative is facing a 50 per cent drop in numbers over three generations and rapid habitat loss, especially in the western and eastern parts of its historic range.
The near-extinct Gobi Bear is included on Appendix I. Only 45 individuals of the Gobi subspecies of the Brown Bear remain in the wild, shared between Mongolia and China.
The Caspian Seal is included on both CMS Appendices. It is the only marine mammal found in the world’s largest inland sea, where its migration is prompted by ice formation and foraging.
Other mammals that will benefit from the additional protection include the African Wild Ass – the most endangered wild equid in the world, Przewalski’s Horse and four species of Lasiurus Bat. The proposal to add the Chinkara (Indian Gazelle) was withdrawn.
Unusually for a CMS COP, consensus was not reached on four species proposals, which went to a vote. Listing of the Chimpanzee, Giraffe, Leopard and Lion was approved by a wide majority at the Committee stage.
In total,12 mammals were afforded greater protection under CMS, 16 birds and six species of fish. Listing on Appendix I requires governments of Parties to protect the species while Appendix II calls for international cooperation to ensure that the conservation status of a species is favourable.
Other successes, which will benefit many of the newly-listed species include:
Consensus on a new intergovernmental task force to curb the illegal killing of birds crossing the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, which spans 22 countries;
A Conservation Roadmap for the critically endangered African Wild Ass, with fewer than 70 animals remaining in the wild;
A Vulture Multi-Species Action Plan to better protect 15 species of Old World Vulture in more than 120 countries;
CMS guidelines on assessing impacts of marine noise activities;
Expanding the Convention’s work on preventing the poisoning of birds with a particular focus on the effects of lead; and
Action on aquatic wild meat, which is fast becoming a conservation problem on a scale similar to that of terrestrial bushmeat.
CMS COP12 also saw five new Migratory Species Champions – commended for their outstanding commitment and long-term conservation efforts. These were:
The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi – recognised for the Conservation of Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia for the period 2015-2019 and the conservation of Dugongs and their Habitats for the period 2015-2019;
The European Commission – for its efforts in addressing Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean in 2018-2020;
The Government of Federal Republic of Germany – for Reconciling Energy Sector Developments with Migratory Species Conservation in 2018-2020;
The Principality of Monaco – for its commitment to Marine Species Conservation 2018-2020; and
The Government of the Philippines for its efforts to protect the Whale Shark.
Government ministers, representatives of civil society and chief officers of international organisations met on the eve of the summit for a High-Level panel discussion on the importance of protecting migratory wildlife in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. The resulting Manila Declaration on Sustainable Development and Migratory Species, which emphasises the links between the conservation of wildlife and attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals was unanimously adopted by Parties.
A number of celebrities made appearances at the Conference and gave passionate pleas for wildlife conservation, including UN Environment Global Goodwill Ambassador Yann Arthus-Bertand and Nadya Yuti Hutagalung as well as Philippine journalists and celebrities such as Rico Hizon, Cathy Untalan-Vital and Antoinette Taus.
Addressing the Plenary of COP12 on Wednesday, Erik Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment, noted that the Sustainable Development Goals were directed at both “people” and “planet”. He added that new technologies and political commitment could protect both the planet and bring development to people with the same policies.
“We will put in place the necessary national measures to integrate the conservation and protection of migratory wildlife species into our development planning processes and we will engage all sectors of society in crafting these measures,” said Ms. Lim with reference to the decisions adopted at CMS COP12.
Dr. Chambers concluded: “This COP has broken all records as the biggest COP in the history of CMS, with the highest number of attendees from Parties, non-Parties and NGOs, with a record number of proposals accepted. Our hosts here in the Philippines have contributed greatly to this success. We look forward to working closely with Parties over the next few years to expand our role as the preeminent guardian of migratory animals across the world.”
“We can protect only those species within our territory. Beyond our territory, we urge other countries to also initiate measures to protect these species and to join the Convention,” said Ms. Lim.
Changes to the CMS Appendices, Resolutions and Decisions enter into force 90 days after the COP.
CMS COP12 attracted over 1,000 participants, including 234 delegates from 91 Parties as well as 35 from non-Parties representing every region of the world. It marked the first time the summit had been held in Asia.
