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Future is bright for polluted Niger Delta, says Osinbajo

Michael Simire
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Future is bright for polluted Niger Delta, says Osinbajo

Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who is undertaking a series of interactive engagements with oil-producing communities, said on Monday, January 2017 in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State, that the years of official neglect and corruption in the Niger Delta region is a thing of the past and that now is the time to prepare for a future of progress and development

Osinbajo
Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo

The Niger Delta that we see today including this great kingdom is an area of poor infrastructure, few schools, few hospitals and a severe pollution, as Niger Delta of today is one of daily pipeline vandalisation.

In 2014 alone, there were over 3,700 incidents of pipeline vandalisation, from January to June 2016, there were over 1,447 incidents of vandalisation.

The Niger Delta of today is one where, aside from environmental degradation, between 1998 and 2015, over 20,000 persons have died from fire incidents arising from breaching of the pipelines.

The city is poor and thousands have health challenges especially as a result of environmental pollution.

The Niger Delta of today, anywhere you go, there are signboards of proposed infrastructural projects mostly uncompleted and many are simply abandoned. Many of the initiatives, if you check, the story has not been able to make the big changes required.

From the Niger Delta Development Board in the 60’s, the OMPADEC, the NDDC, & the Amnesty Programme, many of these projects have not been able to meet the objectives that were set for them.

The status-quo of Nigeria, years of official neglect, corruption and malfunction of oil companies have yeilded a massive whole pain till today.

But my message to you today is that it is time to prepare for the future. Our future is not a future of environmental degradation, poor infrastructure; it is not a future of no roads, harrassment.

It is a future of progress and development.

Unfortunately, there is no time because the future is already here; every citizen should ensure that the future is not worse than today and to prepare for a great and promising future of the Gbaramatu Kingdom and the people of the Niger Delta as a whole.

Now, three things must happen and I want you to follow me closely:

  1. We must also recognise that the Niger Delta is a special place, a special economic zone for this nation and so must be treated as a special development zone.
  2. We must recognise a unique environmental and daring challenge of Niger Delta.
  3. The third thing that must happen as we prepare for the future is to realise that the future is full of challenges for the oil industry

 

Special Development Zone
Long ago at the Willinks Commission, it had been acknowledged that, because of the peculiar environment of the Niger Delta, and the profound challenges, it should be treated as a special development zone.

And I agree entirely that this zone has to be treated as a special development zone, but what does this mean in practical terms?

It means that the Federal Government, State Government and the National Assembly representatives alongside NDDC and the Civil Society representatives of the Niger Delta people must sit together and develop a plan and concrete arrangements for development of the Niger Delta.

There is no excuse for not planning together; the Federal Government alone cannot solve the problems of the Niger Delta just as my dear brother President of the Ijaw Youth Council said.

It is impossible for Federal Government alone, but we can, with the State Government in this delta region, National Assembly members and Civil Society Organisations, plan for this special development zone and make sure that they carry it out and they deliver on the promises that we have made to the people.

The State Government should also be prepared to devote substantial portions of there budgets to this special projects.

The PANDEF have submitted a concise list of 16-dialogue issues that will be extemely helpful in ascertaining the key development priorities. That bounded document is an important working document.

It is a document that shows what is required to be done and in every sense the document is an excellent roadmap for the future of the Niger Delta region.

We must also hold some of the international oil companies to the agreement to host communities relating to development of those areas. We must ensure that, in the future, in commercial opportunities rising from oil exploration activities, pipelines supervision and other such contracts should favour host communities.

We must promote indigenous participation of oil companies. Some oil companies have the excellent ideas of giving out ownerships to there host communities.

The critical issue is infrastructure, roads, rails, hospitals and schools.

In the 2017 budget we have provided for the commencement of the Lagos-Calabar rail way, the coastal railway which will go through the Niger Delta. We are doing this with the Chinese. We will be visiting Kurutie, the site of the Maritime University. The President has directed the Ministry of Petroleum to work quickly to see the realisation of all of the objectives in implementing these crucial educational institutions. The bill of the Maritime University has just passed the second reading in the National Assembly and I know we have the commitment of the members of the National Assembly to fast-track this to ensure that the Maritime University can come to fruition as soon as possible.

All of these and every one of them is listed in the bounded 16-dialogue issues projects that will benefit not just the Gbaramatu Kingdom and the entire Niger Delta.

