A new report has indicated that one-third of tropical timber traded globally comes from illegal deforestation.
Paolo Cerutti of CIFOR
The significant number stems from an increase of timber traded on domestic markets, which are less regulated and strict than international, export-oriented markets.
More than 40 renowned scientists from around the world, including scientists from the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), produced the authoritative report, which was launched at the Conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP13) in Cancun, Mexico last month.
The study was coordinated by the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) on behalf of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF).
“Forestry crime including corporate crimes and illegal logging account for up to $152 billion every year, more than all official development aid combined,” said Erik Solheim, Head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), one of the partner organisations supporting the assessment.
“Illegal logging is complex. Before measures can be taken to curb it, preliminary work is needed to further assess the activity’s causes, complex dynamics, impacts and trade-offs. This was the mission behind our report,” said Paolo Cerutti, one of the study’s key authors and a scientist at CIFOR.
Read more about the assessment can be read here, while the report can be downloaded here.
Researchers found that bilateral trade agreements between producer and consumer countries – like the European Union’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan (FLEGT) – have prompted shifts in the timber trade from industrial export-oriented markets to small-scale logging operations for the domestic market.
This pattern can be readily observed in Cameroon, Africa’s largest exporter of tropical hardwood to the EU. Due to a lack of government regulation concerning the domestic wood sector, almost half of the country’s timber is sold on the black market.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Botswana, Dr. Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, highlights five focal points she will emphasise at the African Union Commission
Dr. Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Botswana and candidate for the Chairperson of the African Union
Dr. Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Botswana and candidate for the Chairperson of the African Union, on Thursday, 26 January 2017 in Gaborone, highlighted five major reforms she would introduce if elected as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). She made these remarks ahead of the AUC election that is slated to take place next week.
These reforms include:
Make the role of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), as the development arm of the AUC, more prominent, distinct and better defined along-side the roles of the various Commissions. Of equal importance is how consultation is improved on issues with member states through the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC);
Forge stronger integration between AUC and regional bodies to ensure regular information sharing and conducting activities in a more efficient and cost effective manner;
Re-introduce activity reports at annual summits to brief members on the work of the AUC on the period preceding that summit;
Ensure attendance of regional summits and visits by the AUC as a matter of regular occurrence; and,
Follow up on implementation of the Kigali summit on funding to speed up process; and assess other mechanisms available to the Commission to generate income for the Union including discussions with the private sector.
Dr. Venson-Moitoi says: “The African Union is uniquely positioned to contribute to laying the foundations for realising Africa’s bright future and to achieve the Vision 2063 goals. This is not an easy task, though. It will require stewardship and drive; energy and perseverance; pan-African activism, action-orientation and diplomacy as well as ability to reach consensus.”
She is currently the 8th Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of the Republic of Botswana. Her areas of specialty lie in Public Service Management and Administrative Systems Analysis and Design. Dr. Venson-Moitoi is passionate about working to drive sustainable development across the African continent, moving the people of Africa forward through collaboration with the leading minds and captains of Africa’s industries.
“As Chairperson of the AUC, I will commit to promoting practices that seek to enhance Africa’s quest for democratic development. I will galvanise the support of all Member States of the AUC to ensure that, together, we champion democratic governance,” concludes Dr. Venson-Moitoi.
Dr. Robin Buruchara, Director of the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), imagine what a world without beans would be like. PABRA, a network of researchers from 30 countries in Africa, supports national bean programmes and other members to enhance delivery of improved beans for Africa
Beans come in many shapes, sizes, colours and tastes
I, like millions of others in Africa, can’t imagine what it would be like to live without beans. Venture onto any small farm in Uganda at meal time, and I can guarantee you that you will find beans on your plate.
Come to think of it, venture onto any smallholder farm, low income urban home or boarding school across Africa at meal time, and you are more likely than not to find beans or some kind of pulse on your plate.
And that’s despite the most severe drought that parts of the continent have seen in decades. Rains have been late or not come at all; water scarcity has devastated harvests, and incomes have been crippled.
Yet beans remain a staple in the African diet, for more reasons than one. They’re inexpensive and easy to grow, with seeds sourced from neighbours or family members. They’re nutritious: high in protein, fibre, carbohydrates, folic acid, iron and zinc.
