Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Terkimbi Ikyange (Ushongo/APC), has acknowledged the contributions of Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) to the development of rural communities in the state.
Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Terkimbi Ikyange. He has lauded the contributions of the CSDP to rural development
Making this acknowledgement against the backdrop of the completion and inauguration of seven World Bank assisted projects spread across seven council wards in Ushongo Local Government Area on Wednesday, February 1 2017, he noted that the activities of CSDP has alleviated the hardship hitherto faced by several communities in different parts of the state, including his constituency.
According to a release signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Bem Abunde, and made available to EnviroNews, the Speaker expressed appreciation to World Bank, General Manager CSDP, Thaddeus Mande, and the entire staff of the agency for finding his constituency worthy of constructing schools, bridges, clinics and staff quarters in Ikov, Atirkyese, Mbakuha, Mbaawe, Mbaaka, Mbagba and Mbayegh Council Wards.
He appealed to the beneficiaries of CSDP Projects to take ownership of the various projects located in their communities by protecting and making the best use of them, especially now that the economy of the state was feeling the pulse of economic recession.
Ikyange pledged on behalf of the Benue State House of Assembly to partner CSDP and other relevant agencies of government to ensure rapid transformation of rural communities in line with the philosophy of the 2017 Budget of the State.
The Benue State House of Assembly has accused Dangote Cement Company for treating the House and the Benue people with levity, contempt and ridicule.
A Dangote Cement Company plant
This followed the non-appearance of the Plant Director, Dangote Cement, Gboko Plant, Jacinto Miranda, on Wednesday, February 1, 2017 during plenary, albeit for the second time after on invitation by the House to appear before it to explain the recent hike in cement price in the state.
The Plant Director, who earlier failed to appear before the House on Thursday, January 26 2017, was represented at Wednesday’s appearance by Regional Sales Director, Dangote Cement, Tunde Mabogunje, and other management staff of the company who were however refused interaction with the House.
However, frowning at the second non-appearance of Mr Miranda, Paul Biam (Ukum/PDP), who moved a motion for him to appear before the House in person on Tuesday, February 7 2017 or face the wrath of the House (which could invoke constitutional provisions against Miranda), added that he (Miranda) had undermined the House and indeed the people of Benue State.
According to Biam, it is unimaginable that the state is blessed with limestone but purchase cement at a higher cost than other places such as Abuja and Kaduna where a bag goes for N2,300 or less. In Benue State, a bag of cement sells for N2,800.
Biam described the attention given Gboko Plant of Dangote Cement Company and customers as appalling and totally at variance with what obtains at its Obajana Plant in Kogi State.
Seconding the motion, Adam Okloho (Adoka-Ogboju/APC) who noted that the motion is apt, definite and clear, stated that the Plant Director has taken the House for granted by his failure to appear before it with no concrete reasons to back up his action.
Earlier, Majority Leader, Benjamin Adanyi (Makurdi-South/APC) stressed that the House “specifically requested for the Plant Director but if he feels he has other priorities more than the Assembly”, such conduct could make them conclude that he is treating the House with contempt and ridicule.
“We are going to ask questions beyond pricing; therefore, we would rather interact with the Plant Manager and not the Regional Sales Director,” he stated.
Ruling, the Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange (Ushongo/APC), who said they cannot have a substitute for the Plant Director who the House invited, noted that the Dangote Cement Company seems to be treating the State Assembly with levity.
He reiterated that if the Plant Director of the Gboko Plant fails to appear before the House again, the legislators will invoke the Constitution to address his actions.
Deutsche Bank, the biggest bank in Germany, has said it will stop financing coal projects as part of its commitments under the Paris agreement to tackle global warming.
A power plant fired by coal
“Deutsche Bank and its subsidiaries will not grant new financing for greenfield thermal coal mining and new coal-fired power plant construction,” it said in a statement.
Existing exposure to such projects will be gradually reduced, it added.
The lender said the decision was in line with the pledges it made at the Paris climate conference, along with 400 other public and private companies, to help fight global warming.
Green groups claimed then that Deutsche Bank had bowed to public pressure after 180,000 Germans signed a petition urging the bank not to fund the expansion at Abbot Point in Queensland.
A study last month by the legal group Arabella Advisors found that global funds were increasingly signalling plans to pull out of fossil fuel investments, one year on from the Paris climate agreement.
The accord, signed by 192 countries, is the world’s first universal, legally binding climate deal.