But the issue is how to finance, there must be resources and revenues and if the revenues do not come we are deceiving ourselves and we are telling ourselves stories. Revenues can only come when we are sure that there is peace, this is the way of the obvious and l do believe that this must come with justice, legal justice itself is needed for these to be effected.

I look forward to all that has been said and all that the Youth Council have said.

His royal majesty also assured me that there is a commitment to peace, a committment to ensuring that we are able to make progress and all the revenues that will bring to fruition those things that we have promised and those things that are contained in the bounded document.

 

Environmental Clean-Up

The second thing that must happen in other to ensure that we prepare adequately for the future is the clean-up of environmental degradation of the entire Delta. The Ogoni clean-up has already been flagged off and an implementation committee is in place.  For the clean-up not to be a waste of money, we must enforce strict environmental standard for the oil producing companies including regulatory commitments on gas glaring and all our communities must prevent vandalisation which is also a major source of environmental degradation.
Future of Oil
The third thing that must happen as we prepare for the future is that the future is full of challenges for the oil industry. And we must recognise that in another 20 to 30 years our oil will not be as precious as it is today and that is reality.

America has stopped buying oil from us. All the countries in the Asia that buy oil now are developing alternative sources of power; China and Japan are developing electric cars. In fact, Japan now has more charging stations than petrol stations everywhere. Solar power & other various sources of energy are getting cheaper.

We must be smart; we must act intelligently and act in time.

We have a window of opportuniy; we must use our oil to develop our people.

This Kingdom, a place like this should not be just like this, it should be better; it should look like Dubai or anywhere in the very developed countries in the world. It shouldn’t look like this, I am not satisfied but we cannot change unless we recognise that we only have a window of opportunity, may be 20, 30 years.

If we don’t take that window of opportunity we will spend that windows toying with ourselves.I pray we will work together to make sure that we are able to deliver for the future, and for all of our people.

But let me say to you all of the young men and women here, the future belongs to you. You are not the leaders of tomorrow, you are the leaders of today because the future is already here, it has come but it comes with tremendous responsibility.

The first responsibility is ensuring peace, development cannot rise without peace, the world is moving quickly, and we must not waste time.

Our President, President Muhammadu Buhari, in several times he has discussed with me, have always said one thing, and I quote “I have spent my life committed to this country, I’ve done nothing else, am not a business man, I have spent all my life in public service, every part of this nation is important to me and as long as God gives me life, I am going to prove that every part of this nation is important to me.”

This part of the nation is important to Mr. President, every word that he says, I believe him because he is a man of his words and I am assuring you that he is completely committed to ensuring that there is justice in Gbaramatu Kingdom, justice in the Niger Delta, peace and progress in the Niger Delta region.

Lagos mega city: A paradigm in urban management

Michael Simire
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Lagos mega city: A paradigm in urban management

Lagos, Nigeria’s former capital city, is in an ambulatory speed to overcome its lost glory. With its new nomenclature as a mega city, Lagos is on the fast lane to catch up with modernity in order to befit its mega city status. The change from a metropolis to a mega city started from the sudden increase of its six million populations in the year 2000 to 12.5 million in 2011 and as at 2014, the population was estimated at 21 million and the number is still on the rise.

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Traffic congestion in Lagos

Physically, Lagos’ territorial expansion is equally on a very fast lane and already creating a burst at the seams. The former outlying villages and their adjoining agricultural lands on the outskirts of Epe, Ajah, Ikorodu, Agbowa and Badagry have been consumed by rapid urbanisation. These areas are no more hinterlands as they used to be; but are colonies of new urban settlements, their deficiencies in infrastructure and basic urban services notwithstanding.

The rate of new developments in the last two decades has been phenomenal. Anywhere one turns to, construction is ongoing. The cityscape is dominated by massive office complexes, high-rise residential buildings, and shopping malls, vest pockets of upscale housing estates, local markets, and amusement parks.

In transportation planning and mass transit, the mega city is making its mark. It now has a functional Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service highly rated for its operation performance, efficiency, reliability and affordable fare. Introduced to the public transport system six years ago, the BRT, it has a “daily ridership in excess of 220,000 and a cumulative ridership of 113 million since inception in 2010.”  To complement BRT is the monorail which is under construction and would be ready for commissioning in 2017. Upon completion, the Blue Line of the monorail project will start running from Okokomaiko to Marina, a distance of 27.5 kilometers with a journey time of 35 minutes.

