Facebook on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 committed to powering its global operations on 100 per cent renewable energy by 2020.
Facebook
The company is also promising to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75 per cent in the same time frame. They have already met their target of being powered by 50% renewable energy one year early and they aim to double that over the next two years.
The social network consumes a huge amount of electricity to power its data centres. In 2017, Facebook’s total carbon footprint was 979,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, 62% of this was from their data centres.
However, after its sustainability pledge, it is on track to be one of the largest corporate purchasers of renewable energy.
Bobby Hollis, Director of Global Energy at Facebook, said: “We bring an open and innovative approach to finding renewable energy solutions that can move energy markets forward. Since 2013, we have added over 3 gigawatts of new solar and wind energy to the grids that power our data centres, all while opening those markets for other customers to follow our lead.”
Marty Spitzer, Director of US Climate and Renewable Energy Policy and World Wildlife Fund, said: “Facebook’s involvement has helped engage other companies in signing on to the Corporate Renewable Energy Buyer’s Principles. We now have more than 50 companies demanding clean and renewable energy from utilities across the U.S.”
Greenpeace commented: “Facebook was the first major internet company to commit to be 100% renewably powered and continues to play a leadership role within the sector.”
Last year, Facebook pledged its support for climate action by supporting the Paris Agreement through the We Are Still In initiative. They also set the record for clean power purchases in 2018.
Facebook joins other tech titans such as Apple and Google in a commitment to go green.
Nigerian off-grid energy investment company, All On, has announced its partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Calvert Impact Capital (CIC) towards a $58 million first close for the Off-Grid Energy Access Fund (OGEF).
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB)
The OGEF, which is managed by LHGP Asset Management (LHGP), an alternative fund manager with offices in Lagos, London, and Nairobi, is a dedicated debt fund for off-grid energy companies and is part of the AfDB-sponsored Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI). The FEI is a $500 million finance platform designed to provide loan facilities in both local and hard currencies to support innovative energy access companies.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB President, said: “Access to electricity is a fundamental human right. That is why the African Development Bank set up the Fund for Energy Inclusion, to support off-grid energy systems. I am delighted that All On and Shell have joined forces with the African Development Bank to invest private capital in this Fund to help accelerate access to electricity in Nigeria. Together we will close the energy access gap in Nigeria and across Africa.”
OGEF achieves its first close with equity and debt commitments of $58 million from All On, AfDB, NDF, GEF and CIC, and the structuring process and investments build on support from Shell Foundation, DFID and USAID. FEI OGEF has been designed to provide a flexible range of loan facilities in predominantly local currency, to companies in the household energy access sector including distributors, manufacturers, end-user credit providers and other businesses supporting the ecosystem.
According to Wiebe Boer, the CEO of Nigeria-based All On, an off-grid energy impact investment company backed by Shell, “We see OGEF as a great opportunity for public and private investors to work together to address Africa’s significant access to energy gap. We look forward to working with LHGP, especially the Nigeria-based team, to build a solid portfolio of off-grid energy companies that are improving livelihoods by providing affordable power to unserved and underserved communities.”
This first close follows the official launch of FEI at the Africa Energy Market Place (AEMP) on July 5 and 6, 2018, where the initiative was presented to the governments’ representatives of five African countries – Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Egypt, Nigeria and Zambia – as well as leaders from the private sector and the development partner communities.
Shocking new research suggests air pollution has a serious impact on mental capabilities as well as physical health in human beings.
Air pollution blankets the skyline of Tehran
High levels of pollution can trigger a decrease in language and arithmetic skills – with the average impact of ‘dirty air’ equivalent to losing a year in education.
The United Nations has blamed air pollution for seven million deaths worldwide each year, while campaigners have urged local government to take more action.
An international team of researchers led by Beijing Normal University analysed language and arithmetic tests conducted on 20,000 people across China between 2010 and 2014.
However, the study is relevant worldwide, as the latest figures show around 95 per cent of the global population are now breathing unsafe air.
Scientists conducted the tests across China in areas with varied levels of pollution.
According to the latest findings, air pollution is a significant cause of loss of intelligence – roughly equating to the impact of losing a year of education.
Although previous research had found air pollution is capable of harming cognitive performance in students, this latest study is the first to examine people of all ages.
It also analysed the difference between men and women.
‘Polluted air can cause everyone to reduce their level of education by one year, which is huge,’ researcher Xi Chen of Yale School of Public Health told the Guardian.
‘But we know the effect is worse for the elderly, especially those over 64, and for men, and for those with low education.