It sets out a plan to limit global warming to below 2C (3.6F) over pre-industrial levels.
The new US president, Donald Trump, has vowed to withdraw his country, the world’s second-largest greenhouse-gas polluter after China, from the agreement.
Mangroves are salt-water tolerant shrubs and trees that grow in shallow, tropical coastal waters. Their roots bind the shoreline and each kilometre of mangrove forest can reduce a storm surge by 50cm, blunting the impact of cyclones/hurricanes and tsunamis. Every hectare of mangrove and coastal marsh is worth up to $15,161 a year in disaster-related services. Mangroves also store carbon dioxide, helping to fight climate change.
Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are solid structures found in shallow, tropical waters and are built by living colonies of tiny coral polyps. Home to a quarter of all marine species, and providers of eco-tourism livelihoods, coral reefs also act as offshore wave barriers.
This protection from extreme events is worth up to $33,556 per hectare every year. It’s also estimated that spending $1 million a year on restoring reefs at the Folkestone Marine Park on the west coast of Barbados could lower annual storm losses there by $20 million.
Rivers and Flood Plains
The River Caldew flowing into Carlisle
Over time, rivers and streams meander to create wide, silted floodplains. If these are left intact – with their related inland lakes and swamps – they can act as a giant reservoir. During sudden floods, they can spread and store flood water over a wide area, reducing damage downstream.
Inland Deltas
When rivers flow into a wide, flat inland lake without draining into the ocean, an inland delta is formed. In extremely arid areas, these seasonal flows are a strong natural safeguard against drought. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is perhaps the most famous, flooding an area the size of Belgium, providing a home for 200,000 large mammals and 400 bird species during that region’s parched winter season.
Peatlands
Peatlands are water-saturated lands containing decomposed plant material up to 30 meters deep that has accumulated over time. They cover 3% of the earth’s land surface. Key fact: peatlands store more than twice as much carbon as all of the world’s forests combined, so they play an important role in mitigating some effects of climate change.
With the theme: “Wetlands for Disaster Risk Management”, mankind will on Thursday, 02 January celebrate the 2017 edition of the World Wetlands Day.
The Nguru-Hadejia Wetlands in Yobe State, northern Nigeria
The world will attempt to raise awareness around the theme, in the light of the fact that the frequency of disasters worldwide has more than doubled in just 35 years – driven by climate and weather related hazards like flooding, cyclones, and droughts.
The idea is that, to reduce the impact of flooding for example, wetlands can be managed to act as a natural sponge, absorbing and storing excess rainfall.
“During periods of low rainfall, the stored water helps maintain ground water levels delaying the onset of drought. Similarly, coastal wetlands act as a natural protective buffer while mangroves bind the shoreline and help reduce storm surge,” said a source.
Observed on 2 February each year, the World Wetlands Day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. It is an international date with a different theme and message on a relevant subject set each year by the Ramsar Secretariat.
Countries all over the world have earmarked prorammes and events to celebrate the special day and spread the massage that wetlands are a natural safeguard against disasters, help mankind cope with extreme weather events, and do sustain lives.
In Nigeria for example, the Federal Ministry of Environment has lined up a series of events in thatregards. Some of these include:
Make a call to state governments to submit proposals on prospective sites that meet Ramsar Criteria for inclusion as Ramsar sites of International Importance.
Visit to Nguru-Hadejia Wetlands in Yobe State, where efforts are ongoing to resuscitate/revamp the ecosystem services of the Ramsar site, provide management plan and bring it to integrated management.
Identification of Wetland Ambassador in Nguru-Hadejia Wetlands.
Upload on ministry and Ramsar Convention dedicated websites.
Spread awareness via banners and stickers; promotion on Ministry and departments’ websites, on social media platforms, in newsletters as well as bulletin boards.
State governments have been urged to emulate the Akwa Ibom State Government’s efforts towards addressing climate change.
Prof. Olukayode Oladipo. He wants states to emulate the Akwa Ibom State Government Roadmap on Climate Change
Climate expert and negotiator, Prof. Olukayode Oladipo, who made the submission recently in Uyo, the state capital, stated that the state’s Roadmap on Climate Change has received national and international commendation.
Prof. Oladipo pointed out during a Post-COP22 Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum with the theme: “Marrakech climate change conference: Outcome and opportunities for Akwa Ibom State” that the Akwa Ibom State Roadmap has been recommended at the national level as a guide to other states and called for proper translation into local languages for greater awareness.