The mega city with its huge population figure and high population density generates the humongous amount of domestic garbage/refuse on a daily. Well over 12,000 metric tons of garbage was reported in 2016 by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) as a daily figure being generated in the sprawling megacity. Getting rid of the huge amount of garbage is a daunting challenge as LAWMA self-admitted, but efforts are not being relented to cope with the onerous responsibility.

Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as a visionary urban reformist and a game changer. When he assumed office on May 29, 2015, as the 14th Executive Governor of Lagos State, he had an ambitious plan. He was unequivocal what the State’s vision and policy thrust would be under his watch. The State vision: “Making Lagos Africa’s model megacity and global economic and financial hub.”

The State Policy Thrust: “Poverty eradication and sustainable economic growth through infrastructure renewal and development.”

What is the magic wand used by the Governor? Put succinctly, what has Governor Amode done or continue to do differently to gradually turn around the fortunes of the Lagos mega city thus far? This article is not about the adulation of the Governor. Far from it. It is about the core elements of urban management and good governance which cities in Nigeria have been short-changed from time immemorial. From this writer’s point of view as an urban planner and a planning advocate, methinks that Governor Ambode’s approach to urban governance is a clear departure from what obtains in the past. Perhaps, this is the principal factor that has contributed to the tangible achievements of his administration in Lagos State generally and as manifested in the positive turnaround of the urban conglomerate now popularly known as the Lagos Mega City.

Good governance and participatory planning were Ambode’s first guiding principle. He is a committed apostle of the inclusive government in words and deeds. For every oppourtunity that comes his way, he harps on openness and inclusiveness. He constantly assures Lagosians that they are his “first consideration in whatever decision the administration takes; and that Lagosians would participate in every plan, programme and sundry government activities in Lagos State”. The practice of this principle is amply demonstrated in the engagement of the residents in Town Hall Meetings within each precinct that constitutes Lagos Mega City as a means of the government connecting with the people. Held quarterly in the presence of a large crowd of city residents, Governor Ambode uses the forum to intimate the citizenry how the city is being managed and administered by giving a detailed account of his stewardship, particularly how public resources were expended for overall public good. The Town Hall Meeting is also used as a feedback mechanism to hear from the residents about their agitations and how best the government they democratically elected can serve them better.

Urban management is made facile and more impact effective when it is people-centred. It is a core principle that municipal governments in Nigeria should learn to emulate and practice. In every democracy, the city residents are demanding to be heard and to participate in the decision-making process on matters that affect their lives and living. Good urban governance demands that elected officials should be accountable for their actions. The driving force in promoting transparency and accountability is citizen participation, which at the level of municipal government in Nigeria is still seldom cultivated. But Governor Ambode has convincingly demonstrated how it has been done successfully in Lagos State as this piece will further highlight.

A city’s livability and economic viability are tied to the apron string of its local plan of action. The Ambode administration has adopted this principle to the hilt by the implementation of various plans and intervention programmes, which have started to yield positive and beneficial results for the residents of the mega city. He personally championed what this writer code named “urban renaissance.” It is an era of massive urban infrastructural renewal and development, environmental sustainability, job creation, poverty eradication and a conducive/enabling environment for public-private partnership; and to encourage local entrepreneurship. The inflow of foreign capital investment is on the increase. The mega city is the principal beneficiary of such huge off-shore capital in-flow.

The implementation strategies for each of the afore-mentioned component of the local plan of action are evident in the novel ideas, plans and intervention programmes which the Ambode administration has religiously deployed its energy.

We surmise a few pertinent examples. The Lagos State Government embarked on massive construction and rehabilitation of the mega city road networks and as a result, there was a marked improvement in road connectivity and smooth intra-city circulation. The initiations and commissioning of new projects and actual development of recreation/activity centres to boost tourism within the megacity are in full swing. The National Museum, Onikan and Tafawa Balewa triangle have been designated an amusement district of the future. The provision of urban furniture such as bus shelters, on a massive scale throughout the nooks and crannies of the mega-city, is a component of intervention programmes for public transportation. The glory of Yaba Bus Park (as a notable bus terminus of the sixties and late seventies) is being revived. The bus park is being transformed to a modern bus terminus with state-of-the-art facilities for the comfort of the public.