Our studies in Rwanda, for instance, show eating iron-fortified beans can actually reverse anemia and iron deficiency.
They come in many shapes, sizes, colours and tastes. In many countries they a good source of income as they are easy to sell. And farmers know beans are a good bet to plant, because if most of their harvest fails and they can’t sell anything – at least they have some food at home.
That’s why the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), works with national bean programmes to strengthen cropping systems across 30 countries in Africa.
But growing more beans is not a panacea for tackling malnutrition, improving soil fertility and improving incomes. And, significant challenges block the road to improve production.
Despite the prominence of beans in the local diet and their versatility, the production and improvement of beans is not as high a priority in agricultural and nutritional policies as it ought to be. Their nutritional benefits are not incorporated into nutrition programmes; their ability to combat climate change and make farmers’ fields more resilient are not spelled out in climate policy.
It’s unlikely that farmers throughout sub-Saharan Africa – where nitrogen is a commonly lacking crop nutrient – know that beans and other pulses can be used as an alternative or complementary source of nitrogen. They convert atmospheric nitrogen into nutrients the plant can use, by-passing problems associated with excessive fertiliser use – including water and air pollution, not to mention cost.
They might not know which beans can be sold for a good income twice a year at the local market – especially important for women, who traditionally control earnings from the crop. They might not know which varieties can tackle anemia, or improve soil health.
They probably don’t know that beans use less water and energy compared to most other protein sources, and that they are also relatively drought resilient compared with other crops.
This needs to change. These are vital factors for farmers in Africa, who must prepare for more drought, longer dry seasons and shorter spells of unpredictable rainfall. Until our agricultural systems become fully irrigated, our farmers need more resilient crops, and beans are an excellent case in point.
In too many places, new bean varieties and agronomic packages don’t reach farmers or advisory services. To inform farm-scale decision making and agricultural policy, we need to spread the word about the full set of impacts that can be felt by integrating pulses into cropping systems.
It’s true: we do need more research into which beans fit within specific cropping systems.
Agronomic management is a central pillar of pulse production that relies on developing options suited to local contexts. Yield and environmental benefits of pulse production vary widely across agro-ecological contexts.
But already we have evidence to show the yield increases farmers can expect in their fields; the extra income they put into their pockets, and the huge nutritional benefits they can gain from eating beans.
What remains to be seen is how the private sector and public sector can work together to make sure better beans get to more people. To make sure farmers growing them can make more money from them; or feed their families more nutritious diets with them.
We’re tackling these challenges head on. And raising awareness about how exactly beans contribute to our welfare this Global Pulse Day, is among the many routes we can take to beat them.
In a recent interview, Ambassador Dr Amina Mohamed sets out her case in her candidacy for the position of African Union Chairperson that will be decided at the forthcoming AU Summit at the end of this month.
Ambassador Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and AU Chairperson Candidate
“I am a tough, but fair, negotiator and what I enjoy doing most is building consensus, unifying people and sticking on message to obtain optimum outcomes,” she says.
Ambassador Mohamed, Kenya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, is confident her track record stands her in good stead to take on the role as chairperson. Her experience as a chief negotiator at the highest level, be it at the WTO, at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) or at GATT (the General Agreements on Tarrifs and Trade) have shown she can get different vested interest to find a mutually beneficial position, bringing about consensus for the benefit of the majority.
She sees herself as a passionate Africa and pan-Africanist always fighting Africa’s corner at international fora, in some cases as a lone voice for the developing world. As well as building consensus, which is the first step in any discussion, she says that her strength comes from actually getting things done.
Implementation, she says, is where she will focus her energy, so that the AU fulfils the expectation of the people of the continent.
“We need to implement, rather than simply make declarations. Implementation has been woeful – my mantra will be implementation, implementation, and implementation,” she notes, adding that her strategic focus will be on doing better with existing resources.
In order for AU reforms to work, she says, “You must bring everybody along. That is why experience in reaching consensus is vital to this job.”
In building equal partnerships for the delivery of Agenda 2063, Africa’s ambitious roadmap for sustainable socioeconomic development, Ambassador Mohamed says that a different conversation is needed in order to confront some of the most complex global challenges facing Africa.