He added that the Roadmap, which was unveiled at a side-event during the UN Climate Change Conference last November in Marrakech (COP22), gives Akwa Ibom State an opportunity to key into the Green Climate Fund and other climate change finance windows.
Environment Commissioner, Dr. Iniobong Essien, gave an insight into the Roadmap, which he said entails strategies, mechanisms, and projects to be implemented to foster low-carbon and high-growth economic development, while building a climate-resilient society in the state. He added that the forum was informed by the need to update stakeholders on the outcome of COP22.
Participants at the event
Executive Director, Water Safety Initiative Foundation, Unyime Robinson, stated that, based on the state’s participation in the Marrakech conference, it was imperative to translate the outcome and its benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.
Participants at the event commended the Ministry of Environment as well as the Water Safety Initiative Foundation for organising the forum, and called for the enactment of the environmental laws, creation of awareness to educate the citizenry, and massive planting of trees to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Attended by over 150 participants including the Secretary to the State Government, Sir Etekamba Umoren, as well as representatives of the Vice Chancellors of the University of Uyo and Akwa Ibom State University, the event featured a documentary on climate change impacts in the state, and presentations on the outcome of COP22 and opportunities for Akwa Ibom State.
Also in attendance were representatives from the Office of the Governor; Deputy Governor; House Committee on Environment; Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); civil society; and academia.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday, 26 January 2017 in Manila, The Philipines, signed a new $109 million financing package for the Muara Laboh geothermal power generation project in western Indonesia. The financing, which was approved in December 2016, is part of ADB’s efforts to scale up private sector-led infrastructure development in Asia and the Pacific and boost support for clean energy.
A rig is deployed at Muara Laboh geothermal project. Photo credit: Supreme Energy
The project will be one of the first transactions to receive funding from ADB’s newly established Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP). The Fund is capitalised by $1.5 billion in equity from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and is managed by ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department. With the Muara Laboh approval and other recent LEAP financings, over $200 million of LEAP funds have been allocated.
“This project demonstrates Indonesia’s commitment to meet increasing demand for electricity and support the development of renewable energy,” said Yuichiro Yoi, Senior Investment Specialist in ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department. “This transaction proves that the private sector will play a critical role in helping the country achieve both of these targets.”
On completion, the Muara Laboh geothermal facilities, located in West Sumatra, will generate 80 megawatts of electricity. Indonesia contains about 40% of the world’s geothermal reserves, making it an important resource for the country to achieve its commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 29% by 2030.
The assistance is funded by a $70 million loan from ADB’s own capital and a $19 million participation from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), which provides middle-income countries with concessional resources for the demonstration, deployment and transfer of low-carbon technologies. ADB administers over $1.1 billion of CTF, one of the four programmes comprising the Climate Investment Funds.
The project brings together an important set of geothermal project developers and financiers. The project company, PT Supreme Energy Muara Laboh, is a joint venture consisting of the Indonesian geothermal power developer, PT Supreme Energy; the Japanese trading and investment company, Sumitomo Corporation; and global energy leader ENGIE. In addition to ADB, financing is being provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and a set of commercial banks under a guarantee from Nippon Export and Investment Insurance.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region.
The Benue State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Mwuese Mnyim, has assured of government’s commitment to partner the Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria in the provision of data on OVC (orphans and vulnerable children) in order to make it easier for the authorities to make budgetary heads to cater for them.
Benue State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Mwuese Mnyim. Her ministry is partnering with the Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria in the provision of data on OVC
The Commissioner, who made this commitment on Monday, 30 January 2017 in her office in Makurdi, the state capital, when the Benue State chapter of the Association paid her an advocacy visit, stated that, for government to roll out policies that are relevant and do not have disconnect with reality, they need data on OVCs which they do not have at the moment, and which is creating a big gap.
Mrs Mnyim maintained that the issue of OVC is at the core of the ministry and forms a core of the Governor Samuel Ortom administration, hence they cannot but fall in line in his vision for OVCs.
“Every child must be given the chance to fulfil his or her potential and contribute to the development of the state and country so be assured that when we join hands together, we will see the vision for OVCs through to fruition,” she promised the Association.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Association, Mrs Rosemary Hua, had sued for government partnership to save vulnerable children from dying.