A fifth of European fern and lycopod species, a group of vascular plants that underpins healthy ecosystems, are threatened with extinction and declining, as a result of urbanisation and expanding infrastructure, according to a new report published on Friday, October 27, 2017 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
A fern species. Photo credit: Wikipedia
The new IUCN report – “European Red List of Lycopods and Ferns” – assesses, for the first time, the extinction risk of all 194 European lycopod and fern species, 53 of which only exist in Europe. It shows that a fifth of these ancient species, which date back to over 400 million years ago, are at risk of extinction, with the same proportion showing a declining trend. Aquatic ferns and lycopods have been found to be more at risk than terrestrial species. This report shows that ferns and lycopods are the most threatened plant group of those assessed by IUCN so far in Europe. Previous European assessments have covered medicinal plant species, all other aquatic plant species and wild relatives of crop plants.
“Ferns and lycopods have been among Europe’s favourite horticultural plants for centuries, sometimes resulting in overharvesting from the wild as happened during the Victorian ‘fern craze’ in the 1800s” says Luc Bas, Director of IUCN’s European Regional Office. “Today’s IUCN Red List report shows that despite being known for their resilience, ferns and lycopods continue to be severely affected by human activities, with aquatic species most at risk. This new information must guide the implementation of European legislation and policy to reverse this devastating trend before Europe loses what are among its most important and diverse plant species.”
The findings reveal that European fern and lycopod species are primarily threatened by urbanisation and expanding infrastructure, which leads to the fragmentation and reduction of their habitats. For example, the Dwarf Moonwort (Botrychium simplex) is found in several countries including France, Sweden and Austria, and is now listed as Endangered as a result of habitat loss through land conversion to forest plantations or tourist developments.
Pollution from urban and agricultural waste also poses a serious threat to many ferns and lycopods. As a result, many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems suffer from eutrophication – an increase in nutrients which causes local species to be outcompeted by other native or invasive alien species. This threatens aquatic species in particular, including the Critically Endangered Piedmont Quillwort (Isoëtes malinverniana). This species is endemic to Italy and has declined by more than 80% in the last 30 years, mainly as a result of pollution through inappropriate irrigation channel management.
Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, commented: “This European Red List data shows that there are many fern and lycopod species threatened with extinction. These species are a living link to the time before even dinosaurs. EU Member States should use the tools we have developed to ensure such species’ protection. Now that the EU has, with considerable rigour if I may say so, assessed our nature legislation and found it fit for purpose, Member States should implement that legislation robustly.”
Ferns and lycopods are a group of vascular plants that produce spores for reproduction, rather than using seeds and flowers like many other plants. They provide essential ecosystem services, such as preventing soil erosion, removing pollutants from the environment, taking in carbon from the atmosphere and providing shelter for small animals, such as insects or rodents. They also colonise disturbed habitats, following forest fires for example, enabling more species to inhabit the area. European hotspots of fern and lycopod species are the Macaronesian Islands, Corsica and several mountainous areas in Europe.
“It is difficult to overestimate the importance of these ancient plants, and regional and national conservation action is urgently needed to improve their status across Europe,” says Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Director, IUCN Global Species Programme. “Protected areas, such as the Natura 2000 sites, must ensure better protection for these species, and their habitats must be restored, especially in aquatic areas and wetlands affected by pollution, canalisation and drainage. A recently established monitoring programme will highlight population trends, and inform future actions to ensure the long-term survival of ferns and lycopods in Europe.”
More than 20 experts participated in the two-year assessment project, which was partially funded by the European Commission LIFE funding instrument.
Recent scientific advancements around the world have conflicted with some environmental systems; hence, there are many struggles to create a balance. One of the talking points is the “towerkill”.
Migratory birds
“Towerkill” is a phenomenon that describes the killing of a large number of bird species by antenna towers and masts. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it is estimated that between five and 50 million birds are killed in the United States each year by towerkill while “window crashes” kill between 100 and 900 million birds a year. Considering that lots of endangered bird species make these figure, the impact is huge, thus, regarded as the leading human-related cause of wild bird death.
Telecommunication and broadcasting companies need towers and masts for antennas, yes; migratory and cosmopolitan birds also find them as nesting sites but the greater concern is how to reduce the threats “towers” pose to the survival of birds.
No doubt, birds are a part of our natural environment, they have developed quite some biological and behavioural adaptations to help them thrive and survive within and outside their natural habitat. Birds are even referred to as “environmental indicators” because of their ability to detect the slightest change in our environment, years before humans and machines will. Remember the biblical story of Noah and the flood? He sent out two different bird species, the raven and the dove to check if the water has abated.
The raven didn’t return, while on the other hand, dove can back initially because there was no suitable habitat to nest and the second time with an olive leaf which indicated that plants have started growing.
Birds live in and near trees which are their natural source of habitation because it provides them with the needed materials to build their nest and also get food supplies from the insects and worms on and around the trees.