On urban economy and job creation, the city offers greater and diverse oppourtunities for all. To ease the problem of capital scarcities for a local business start off and poverty reduction, a fund called Employment Trust Fund has been established in order to assist any deserving applicant or new local business to break the yoke of working capital incapacity or insolvency. Job creation strategies are being employed through the establishment of industrial hubs at suitable locations within the mega city. The revival of moribund industrial estates at  Oyadiran, Sabo and Ikeja is on the drawing board. The Oyadiran industrial estate will be transformed into Lagos’ version of a Silicon Valley…hub of high-tech and knowledge-based industries. The Lekki Free Zone is already a business incubator, and other holistic urban revitalisation plans to facilitate job oppourtunities for job seekers are on the ascendancy.

The Ready, Set, Work (RSW) programme is a new addition to the number of job creation initiatives introduced by the incumbent administration. Essentially, the RSW is “an initiative to enable fresh university graduates to secure internship placements in high ranking corporate organizations, and also provide a platform for those with viable business ideas to benefit from local investors and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.”

Environmental sustainability projects are changing the face of the mega city. Most of the unsightly waterfronts at Makoko, Ilaje, Okobaba timber mill on the mainland and Marina on Lagos Island have been cleared. The affected areas will be put to more productive/economically viable uses in order to enhance the city’s economic base and propensity for revenue generation. The majority of these developments are private sector-driven in consonance with the policy focus of the administration. The government only provides an enabling environment for prospective investors.

The mega city is gradually transforming from a filthy megapolis to a city of wholesome hygiene. The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has risen to the challenge of its responsibility to rid the city of waste. LAWMA has evidently redoubled its efforts at waste collection, disposal, and management using corporate ingenuity, the involvement of the Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators in garbage collection and recruitment of street sweepers. Also introduced are the separation of waste and the application of modern technology in waste recycling.

Concerning housing accommodation problem in the mega city, the current administration has devised a two-prong approach to facilitate housing affordability and accessibility by Lagosians. With the launching of the mortgage financed rent-to-own housing scheme and rental housing, the government is able to offer a choice for home ownership or monthly rental to residents who have a choice to partake in either of the two schemes once the applicants meet certain eligibility requirements.

Mention must be made of Lagos transformation to a Smart Mega City. The Lagos State Government has invested heavily in setting up a modern website to facilitate internet communication and e-transaction of government business in order to promote administrative efficiency. The Lands Bureau, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and Ministry of Education are examples of government establishments whose operations are over 70% web-based. This has made Lagos mega city comparatively competitive with other global smart cities.

Lastly, and instructively, we may bold to say that effective urban management is not “rocket science.” What it entails is a focused leadership with a team of dedicated municipal officials who have demonstrable professional acumen and urban management aficionados; and those who are ingeniously innovative. These are the sterling qualities that are required to formulate a local plan of action or road map for an effective urban management and other deliverables of urban basic services, using the Lagos mega city as a case study.  It is the only option to obliterate the sub-human living conditions prevalent in Nigerian cities and which city dwellers have become habituated.

By Yacoob Abiodun (Urban Planner; Planning Advocate, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria)

U.S. donates $500m to Green Climate Fund

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U.S. donates $500m to Green Climate Fund

The U.S. State Department in Washington, DC on Tuesday, 17 January, 2017 announced an additional $500 million grant to support the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Barack Obama, U.S. President

In a statement endorsed by John Kirby, Assistant Secretary and Department Spokesperson, Bureau of Public Affairs, the State Department disclosed that, consistent with last year’s GCF grant, the fresh funding is provided from the fiscal year 2016 Economic Support Fund (ESF) appropriation.

“The U.S. funding for the GCF continues U.S. government support by this and prior Administrations for climate change programmes through multilateral funds,” Kirby stated.

The GCF is said to be the world’s largest multilateral finance institution dedicated to advancing low-emission, climate-resilient development. The organisation was created to help protect vulnerable populations and drive clean energy deployment, all with a special focus on engaging the private sector and mobilising private capital. Based in Songdo, Republic of Korea, the GCF is headed by Howard Bamsey, an Australian.

Kirby pointed out in the statement that over 180 countries have set forth their plans to cut emissions, adding that many of them are making important policy and regulatory reforms to promote private sector investment in energy efficient and low-emissions technologies.

According to him, the GCF supports developing nations in their efforts to achieve those objectives and to become more resilient to climate change – in turn, reducing the global and national security risks associated with inadequate adaptation to and preparedness for extreme weather events and other climate related impacts.