Amb. Mohamed has received the endorsement from a number of private sector leaders including James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Bank and Josphat Mwaura, CEO & Senior Partner at KPMG in Kenya. They called for a more private sector approach from the AU, which is something that she has been advocating in her manifesto and in her statements.
Amb. Mohamed has also been endorsed by young leaders including Ms. Mariéme Jamme, the Tech Entrepreneur, Activist and a Young Global Leader recognised by the World Economic Forum for her activism work in empowering and investing in young girls and women.
The other candidates for Chairperson of the African Union Commission are: Botswana’s Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, Chad’s Moussa Faki Mahamat, Equatorial Guinea’s Agapito Mba Mokuy, and Senegal’s Abdoulaye Bathily.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has said that it will stick to its target of investing around $100 billion in climate action over the next five years, the largest climate finance contribution of any single multilateral institution, and is already exceeding its own targets for climate finance.
EIB President, Werner Hoyer
EIB President, Werner Hoyer, made the disclosure while presenting the EIB Group annual results at a news conference in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.
The contributions of financial institutions such as the EIB are crucial to enable countries to reach their central target under the Paris Climate Change Agreement, which is to keep the global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
The bank announced this week that it has overshot its overall climate finance target for the seventh year running, providing over 19 billion Euros. This represented about a quarter of the bank’s total lending in 2016.
In support of the Paris Agreement, the European Investment Bank has already committed to increase its lending for projects in developing countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to build resilience to climate change to 35% of total lending by 2020.
EIB funding supports sustainable projects in over 160 countries and acts as a catalyst to mobilise private finance for climate action, encouraging others to match their investment.
The EIB is self-financed: lending activities are mainly funded via bond issuance in the international capital markets. Despite periods of market uncertainty last year, the Bank successfully raised 66.4 billion euros from investors around the world. Ten years after pioneering the first Green Bonds, they remain the largest issuer, with over 15 billion euros raised for climate projects since 2007.
In the latest demonstration of institutional asset owners’ commitment to climate action, New York State Common Retirement Fund (CRF), the third largest public pension fund in the US with $184.5 billion in assets, has joined the Portfolio Decarbonication Coalition (PDC).
New York State Comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli
The CRF is the first major US pension fund to join the Coalition’s 28 members, who between them control over $3 trillion in assets and have pledged to gradually decarbonise a total of $600 billion by designing investment portfolios with a smaller climate change impact.
One year ago, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, trustee of the CRF, announced plans at the Paris climate talks to position the Fund for a low carbon future. In partnership with Goldman Sachs, the CRF developed a low emission index, which steers assets away from large carbon emitters and increases investments in carbon-efficient companies.
“Climate change is one of the greatest risks to our pension fund’s portfolio,” DiNapoli said. “We’re reviewing and adjusting our investments to reduce that risk and take advantage of the growing opportunities of a lower carbon future. Investors are playing a key role in fostering a cleaner global economy. The PDC gives us the opportunity not only to highlight our own activities in this regard, but also to share insights and challenges with counterparts around the world.”
“Investments with more carbon translate to higher risk, not just from potential carbon fees or pricing, but also from shifts in technology that can leave high carbon assets stranded,” said Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment Programme (UNEP), whose Finance Initiative is a co-founder of the PDC.
“The success of the Portfolio Decarbonisation Coalition is a clear signal to both governments and companies that climate change, and the corporate response to it, is critical to shareholder value and investor interests going forward,” said Solheim.
CRF’s action comes at a time of intense efforts by the financial community to prevent market shocks from the widespread mispricing of climate change risks.
Last month, the G20’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures co-chaired by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney recommended full and standardised disclosure by companies and investors of financial risks and opportunities from climate change.
Other investor members of the PDC include major European funds such as France’s ERAFP ($26.9 billion) and FRR ($38.5 billion), the Dutch giant ABP ($481.1 billion) and the world’s largest insurance company, Germany’s Allianz Group.
“We are seeing significant international collaboration among leading asset owners to push on climate issues,” said Lance Pierce, President of CDP North America, the international not-for-profit organisation holding the world’s largest collection of self-disclosed corporate environmental data and one of the Portfolio Decarbonisation Coalition organisers.