The irony is that cosmopolitan birds such as the Falcon, Osprey and Egret have been found to adapt well to the city structure, while on the other hand migratory birds like Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Canada Goose, Common Merganser, Common Tern, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Spotted Sandpiper, Swamp Sparrow and Trumpeter Swan that migrate yearly from Europe to Africa during winter find it herculean.
In the city, most of these birds prefer to build their nest on these very tall antenna towers during stopovers because the height of the towers is higher than the trees, which provides them with a bird’s eye view of nearby potential feeding spots.
Because of their flight speed, especially when flying in poor visibility, birds are involved in a blind collision with antenna towers. Another threat that has resulted in “towerkill” is linked to the non-flashing light fitted at the top of cell towers to provide aviation safety for pilots flying at night.
When the weather is foggy, the indicator lights on the tower tend to refract off water in the air, which in turn creates an illumination around the tower. These causes interference in the avian navigational system, making migratory birds lack the ability to monitor earth’s geomagnetic fields and as a result leading to more birds passing through the relatively small illuminated area and the inevitable collision with towers and “guy wires” attached to the tower.
Needless to say, environmentally sustainable and bird-friendly towers, with flashing indicator light instead of non-flashing light should be considered, if we want to maintain a balanced ecosystem for the survival of these avian species. Countries should ensure constant bird monitoring and the application of a Geographical Information System (GIS) in mapping and maintaining of all antenna towers sites which would be used to track, monitor and evaluate bird biodiversity around the locations of these towers which have become their new found home in the city.
By Emmanuel Uko (Nigeria Conservation Foundation, Lagos)
The United Nations (UN) has published a new report that draws attention to concrete examples of successful climate policy implementation around the world and how these can be replicated and scaled up between now and 2020.
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
The “Summary for Policymakers”, published ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn (COP 23, 6 – 17 November) showcases good practices that integrate actions to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the inevitable impact of climate change.
The report also demonstrates that achieving the climate action goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN’s sustainable development goals is a process that is deeply connected.
“The Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals together represent nothing less than a global strategy to prevent our planet’s temperature from reaching disastrous levels and to foster and support resilient and sustainable, low-emissions development for everyone.
To this end, policies need to be set in place now, technologies developed, matured, commercialised and deployed at scale, and practices and behaviors of economic actors need to move ever faster towards low-emission and sustainable business and investment,” says the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa, in a forward to the summary.
The document was prepared based on recommendations from the Technical Expert Meetings on climate change mitigation and adaptation held in May 2017 in Bonn, Germany, and is part of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action that is working to support Nationally Determined Contributions – National Climate Action Plans – under the Paris Climate Change Agreement and to spur new climate actions between now and 2020.
Hakima El Haite, High-level Champion of Morocco and Minister Delegate to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, and Inia Seruiratu, High-level Champion of Fiji and Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management and Meteorological Services write at the beginning of the report:
“Through his summary we intend that Parties are provided with the relevant information to fully engage with non-Party stakeholders, and be empowered to scale up and replicate the good-practice policies, actions and initiatives that best fit their national circumstances with a view to enhancing their pre-2020 action.
“This should pave the way for limiting warming to well below 2 degrees Centigrade and to pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Centigrade. Importantly, it should also help to increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of communities and ecosystems, and lay a strong foundation for more ambitious post-2020 action.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it will immunise 300,000 people against cholera in Borno.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Photo credit: AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI / Getty Images
This is contained in the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), Humanitarian Situation Report for the Month of September.
It said that the organisation in collaboration with other health development partners would also conduct another round of Oral Cholera Vaccination (ORV) exercise in the state.
The report indicate that the immunisation exercise would be conducted at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and host communities of Damasak, Banki, Bama, Gamburu, Ngala and Pulka.
“For the first time in Nigeria an Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) was carried out between Sept. 18 and 22 to protect communities and prevent further spread of the disease. The first round campaign reached close to 850,000 people through combination of fixed and mobile strategies.
“The request for the additional vaccines is to be submitted to the International Coordination Group on Vaccines Provision pending the clearance and approval of the state and health authorities”.
The UN-OCHA report shows that 4,360 suspected or confirmed cholera cases and 60 related deaths were recorded in Borno in September.
It notes that humanitarian organisations had scale up activities to contain the outbreak in parts of Maiduguri, Jere, Dikwa, Monguno and Mafa local government areas.
To control the outbreak health, sanitation and hygiene actors established Cholera Treatment Centres (CTC) and Oral Re-hydration Points (ORP) in the affected communities.
Another key intervention to be conducted was the third round Seasonal Malaria Chemo-Prevention campaign.
The exercise was targets children under the age of five in Maiduguri, Konduga, Monguno, Jere and Mafa local government councils.