“With limited public resources, the GCF also directly engages the private sector in new and innovative ways to mobilise greater private investment, sending an unmistakable signal to global markets that the low-emission transition is moving forward,” he adds.

Rice farmers urged to embrace Benue borrowers’ scheme

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Rice farmers urged to embrace Benue borrowers’ scheme

Benue farmers have been urged to key into the Federal Government funded Anchor Borrowers Programme in order to close the deficit gap in rice production in the country.

farmers
Rice farmers

This call was made on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 in Makurdi, Benue State during the International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) Borrowers Training Programme by the Lead Consultant, Rural Finance Institution Building Programme (RUFIN), Ibrahim Adamu.

Adamu who noted that many challenges discourage farmers from producing at their best, stated that the Anchor Borrowers Programme initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the Bank of Industry (BoI) is aimed at solving those challenges. He added that rice production in the country is at a deficit but that, with the scheme, rice production could be increased to meet the expected six million tonnes to serve the country.

According to him, through the programme, farmers will be supported with finance in the form of agriculture inputs through the BoI to cultivate to specifications of the Anchors, who in turn will support the farmers’ production and sale of produce at rates beneficial to both parties.

Urging farmers to form and register groups as a prerequisite to accessing the facility, the RUFIN Lead Consultant assured farmers that they would benefit from the scheme in the short and long run.

In his remarks, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Benue State, James Anbua, stated that the state government is not relenting in creating an enabling environment for farmers to take advantage of the Anchor Borrowers scheme as it has done for other programmes.

Charging farmers to key into the programme and many others as they come up in order to improve their farming, the Commissioner admonished farmers from cutting corners in the programme.

Earlier, State Programme Coordinator (SPC) of IFAD-VCDP, Emmanuel Igbaukum, stated that the IFAD-VCDP intervention in Benue State had been extended to five more local government areas of Kwande, Katsina Ala, Buruku, Otukpo and Oju, following a pilot scheme initiated by government in Gwer West LGA using the IFAD-VCDP template.

According to the SPC, the new intervention is funded by CBN through the Anchor Borrowers Programme, midwifed by BoI to join ranks with the IFAD-VCDP pilot projects in Gwer East, Ogbadibo, Okpokwu, Guma and Logo LGAs as a measure to boost agriculture in the state and country, especially in rice and cassava production.

Speaking during a technical session to educate the new farmers amongst others on the programme, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Representative, Sylvester Akpenyi, said they were committed to serve smallholder farmers who hitherto were disadvantaged in accessing loans for farming.

He maintained that the smallholder farmers would be trained so as to enable them take farming as a business and get the best out of their Anchor Borrowers Programme arrangement.

In his remark, Sole Administrator, Oju Local Government Council, Austin Okwoche, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues from the benefitting LGAs, stated that the programme was laudable and a thing of great delight as, according to him, it will enable the state to feed its growing population, generate income for farmers and create employment opportunities.

By Damian Daga, Makurdi

China halts coal-fired power plants in bid to curb fossil fuels use

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China halts coal-fired power plants in bid to curb fossil fuels use

China’s energy regulator has ordered 11 provinces to stop over 100 coal-fired power projects, with a combined installed capacity of more than 100 gigawatts, in another dramatic step to curb the use of fossil fuels in the world’s top energy market.

China plant
Coal-fired power plant in China

In a document issued on Jan. 14, financial media group Caixin reported, the National Energy Administration (NEA) suspended the coal projects, some of which were already under construction.

The projects worth some 430 billion yuan ($62 billion) were to have been spread across provinces and autonomous regions including Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi and other northwestern areas.

Putting the power projects on hold is a major step towards the government’s effort to produce power from renewable sources such as solar and wind, and wean the country off coal, which accounts for the majority of the nation’s power supply.

“Stopping under-construction projects seems wasteful and costly, but spending money and resources to finish these completely unneeded plants would be even more wasteful,” said Greenpeace in a statement.

The move follows similar initiatives last year and comes after the government said in November it would eliminate or delay at least 150 GW of coal-fired power projects between 2016 and 2020 and cap coal power generation at 1,100 GW.

To put it in perspective, some 130 GW of additional solar and wind power will be installed by 2020, equal to France’s total renewable power generation capacity, said Frank Yu, principal consultant at Wood Mackenzie.

“This shows the government is keeping its promise in curbing supplies of coal power,” Yu said.