Pierce added, “Climate change is requiring transformational changes in the economy in order to safeguard assets and supply chains, and presents a significant economic growth opportunity. The US renewable energy sector employed 769,000 people and the solar industry grew 12 times faster than overall job creation in 2015. Investors are realising they can reduce carbon, reduce risk and generate steady financial returns as well as jobs.”
Mats Andersson, former CEO, The Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund (AP4), co-founder PDC, said: “We welcome New York State CRF to the coalition. Their commitment to manage their funds through sustainable investments and active ownership shows important leadership at a vital time for the transition to a low-carbon economy.”
Hugh Lawson, Global Head of ESG and Impact Investing, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, added: “We are pleased to be CRF’s strategic partner as they consider the risks, and seize the opportunities, presented by the world’s evolving relationship to carbon. CRF has been a leader among institutional investors in the thoughtful use of CDP’s data resources and will be a meaningful contributor to the Portfolio Decarbonisation Coalition.”
The Benue State Government has been asked to expedite action on completing the Cancer Screening Centre under construction at the Pauline Makka Women Centre, Makurdi in order to harness its health and economic benefits.
A cancer screening machine
The Benue State House of Assembly, which made the call on Tuesday, 24 January 2017 during plenary in resolutions after debate on the report of the House Standing Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, was on a familiarisation visit to the ministry.
Furthermore, the House, while frowning at the sorry state of the State Rehabilitation Board, Apir called on the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy to ensure that local government councils remit their counterpart fund to the Board as stipulated by the Edict setting it up so as to make it live up to its responsibilities.
In the lead debate, Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Matthew Ire (Oju II/PDP), who noted that facilities under the ministry were in a sorry state, revealed that the Cancer Screening Centre which has been roofed has gulped N25 million out of the initial contract sum of N1.3 million.
He stressed that the committee findings show that, due to increase in prices of building materials among others, the contract which was awarded in 2010 with construction starting in January, 2011 is undergoing review.
Mr Ire added that the Cancer Screening Centre was the first of its kind in the North-Central Zone and has to be completed to save lives in the state and beyond.
In his submission, Chairman, House Standing Committee on Health, Dr Adoga Onah (Oju I/PDP), who noted that the cancer screening centre in the state would be of immense benefit and help to the people, stated that facilities that could generate more revenue for the state abound under the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
To this end, he charged government to source for funds to complete the cancer screening centre, adding that it is regrettable that government initiates projects but end up being abandoned halfway.
Ruling, Speaker, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange (Ushongo/APC) who commended the committee for its oversight function, charged them to investigate more into operations of the ministry and her out-stations as it is essential to the growth of women and social development.
The Ushongo legislator noted that, in the face of the current recession, it is expedient for the state government to explore all ways to improve her Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and avenues such as the cancer screening centre will come handy.
France has issued its first “green bonds” with a record seven billion euro ($7.5 billion) sale, paving the way for the establishment of a genuine market in renewable energy bonds.
Segolene Royal, Minister of Environment of France and COP21 President. Photo credit: zimblo.com
Proceeds from Tuesday’s (24 January, 2017) sale of the 22-year bonds will be used to finance projects to address climate change.
Credit Agricole-CIB, which was one of the banks handling placement of the bonds with institutional investors, said it was a “historic” event for the green bonds market because of the size and long maturity of the loan.
The move demonstrates France has “a credible and robust framework to implement the Paris Agreement (on climate change),” Environment Minister, Segolene Royal said.
The bonds’ coupon was set at 1.75 percent, an interest rate comparable to conventional borrowing on the same timeframe.
The issue shows France is able to finance expenditure on green projects at the same price as traditional borrowing, Finance Minister, Michel Sapin, told reporters.
The initiative was first announced in April 2016 by President Francois Hollande who has championed his country’s role as a leader in energy transition.
Poland was the first country to enter the green bond market with a more modest 750 million euro issue in December. Previously they had only been issued by companies or finance institutions such as the World Bank.
But because of its size and maturity, the French transaction marked the entry of states into the green bonds market, stressed Anthony Requin, CEO of Agence France Tresor, which manages French government debt.