She stated that, over the years, there have been pockets of weak and uncoordinated interventions on orphans and vulnerable children in Nigeria by the government, civil society and international development partners.
“There has also been inadequate documentation while the standard of service delivery has been varied without attention to qualify. The CSO coordination has actually been very poor in this area, especially in Benue State,” she said.
According to her, the Association which was formed in 2007 but went moribund due to logistics factors was rejuvenated in 2016 to contribute towards the reduction of the impact of vulnerability which affects the wellbeing of children between ages 0-18 years in the country.
To this end, she submitted that, with government partnership, they can work closely with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in supporting OVC work in the state through coordinated and coherent input into the national, state and local government’s response.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mr Musa Abraham, stated that the issue of OVCs is dear to the heart of the government, adding that he appreciates the Association’s desire to see that orphans are catered for, a gesture he describes as a worthy service to humanity.
Current and foreseeable policies to mitigate carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions from global transport activity will not suffice to achieve the international community’s climate ambitions, a new study published by the International Transport Forum (ITF) finds.
José Viegas, Secretary-General of International Transport Forum (ITF)
Continued strong growth in demand for mobility means that even in the most optimistic scenario, transport CO2 emissions in 2050 will still be at 2015 levels of around 7.5 giga-tonnes, according to projections published in the ITF Transport Outlook 2017.
This scenario already assumes that new technologies and changed behaviour lead to significantly less CO2 being emitted in relation to the total distance travelled. In the ITF Transport Outlook’s less optimistic baseline scenario, a doubling of global transport demand will lead to an increase of transport CO2 emissions of 60% between 2015 and 2050.
“We need to both accelerate innovation and make radical policy choices to decarbonise transport”, said ITF Secretary-General José Viegas on the occasion of the launch.
“Technology will provide about 70% of the possible CO2 reductions to 2050. The rest will come from doing things differently, and this is where there is still a lot of potential. We need to think much harder about things like shared mobility, changes in supply chains and even new transport modes.”
A key factor for the difficulty in reducing transport CO2 emissions over the long run is shifting global trade patterns. As trade moves to regions with a lack of rail or waterway infrastructure, greenhouse gas emissions from road freight will almost double. Driven by more trade among the region’s emerging economies, freight transport on intra-Asian routes will grow particularly strongly, by 250% to 2050. Operational measures such as truck-sharing, route optimisation or relaxation of delivery windows to optimise use of transport capacity would help to mitigate the emission increases here.
Urban mobility is another area of concern. Car use in cities is set to double by 2050, as fast-growing emerging economies meet mobility demand. According to the ITF analysis, cities can keep the number of cars constant at the 2015 level if they act now to put in place integrated land-use and transport policies, use pricing to manage mobility patterns and invest in accessibility through public transport.
“With the right policy mix, even fast-growing cities will be in a position provide today’s level of mobility to citizens but in a more sustainable way,” notes Jari Kauppila, Head of Modelling and Statistics at ITF.
Nearly 20 leading global banks and investors, totaling $6.6 trillion in assets, on Monday, 30 January 2017 in Paris, France launched the Principles for Positive Impact Finance – a first-of-its-kind set of criteria for investments to be considered sustainable.
French Finance Minister, Michel Sapin
“The Principles are a timely initiative from the finance sector. They demonstrate the willingness of financial institutions to go beyond current practices and to contribute to foster a more sustainable development,” said French Finance Minister, Michel Sapin. “They should provide strengthened foundations for a positive cooperation between public and private actors in this area.”
“Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – the global action plan to end poverty, combat climate change and protect the environment – is expected to cost $5 to 7 trillion every year through 2030,” said Eric Usher, head of the UN Environment Finance Initiative.
“The Positive Impact Principles are a game changer, which will help to channel the hundreds of trillions of dollars managed by banks and investors towards clean, low carbon and inclusive projects.”
The Principles provide financiers and investors with a global framework applicable across their different business lines, including retail and wholesale lending, corporate and investment lending and asset management.
“With global challenges such as climate change, population growth and resource scarcity accelerating, there is an increased urgency for the finance sector both to adapt and to help bring about the necessary changes in our economic and business models. The Principles for Positive Impact Finance provide an ambitious yet practical framework by which we can take the broader angle view we need to meet the deeply complex and interconnected challenges of our time,” said Séverin Cabannes, Deputy CEO of Société Générale, a founding member of the group.