Some of the projects will still go ahead, but not until 2025 and will likely replace outdated technology, he said.

China’s annual demand growth for power will slow to 3-4 percent, according to Wood Mackenzie, down from double-digit growth in recent years as energy intensive industries like glass and metals contract.

Courtesy: Reuters

Women, youth targeted in Oyo aquamarine mining forum

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Women, youth targeted in Oyo aquamarine mining forum

Local women and youth in Olode community in Oyo State are to be empowered on aquamarine mining, under a programme aimed at ensuring that indigenous persons reasonably benefit from locally existing natural resources.

Aquamarine
Aquamarine miners

At a day-long forum organised by the Conservative Environmental Growth and Development Centre (CEGDEC) in support of Australian Aid, the local peoples’ capacity will be built through cooperative and engagement in meaningful businesses and linkages around aquamarine mining. The forum, tagged “Local Economic and Social Development Initiative for Women and Youths in Olode Aquamarine Community, Oluyole Local Government, Oyo State”, will on Wednesday, January 25, 2017.

Maryam Temitayo Olayeni, Executive Director of CEGDEC, explains in a statement made available to EnviroNews that the transformation in the mining industries worldwide targeted at creating wealth in the mineral industry has not been significantly recorded for a number of minerals in Nigeria, basically because the nation has not fully harnessed mining in wealth creation – even though the current national drive towards breaking the much dependence on oil has attracted the development of the solid minerals sector across the country.

“The Oyo State rich schist belt in mineral resources ranging from the semi-precious metals, precious metals, base metals and gemstones has therefore attracted many mining activities in the recent times. Olode aquamarine gems field of Oluyole Local Government has particularly received massive participation of artisanal and medium scale mining,” she adds, adding however that the women and youths in the community have not fully benefitted as stakeholders, as there has not been significant social and economic development attributed to them from the aquamarine.

“They lack the skill and technology to process the gemstone, as well as marketing challenge. Therefore, they do not get good value on their stones in the supply chain on the long run. This project therefore would empower the local women and youths who in turn would build others’ capacities on the long run. It would build their capacity through cooperative and engagement in meaningful businesses and linkages around aquamarine mining,” Olayeni notes.

During the one-day workshop, she says, the community will be engaged in participatory group discussions, where best environmental mining practices and highlights of mining linkages will be addressed, so as to awake their potentials/strengths and not to impose knowledge/skills on them. Subsequently, through cooperative(s), those interested in mining would be assisted in registering legally for mining license, she discloses.

She further states: “Subject to funding, the endpoint is to have a target focus group interested in Gemology which would be trained in the cutting and processing of gemstones, otherwise called Lapidary. The training would also be complemented with modern Business Start ups methodology by Lean LaunchPad Entrepreneural approach. This project aims at filling this gap of value addition to the aquamarine, and for other gems processing in the future. They would be introduced to trading houses for exportation of the gems at the end, thereby increasing women’s participation in mining.

“The CEGDEC is playing the role of technical assistance and training capacity to facilitate development and operation of infrastructure in this mining community through this innovative pilot project; with the support of the Australian Government. This is an opportunity identified to make a difference, create and support positive changes in our local communities.

“The initiative on Local Economic and Social Development in the Extractives took its genesis from the capacity building programme of the Australian Government through the Australia Awards Africa programme. The course which gave exposition and shared expertise on Australia’s mining industries, known as one of the most efficient in the world. It taught leveraging on transformation of natural resources for economic and social benefits cum development.

“Therefore, Nigerians are urged to take advantage of the present downturn in the Oil & Gas sector for good by identifying, sustaining and promoting local business start ups as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as we look inward and get values from our abundant resources. We need to harness our resources, grow our economy and provide economic and social benefits for our people, as in Australia’s case.”

New climate finance instruments raise hope for developing nations

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New climate finance instruments raise hope for developing nations

The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance has selected three new ideas for climate finance instruments for further analysis, development and preparation that could help drive billions in climate finance to developing countries. These include: a cloud forest conservation fund, a facility for early stage finance for renewable energy, and a commercial investment vehicle to provide growth capital for companies with climate initiatives.

climate finance
Dr. Barbara Buchner, Executive Director, Climate Policy Initiative and Lab Secretariat

Over the next few months, the selected three ideas will receive guidance from Lab Members and other high-level experts, as well as rigorous analysis provided by the Lab Secretariat (Climate Policy Initiative), in preparation for potential piloting at the end of The Lab’s 2016-2017 cycle.