OCHA also disclosed that the Mobile Hard-To-Reach teams were increased to 35 as against 24, to enhance health care delivery in Yobe.
It noted that the measure was to enhance access to healthcare services in remote and security compromised communities at Gujba, Gulani, Geidam, Yunusari, Tarmuwa, Karasuwa, Bade and Fika local government areas of Yobe State.
The report further showed that 13,000 children had so far benefited from consultations and treatments of minor ailments, 41,752 children de-wormed and 32,930 received Vitamin A supplement, since the deployment of the teams to the state.
While 59,080 children were screened of malnutrition; 41,542 reached with health promotion messages, 626 women received ante-natal care, 82 pre-natal care and 31 family planning consultations.
The UN agency revealed that proactive measures had been evolved to strengthen the Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) response to provide appropriate referral pathways for individuals, groups or families in need of mental health support in the war ravaged region.
It added that WHO and other health partners are working with Nigerian mental health authorities to enhance clinical management of mental disorder through deployment of specialised mental health workers such as psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, pharmacological, non-pharmacological and psychologists.
According to OCHA, the Boko Haram insurgency caused humanitarian crisis with over 6.9 million people in need of quality healthcare services.
It explained that 5.9 million persons were targeted for support services while five million people reached with emergency health services this year in the Northeast.
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Connected Development (CODE), has called on Nigerian youth to leverage on climate change to create sustainable job opportunities using emerging technology.
Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive and co-founder of CODE
The CODE Chief Executive Officer, Mr Hamzat Lawal, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, October 28, 2017 in Abuja that climate change was a 21st century problem which could also have its advantages.
Lawal said that the challenges associated with climate change arose because of the way we have been living our lives.
He said that as much as climate change was viewed as a problem, it was also an opportunity for the country to manage its limited and scare resources.
”We can generate electricity from solar energy or sunlight. We can use new and emerging technology to cook and reduce greenhouse gas; this is how it can become an opportunity.
”Climate change has affected our economy negatively; also our forest cover has been depleted over time by people cutting down trees for fire or furniture.
”The Lake Chad region which used to be a business hub for Nigeria and even other African countries, where they have fishermen and women doing businesses, is no longer so.
“This is because we have lost over 70 per cent of the Lake Chad region. You can’t find any economic activity there today, 70 per cent of the water has been lost.
“This means that the young energetic people have now migrated and left the region in search of greener pasture,” he said.
Lawal said that the effect of climate change had caused an increase in migration and this was happening because of the economic decline in the country.
According to him, migration has increased because of the economic crisis in the country, but there is still hope and opportunities abound.
“We are losing talents and young minds that are supposed to help build our growing and thriving economy are leaving the country because of lack of opportunities.
“We are losing resources and this has to do with the fact that environment outside Nigeria is very conducive, but in as much as it is conducive they also have their own challenges.
“Government needs to look at how we can thrive by tapping into new and emerging technologies like the clean cooking stoves that emit lesser greenhouse gas.
“There is even technology where you can cook with sun ray or use lesser firewood to cook or use bio gas,” he said.
Lawal said that over 50 per cent of Nigerians were not connected to the national grid and these were basically in various rural communities.
“If we can invest more in solar technology, build capacity and also reduce taxes to businesses, it will create value and jobs.
“Over time, we will see that this market will thrive and we will be able to service the underserviced rural people that don’t have equal opportunity like people in the urban areas.
“If there is an enabling environment where there is hope of prosperity, people will not want to travel out of the country.
“People will not want to leave their comfort zone to undertake the risk of travelling for days and putting their lives in danger.
“But, because things are not the way they should be, that is why people are willing to take all manner of risks to better their lives; simply because they believe that there is hope and prosperity on the other side,” he said.
The Chief Executive, Stroke Action Foundation, Mrs Rita Melifonwu, said on Saturday, October 28, 2017 that stroke was the leading cause of death and disability globally.
World Stroke Day
Melifonwu told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, ahead of the World Stroke Day 2017 that was observed on Sunday, Oct. 29.
According to her, the day provides an annual opportunity for stakeholders to coordinate awareness and advocacy campaigns to reduce the burden of stroke at global, regional and local level.
Melifonwu explained that stroke is an attack on the brain that occurs when the flow of blood is interrupted by a blood clot or broken blood vessel.
She said every two seconds, stroke attacks a person in the world regardless of age, gender, education, religion or economic background.
“The ailment is currently an epidemic in Nigeria; this is because presently its prevalence rate in the country is estimated at 205,200 each year,
“The World Stroke records shown that one in six people will suffer a stroke in their lifetime; however, this year, the foundation would be focusing on risk awareness and prevention.