‘If we calculate [the loss] for those, it may be a few years of education’, he said.
Worse still, the researchers found that the longer people are exposed to dirty air, the greater the damage to their intelligence levels.
‘We find that long-term exposure to air pollution impedes cognitive performance in verbal and math tests’, researchers wrote in their paper, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
‘We provide evidence that the effect of air pollution on verbal tests becomes more pronounced as people age, especially for men and the less educated.
‘The damage on the aging brain by air pollution likely imposes substantial health and economic costs, considering that cognitive functioning is critical for the elderly for both running daily errands and making high-stake decisions’.
For the latest study, scientists accounted for the gradual decline in cognition seen as people age.
They also ruled out the possibility that people are more impatient or uncooperative during tests when the pollution levels were especially high.
In a stunning setback to the French government, Nicolas Hulot has announced his resignation. He said he felt “all alone” while trying to advance green policies in the government.
Nicolas Hulot, a former TV presenter and environmental activist
The Environment Minister on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 made the announcement on France Inter radio, saying it was the result of an “accumulation of disappointments.”
The French government’s lack of progress on steps to tackle climate change, defend biodiversity and address environmental threats resulted in an “accumulation of disappointments.”
“I don’t want to lie any longer. I don’t want to maintain the illusion that my presence in government means that we are meeting these environmental challenges.”
“France is doing more than a lot of other countries. Do not make me say that it is doing enough. It is not doing enough. Europe is not doing enough. The world is not doing enough.
“I have a bit of influence, but I have no power and no means.”
But Hulot suggested that Macron’s government has paid little more than lip service to environmental issues. He highlighted, for example, the government’s pledges to cut back reliance on nuclear energy to 50 percent by 2025 and to curb the use of pesticides and said there had been little progress on several other initiatives.
Elysee defends progress
Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux told BFM news channel that Hulot should have warned Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe before announcing his resignation.
“Do you do an environmental revolution in one year? The response is no,” said Griveaux. “I prefer little steps to not moving.”
Observers have suggested that Hulot’s departure could cause further shakeup within the government and prompt Macron to reshuffle his cabinet.
The African Union (AU) Commission has urged stakeholders to train officials of member states, agencies and academic institutions on the skills of developing, implementing and monitoring of Green Climate Fund (GCF) Proposals.
Participants and facilitators at the Capacity Building Workshop for AU member states on Accessing Green Climate Fund (GCF) organised by the African Union Scientific, Technical and Research Commission in Abuja on Aug. 28, 2018
Prof. Sarah Agbor, the Commissioner, Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology, African Human Commission, made the call in Abuja on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 while declaring open a three-day capacity building workshop for representatives of AU member states.
The workshop, organised by the African Union Scientific, Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC) Abuja, was aimed towards training the participants on the process involved in accessing the fund.
She said: “The Green Climate Fund aims to promote a paradigm shift towards low emission and climate resilient pathways in developing countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impact of climate change.
“However, many AU member states have been able to access the GCF, and that is why this particular conference is very essential.
“Where do we go, how do we go, how do we implement and get member States access to the GCF?
“The key development mechanism has registered a minimal success of less than 2% in Africa in terms of Projects as compared to China alone that has over 80%.
“Some studies attest that this is due to the lack of institutional and technical Capabilities which attract funds in accordance with best practices.
‘’I started the paradigm in design execution and monitoring of projects, learning lessons from the challenges of CDM, particularly where all member States have little knowledge, skills and nuances of design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of fundable projects
“In response to the above mentioned, the African Union Scientific, Technical and Research Commission, with the technical support of the African Centre for Technology Studies, the African Sustainable Health and the Institute of Climate Change and Adaptation, Nairobi, Kenya.
“May I underscore the need to prepare officials of member states’ industries, agencies, parastatals and academic institutions for training on the skills of developing, implementing, and monitoring of GCF projects.
“We hope and believe that you will take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn, improve and strengthen your capacity with the requisite knowledge and competencies on the operation of the GCF and hoe to develop competitive affordable GCF project proposals.
“And that on returning to your institutions, organisations and parastatals, you will in turn champion this cause and train others to create the chain.
“And this will help establish GCF project development and management development skills within states.’’
The AU commissioner further urged the stakeholders at the workshop to realise that they had a responsibility to the continent.
“The dream of achieving what Africa should be lies in all of you. We say health is wealth, but when there is pollution everywhere how can there be health?