The selected three ideas are:

  • Cloud Forest Blue Energy Mechanism: A fund for restoration and conservation of cloud forests in Latin America, which can improve the productivity of hydroelectric plants, proposed by Conservation International and the Nature Conservancy.
  • Renewable Energy Scale-Up Facility (RESF): A platform to drive private institutional equity into the riskier, earlier stages of renewable energy projects in emerging markets, to expand project pipelines, proposed by Baker & McKenzie and Get2C.
  • CRAFT: A commercial investment vehicle that blends private and public finance to provide growth capital and technical assistance for companies managing climate risk, proposed by the Global Adaptation & Resilience Investment Working Group.

“The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance is excited to take these ideas forward to help develop them into actionable finance instruments that can catalyse needed investment for climate mitigation and adaptation. Lab instruments from previous cycles have now raised nearly $600 million in funding, and we look forward to seeing this new wave of ideas take shape,” says Dr. Barbara Buchner, Executive Director, Climate Policy Initiative and Lab Secretariat.

The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance aims to identify, develop and pilot transformative climate finance instruments in developing countries.

2017 Zayed Future Energy Prize winners emerge

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2017 Zayed Future Energy Prize winners emerge

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, presented the Zayed Future Energy Prize to nine winners during the 2017 awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Monday, 16 January 2017 during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in the presence of six heads of state.

Zayed Future Energy Prize
Gro Harlem Brundtland receives her award with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and president Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico. Photo credit: Reuters

Nine pioneers in renewable energy and sustainability across five categories became the latest awardees to join the prize’s growing international community of winners. The 2017 recipients of the prize span a wide range of industry expertise, from breakthrough photovoltaic manufacturing to government policy advisory. The Zayed Future Energy Prize has so far recognised 57 individuals and organisations since it was founded in 2008.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: “The legacy of our founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has led our nation on a path to sustainable development and prosperity. Through this prize, which bears his name, the UAE empowers others to embark on that same path. Today, we celebrate the success of this vision through improved access to energy, technology and water, which in turn presents opportunities for better education, health and employment for women, children and those in need.”

He continued: “Launched with the foresight of the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and with the direction of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the spirit embodied in the UAE’s ‘Year of Giving’ is equally demonstrated in the Zayed Future Energy Prize, which encourages others to give on a global scale. These winning organisations, individuals and schools are giving with the impact, innovation, leadership and long-term vision that can overcome today’s challenges and make the most of tomorrow’s opportunities.”

Li Junfeng, Director General of China’s National Centre of Climate Strategy Research, won the Lifetime Achievement award for his unwavering commitment to the adoption of renewable energy in China. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Mr. Li has been instrumental in advancing the country’s renewable energy policies, which have spurred record levels of clean energy investment in China.

General Electric (GE) won the Large Corporation award for leadership in the wind and solar energy markets. GE’s wind business alone has commissioned 41.3 GW of total generating capacity and installed more than 30,000 wind turbines to date.

Sonnen, the German smart home and commercial energy storage system manufacturer, was awarded the prize in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) category for leadership in providing battery storage technology solutions. In the Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) category, UK-based Practical Action was recognised for its work in providing deprived communities with clean energy in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Joining them were the winners in the Global High Schools category, five schools spanning five regions of the globe.

His Excellency Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Former President of the Republic of Iceland and Chair of the Zayed Future Energy Prize Jury, said: “Through the sustainable actions of its winners, the Zayed Future Energy Prize is a model example for how far the world has come in the last nine years. It is extraordinary that, through the impact of each winner and the lives they continue to improve, we now see a growing strength in being able to deliver a sustainable future.”

Since its inception, the Zayed Future Energy Prize has received over 10,000 nominations and submissions from more than 100 countries. In 2016 alone, the prize received a record 1,676 entries from 103 different nations, a 22 per cent increase on the previous record set the year before.

His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State, said: “The Zayed Future Energy Prize continues to honour the legacy of sustainability advocated by the UAE’s late founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. With each awards ceremony, the UAE leadership accelerates the pursuit of innovation, reinforces the significance of sustainability at the top of the global agenda, and gives opportunities and far-reaching benefits to communities around the world.”