“We are calling on all individuals, families, communities, health professionals and governments to raise awareness of key stroke risks and take action to prevent stroke,’’ Melifonwu said.
She identified the risk factor of stroke as high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, overweight, lack of exercise, poor diet, high cholesterol, excessive alcohol intake and lack of stroke awareness.
Melifonwu told NAN that stroke could be prevented if necessary precautions are taken, adding that most Nigerians are unaware of the cause and symptoms of stroke as well as how to respond when it occurs.
She mentioned that early recognition of signs of stroke, changes in lifestyle, health check, risk factor management and early intervention through stroke awareness, could make a difference and substantially improve outcomes.
Melifonwu, however, urged the Minister of Health and Commissioners for Health in all state ministries to encourage citizens to engage in a “walk and run against stroke”.
The foundation on the World Stroke Day on Oct. 29 to raise awareness on the importance of physical activity in stroke prevention.
A new report by CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, shows that a growing number of companies are stepping up their response to climate change by embedding low-carbon goals into their long-term business plans, with many companies intending to ramp up ambition over the next couple of years.
Chief executive officer of CDP, Paul Simpson
Launched just days ahead of the upcoming climate change conference in Bonn (COP23, 6-17 November), the report puts the spotlight on the role of the private sector in achieving national climate action goals under the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
In a foreword to the study, CDP CEO Paul Simpson says the corporate world is at a tipping point in the low-carbon transition. “The transition to a low-carbon economy will create winners and losers within and across sectors. As new businesses and technologies emerge and scale up, billions of dollars of value are waiting to be unlocked, even as many more are at risk,” he says.
The report finds that the number of companies that have committed to set emissions reduction targets in line with or well below a two-degrees Celsius goal, agreed by nations in Paris in 2015, has increased from 94 to 151 in just one year. An additional 317 companies plan to commit to a science-based target in the next two years.
From the 1,073 companies that responded to the survey, 89% of respondents, up from 86% last year, have set emissions reductions targets in 2017. More than two thirds (68%) of those are setting targets to at least 2020, and 20% are mapping out sustainability actions to 2030 and beyond.
This shows an increase compared to 2016 when 85% of respondents reported setting targets, but only 55% extended these to 2020 or beyond – and even fewer (14%) went to 2030.
However, the report also reveals that the majority of responding companies have yet to commit to emission reduction targets that are stringent enough to fully align with what climate science says is required.
This year’s analysis is based on the climate data disclosed by over 1,000 of the world’s largest, highest-emitting companies that represent 12% of global direct carbon emissions.
CDP selected and reached out to over 1,800 companies for this study, with 1,073 companies responding.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has said that it will help African countries ramp up their economic growth in ways that do not exacerbate climate change. This was expressed as it signed an agreement with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) on Tuesday, October 24, 2017.
Officials of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) sign the Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA)
The two organisations signed an Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA), a prerequisite for all GCF Accredited Entities to implement GCF-approved projects. AFC was accredited to GCF in July 2015.
AFC intends to leverage its partnership with GCF to further its low carbon emission investments in four key sectors: power, transport, heavy industries and telecommunications.
AFC has already established a track record in financing renewable energy as the lead investor in the first commercial scale public-private partnership wind farm in sub-Saharan Africa. The $90 million, 26MW Cabeolica project provides over 20 percent of Cape Verde’s power needs.
Oliver Andrews, Chief Investment Officer of AFC, said during the AMA signing the consequences of climate change impacts may seriously impact the successful development of Africa’s economy.
“AFC is therefore highly committed to this partnership with GCF,” said Mr Andrews. “Not only does AFC and the GCF have shared goals, we also have shared values.
“For example, AFC is committed to investing in post-conflict countries and those that face structural developmental challenges. Equally, the GCF also prioritises societies that are highly vulnerable, in particular the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). As AFC is also driven by a belief in sustainable economic growth, in every sense this synergy is an excellent recipe for success.”
Pa Ousman Jarju, Director of GCF’s Country Programming Division, said AFC is well placed to support African entrepreneurs explore the vast potential for economic growth across the continent in ways that do not harm the global environment.
“GCF activities are aligned with the priorities of developing countries through the principle of country ownership in climate finance,” he said. “For instance, with the strategic injection of capital, African companies could one day lead the way in generating non-polluting energy for industry and local communities.”
AFC is financing and managing key infrastructure projects across Africa. It has invested approximately $4 billion in projects across 28 countries in a wide range of sectors including power, telecommunications, transport and logistics, natural resources and heavy industries.