“In whatever capacity you are attending this meeting, you have already been taken as an ambassador to promote the GCF and for it to be implemented so that at the end of the day, we will benefit from the positives that will come out of it,’’ she added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that participants from 17 African countries are attending the three-day conference.
The countries are Ethiopia, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Gambia, Ghana, Egypt, and South Africa.
The others include Cameroon, Zambia, Mauritius, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Swaziland, Uganda, and Nigeria.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia concluded its chairmanship of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group of the member states of the CVF with a handover ceremony held at Addis Ababa on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 transferring presidency responsibilities to the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Hilda Heine, President of Marshall Islands
Speaking at the event, Dr. Gemedo Dalle, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said: “The Marshall Islands gives us hope. They are very vocal and committed to fighting climate change. The CVF is in safe hands. We strive for 1.5°C to thrive and we can do this together. The dream of a safer world needs the cooperation of all countries, and of every man, woman, and child.”
Accepting the responsibilities of the Forum chairmanship, Mr. Carlsan Heine of the Office of the President of the Marshall Islands said: “We have come together on climate change and we will continue to fight together on climate change. The Marshall Islands stands on the shoulders of the giants of this Forum who came before us as we seek to implement the CVF Vision and the core priorities of the V20 Finance Ministers. We are proud that a Pacific island nation of less than 100,000 inhabitants under female leadership will take forward this global Forum at this critical moment.”
The Marshall Islands is convening an entirely online Virtual Summit of the Climate Vulnerable Forum on 22 November 2018 and it was indicated that the Summit would be front and center of the Forum’s work for the remainder of 2018.
The handover ceremony took place in conjunction with meetings of the V20 Focus Groups and a CVF-V20 Troika Meeting held at Addis Ababa from August 27 to 28, 2018, gathering senior CVF and V20 officials from different world regions.
The inclusion of new coal in the updated draft Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) will cost South Africa close to R20 billion more than is needed to spend and will make electricity more expensive for all South Africans. If the Department of Energy were to publish the least-cost plan that civil society organisations have been demanding, it would not include any new coal.
Greenpeace Africa’s Senior Climate and Energy Campaign Manager, Melita Steele
Allowing the two new coal plants contemplated by the draft IRP to go ahead would be disastrous for water resources, air quality, health, land, and the climate, environmentalists believe.
The Life After Coal Campaign (consisting of Earthlife Africa, the Centre for Environmental Rights, and groundWork) and Greenpeace Africa argue that the inclusion of an additional 1000 MW of new coal-fired power – on top of existing and under-construction coal – puts the Department of Energy in conflict with the rights enshrined in the Constitution, given that there are safer, cleaner, and less-expensive energy options available.
“While we recognise the increased emphasis on renewable energy in the draft IRP, unless the Minister of Energy substantially revises and amends the draft IRP to ensure that the Constitutional right to a healthy environment is preserved and protected – and specifically excludes any new coal – the Department runs the risk of the IRP being challenged in court,” warns Melita Steele, senior climate and energy campaign manager at Greenpeace Africa.
Robyn Hugo, head of the Pollution & Climate Change Programme at the Centre for Environmental Rights, says that the updated IRP fails to take sufficient account of the external costs of the various available technologies. “Coal is an outdated and dirty technology – the environmental and health costs of which have not been factored into electricity planning.”
At present, almost 90% of South Africa’s energy mix is already comprised of coal, despite many of these plants failing to meet the required emission standards and causing devastating health impacts.
A 2016 report by UK-based air quality and health expert Dr Mike Holland found that air pollution from Eskom coal-fired power stations kills more than 2,200 South Africans every year and causes thousands of cases of bronchitis and asthma in adults and children annually.
“This costs the country more than R33 billion annually, through hospital admissions and lost working days,” says Bobby Peek, Director of groundWork.
“In addition to these severe health impacts, coal-fired electricity is also enormously water-intensive and the estimated costs of rehabilitating old mines and mining areas runs into the billions”, says Steele.
“Even discounting the health and environmental dangers of coal, it simply makes no economic sense to include coal in the IRP, as it is more expensive than other technologies such as wind and solar power,” says Makoma Lekalakala, director of Earthlife Africa.
The Campaign and Greenpeace Africa will reiterate all of these – and other concerns – in comments on the draft IRP. It is crucial that South Africa’s future electricity plan is least-cost and in the public interest. All South Africans – including coal workers and the unemployed – must be part of the process to ensure a just energy transition.
The General Manager, Kebbi Urban Development Authority (KUDA), Malami Muhammad Shekare, on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 said it had expended N33 million on evacuation of drains and clearing of waterways in the state.
Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, Governor of Kebbi State
Shekare told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi that the exercise was part of efforts to prevent flooding in the state.
He said the authority had engaged over 200 unemployed youths to assist in the evacuation and desilting of drains in major towns in the state.
“The State Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, approved N33 million for the exercise, and we engaged the services of unemployed youths in Zuru, Argungu, Birnin Kebbi and Yauri areas to assist in the evacuation and clearing.
“The exercise has so far yielded positive results as we have not witnessed flood in those areas apart from Argungu Local Government Area,’’ the general manager said.
He warned residents against erecting structures on the various drainage systems in the state and waterways, saying it was illegal.
“We will not hesitate to deal decisively with defaulters as we have been sensitising them on the dangers of building structures on the drains,” he said.
Shekare urged residents in the 21 local government areas to evacuate their drains to avoid flooding during the rainy season.
“As part of the measures to avert the flooding, we usually experience in the 11 local government areas, we urge residents to complement the state government’s efforts by evacuating the drains around their premises,’’ he said.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said more than 82,500 children are being prepared for the new school year in Ebola-affected areas of the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Anthony Kirsopp Lake, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF said it was scaling up education, health and water, sanitation and hygiene programmes to assist the schools to provide a protective learning environment for children and their teachers.
The Government of the DRC recently made the decision to proceed as planned with the start of the school year in the affected provinces of North-Kivu and Ituri, where some 250 schools are listed as being in Ebola-affected health zones.
“Education is a right for every child and essential for children to develop to their full potential.
“Especially in times of crisis such as an Ebola outbreak, schools are vital for children to find stability, learn prevention measures and receive psychosocial support.
“Every effort must go into ensuring a smooth and safe start to the new school year,” said Dr Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in the DRC following his visit to Mangina, the epicentre of the Ebola-epidemic.
School principals and teachers would receive training on Ebola prevention and protection, and how to educate children on good hygiene practices to avoid the spread of the virus.
To ensure schools in the affected health zones are well prepared for early detection and response, UNICEF is distributing health and WASH supplies including laser thermometers, hand washing units and megaphones and prevention posters to each of the 250 schools.
UNICEF and partners are working to train school principals and more than 1,750 teachers in the affected health zones about Ebola and protection measures against the virus.
They are also organising prevention communication activities for parents’ committees and local authorities on prevention measures in every concerned school.
They prepare teachers to sensitise all children at the beginning of the school year on good hygiene practices to contain the spread of the virus and distribute 500 laser thermometers – two in each school – to monitor the health situation of children.
UNICEF and partners are also installing 1,500 hand washing units – six in each school – to promote hand washing and hygiene, as well as distribute megaphones and prevention posters in every school.
Nigerian Social and Economic Research Institute (NISER) in Ibadan on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 called for more rural electrification projects to boost power supply across the country.
Commissioning of a rural electrification project
Dr Femi Ogundele of the Agriculture and Food Policy Department in NISER made the call while delivering a lecture at the NISER Research Seminar Series (NRSS).
Ogundele spoke on the topic “Electricity Consumption and Households’ Welfare Effects in Nigeria.”
He said rural electrification projects would promote rural industrialisation and curb rural-urban drift among the populace.
Ogundele said that massive procurement and deployment of prepaid meters would ensure justice in electricity charges.
He said that there was the need for a national policy and framework for enforcement of rules and standards guiding the use of generating sets due to their environmental effects.
“There is need to exercise caution on the extent to which tariff on electricity can be increased as households don’t adjust electricity expenditure upward proportionately to increased tariff.
“Efforts to make the cost of the environmentally friendly alternatives such as solar affordable is necessary to solve the problem of reliability and environmental pollution,” he said.
Ogundele said that electricity supply should reach the minimum daily average of 10 hours considered as satisfactory by households before any tariff adjustment.
Earlier, NISER Director-General, Dr Folarin Gbadebo-Smith, had said availability of electricity was key to healthy living, stressing that almost nothing would function without it.
Gbadebo-Smith, represented by Prof. John Adeoti, Head of Science and Technology Innovation in NISER, said that the NRSS was a platform where the institute interacted with stakeholders on NISER researches with the aim of improving the economy.
He commended the stakeholders for their support and for finding time to attend the seminars.
The Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Andrew Ayodele, said that rural areas should be developed through adequate supply of electricity to stop rural-urban migration.
Ayodele also said there was the need to support massive provision of electricity to discourage the use of generating sets with its concomitant effects on the environment.