The four Positive Impact Principles provide guidance for financiers and investors to analyse, monitor and disclose the social, environmental and economic impacts of the financial products and services they deliver.
The innovation of the Principles lies in the requirement for a holistic appraisal of positive and negative impacts on economic development, human well-being and the environment.
The Principles do not prescribe a single method for achieving positive impact, but they require that appraisal processes and methodologies be transparent.
The Principles are part of a broader process under the Positive Impact Manifesto, launched in 2015 to call for a new, impact-based financing paradigm to bridge the gap in financing for sustainable development.
“We welcome the launch of UN Environment Finance Initiative’s Principles for Positive Impact Finance because we believe that the purpose of investment goes beyond the simple quest for accumulation of wealth. We can make sustainable development happen through targeted resource allocation and effective stewardship and advocacy, leading to truly impactful and sustainable businesses which deliver goods and services, which savers value and can afford and in a social environment they want to live in,” said Saker Nusseibeh, CEO of Hermes Investment Management.
“The Principles are the tool that is needed to enable the business and finance community to work and innovate together, and to address the challenge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The financial sector has already moved forward in that direction and we hope that the Principles as well as the Paris Green and Sustainable Finance Initiative we launched last year will help marking a new stage,” said Gérard Mestrallet, Chairman of Paris EUROPLACE and Chairman of the Board of ENGIE.
“In many ways this is the beginning rather than the conclusion of a process,” said Hervé Guez, Head of SRI Research at Mirova. “The Principles build on existing frameworks, such as the UN Global Compact, the Equator Principles, the Principles for Responsible Investment and the Green Bond Principles. The group will be collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders and partners to further the implementation of the Principles,” he added.
“As financial institution we support our clients in their transition to a sustainable economy. By integrating environmental and social considerations and actively supporting sustainable business opportunities to grow we can realize change. By placing positive impact at the heart of business strategy, the Principles for Positive Impact Finance are an ambitious and necessary new milestone on the road to a greener and more inclusive economy,” said Paul-Emmanuel Aaerts, Head of ING Wholesale Banking France.
“In addition to our commitments as individual financial institutions, deeper cooperation between financiers, governments, technology providers and investors is needed to effectively deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Séverin Cabannes, Deputy CEO of Société Générale, a founding member of the group.
“The Principles are an inspiring step forward. BMCE Bank of Africa is expanding across the continent and it is clear to us that we must be an integral part of delivering the solutions to the many needs that prevail in the countries we operate in. The Principles provide a good framework for this,” said Brahim Benjelloun-Touimi, Group Executive Managing Director, BMCE Bank of Africa and Chairman of BOA Group.
“Investment managers are exploring new frontiers in ESG investing, looking for links between business opportunities and environmental and social impacts. The UN Environment Finance Initiative Principles for Positive Impact Finance put sustainability issues on the agenda for a new generation of investors and companies alike,” said Michael Jantzi, CEO, Sustainalytics.
“The Principles for Positive Impact Finance build on the sound values promoted by the UN Global Compact, providing a holistic approach to the financing of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals,” said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact. “We are committed to help promote these Principles with our constituencies and partners, as part of our Action Platform on Catalysing Financial Innovation for the SDGs.”
“The need to align capital markets to a 2 degree world is urgent and necessary,” said Fiona Reynolds, Managing Director of the Principles for Responsible Investment. “The UN Environment Finance Initiative Principles for Positive Impact Finance are an important tool for investors to frame their positive contribution to the environment, the society and the economy.”
The Principles For Positive Impact Finance were developed by the Positive Impact Working Group, a group of UN Environment Finance Initiative banking and investment members, as part of the implementation of the roadmap outlined in the Positive Impact Manifesto released in October 2015.
Currently, the Positive Impact Working Group includes: Australian Ethical, Banco Itaú, BNP Paribas, BMCE Bank of Africa, Caisse des Dépôts Group, Desjardins Group, First Rand, Hermes Investment Management, ING, Mirova, NedBank, Pax World, Piraeus Bank, SEB, Société Générale, Standard Bank, Triodos Bank, Westpac and YES Bank.
The UN Environment Finance Initiative is a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the global financial sector created in the wake of the 1992 Earth Summit with a mission to promote sustainable finance. Over 200 financial institutions, including banks, insurers and fund managers, work with UNEP to understand today’s environmental challenges, why they matter to finance, and how to actively participate in addressing them.