“By becoming the first country to issue a sovereign green benchmark bond, France has confirmed its role as a driving force for the implementation of the goals of the December 2015 Paris Climate Agreement,” AFT said in a statement.
The issue, which was reserved for institutional investors such as banks and pension funds, was oversubscribed with total demand exceeding 23 billion euros.
Thirteen global car and energy companies have teamed up to promote hydrogen as a clean fuel, which can power the world toward its goal of decarbonising its energy supply.
Toyota FCV hydrogen fuel cell concept car. Toyota is among 13 members of the new Hydrogen Council which will be pushing for a greater role for hydrogen in the world’s energy mix
Hydrogen technology is well understood but for it to work on the global stage it can’t be enacted piecemeal, according to the Hydrogen Council, which was launched this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Together, the companies are investing around €1.4 billion (£1.1 billion) annually in hydrogen, but governments need to factor hydrogen into policy and regulatory frameworks, says Pierre-Etienne Franc, of industrial gas group Air Liquide, and secretary to the council. The group, which includes Daimler, Toyota, Shell and Total suggests hydrogen can play a role in every sector which currently relies on fossil fuels.
Hydrogen can be produced from the electrolysis of water or by steam reforming of methane. The former is less efficient but could be a way to harness excess renewable energy, which could be stored as hydrogen – providing a buffer for intermittent daily and seasonal electricity generation.
In Germany, in a scenario where 90% of electricity is generated by renewables by 2050, the projected surplus could fuel half the country’s cars with hydrogen. Storage demonstrator projects are coming on stream in many parts of the world, and industry already has experience of storing hydrogen underground. The cost of storing hydrogen in underground salt caverns is projected to fall to about one third of the cost of pumped hydro storage by 2030, according to a report commissioned by the council. Hydrogen could also be used for heating. In the UK, a £7 million Ofgem funded scheme to pump hydrogen into Keele University’s gas network is due to begin this year.
Presently, most hydrogen is produced using steam reformation of methane which produces carbon dioxide that would need to be captured to make the technology emissions free. While hydrogen produced this way wouldn’t be suitable for fuelling vehicles, the Hydrogen Council says carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in tandem with hydrogen has the potential to decarbonise energy intensive sectors like cement and steel.
Jamie Speirs at the sustainable gas institute at Imperial College London says a hydrogen economy could be “the saviour for CCS – providing a healthy timeline for investments while other technologies get off the ground”. “Hydrogen makes a lot of intuitive sense but it’s very difficult to say what the whole system will cost,” he adds.
Franc anticipates that putting in an infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles – of which there around 3000 worldwide so far – in a country the size of France or Germany would cost around €1.5 billion (£1.3 billion). He points to a joint venture with gas giant Linde, where Air Liquide is working to create a nationwide network of 400 hydrogen fuel stations in Germany which will cost around €400 million, and serve several hundred thousand cars.
A massive oil spill arising from two (underwater and surface) crude oil leakages from pipelines along the Nembe South, Nembe Local Government Council Area of Bayelsa State is raising food security concerns in the locality.
Creeks devastated as a result of oil spill at Nembe Creek in Niger Delta
This is because the indigenes of the affected five communities and fishing settlements are increasingly unable to eke out a living as fishing and farming activities have been grounded to a halt, amid the threat of water poisoning. The facility is owned by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
It was gathered that while the under water leakage was discovered by fishermen close to the Brass River, the surface leakage was unveiled in the mangrove forest located a mile away from the Nembe Road.
A joint inspection team of local indigenes and concerned environmental groups led by the Coordinator of the Niger Delta Development Monitoring Group and former Chairman of Nembe Oil and Gas Committee, Nengi James, and the Public Relations Officer of the Sabatorou Youth Group, Justice Andrew, visited the sites of the spillages.
James, who confirmed the development, said the visit to the sites of the leakage was to get video and pictorial evidence. “The team suspected that the spillage occurred some days before discovery by indigenes. And Agip is yet to attend to the cries of the communities. The spillage has stopped aquatic and farming activities,” he said, adding:
“Agip has refused to do containment and clean ups. We are calling on government and appropriate organisations to condemn the attitude of Agip to the host communities. We also recommend that the damaged pipelines be replaced and necessary compensation paid to indigenes of affected communities.”