Now in its ninth cycle, the Zayed Future Energy Prize continues to empower winners that are delivering significant impact across the world. These winners are providing the means for women to be social entrepreneurs delivering sustainable solutions in South-East Asia, for communities to be given new, sustainable, ways to receive and use electricity in Europe, for cities in Asia and Africa to be reshaped around new sustainable-transport innovations, and for people and communities to have a voice in shaping sustainable energy policies across the globe.

His Excellency Dr Al Jaber continued: “During the last nine years, the Zayed Future Energy Prize has been a demonstration of the UAE’s commitment to encouraging and rewarding innovation on a global scale. By recognising pioneers in the renewable energy and sustainability sectors, the prize has positively impacted the lives of more than 280 million people through its winners.”

In 2012, the Global High Schools category was launched as part of the UAE leadership’s commitment to the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll) initiative and educating future generations about sustainability. Completing its fifth year, the category has empowered 24 schools to incorporate renewable energy and sustainability into their schools and curricula.

The five winners in the Global High Schools category are: Starehe Girls’ Centre, Kenya for the Africa region; Green School Bali, Indonesia for the Asia region; Bolivia’s Unidad Educativa Sagrado Corazón 4 for the Americas; Belvedere College in Ireland for Europe; and Huonville High School, Tasmania for the Oceania region.

The awards ceremony was witnessed by His Excellency Horacio Cartes, President of the Republic of Paraguay; His Excellency Luis Guillermo Solís, President of the Republic of Costa Rica; His Excellency Filip Vujanović, President of Montenegro; His Excellency Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; and His Excellency Danny Faure, President of the Republic of Seychelles; and His Excellency Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

The prize will open again for submissions and nominations for its landmark 10th year later this month.

Renewable energy crucial for sustainable development – Report

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Renewable energy crucial for sustainable development – Report

Renewable energy has been described as a fundamental and growing part of the global energy transformation. In a recent report, renewables are said to have become the first choice for expanding, upgrading and modernising power systems around the world.

Renewable energy
Renewable energy: A Solar Energy System at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Photo credit: UNIFIL

The 2017 edition of REthinking Energy, the flagship report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), examines trends and developments in the global quest for a sustainable energy future. As this third edition emphasises, accelerated deployment will fuel economic growth, create new employment opportunities, enhance human welfare and contribute to a climate-safe future.

Renewables, the report says, are crucial for sustainable development, including the pursuit of SDG 7, the United Nations-adopted goal of ensuring “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.

It adds that policies and regulations remain crucial to establish a stable and attractive market for renewable energy, and that strong government commitment is needed to reduce risk and lower the cost of financing.

Highlights of the report are listed to include:

  • To date, more than 170 countries have established renewable energy targets, and nearly 150 have enacted policies to catalyse investments in renewable energy technologies.
  • At the end of 2016, at least 67 countries had held renewable energy auctions, compared to only six in 2005. Solar photovoltaics (PV) achieved new price lows in several countries.
  • In the power sector, breakthroughs in complementary systems, in particular storage, will enable the integration of larger shares of renewable electricity. Off-grid renewables – via both stand-alone systems and mini-grids – can increasingly complement grid-based options to expand sustainable energy access.
  • Battery storage for electricity could increase from less than 1 GW today to 250 GW by 2030, according to IRENA estimates. The market value of battery storage reached $2.2 billion in 2015 and is expected to rise to $14 billion by 2020.
  • Global PV capacity soared from 40 GW in 2010 to 219 GW in 2015. Solar PV could to account for as much as 7% of global power generation by 2030 – a six-fold increase from today.
  • Global investment in renewables has shown steady growth for more than a decade, rising from less than $50 billion in 2004 to a record $348 billion in 2015.

How sustainable business can unlock $12tr

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How sustainable business can unlock $12tr

A new report on Sustainable Business shows that the next decade is critical for companies to open 60 key market “hot spots,” tackle social, environmental challenges, and re-build trust with society

Sustainable business
Mark Malloch-Brown, chair of the Business & Sustainable Development Commission

More than 35 CEOs and civil society leaders of the Business & Sustainable Development Commission (the Commission) on Monday, 16 January 2017 in London, UK revealed that sustainable business models could open economic opportunities worth at least $12 trillion and up to 380 million jobs a year by 2030.

The Business and Sustainable Development Commission was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Putting the Sustainable Development Goals, or Global Goals, at the heart of the world’s economic strategy could unleash a step-change in growth and productivity, with an investment boom in sustainable infrastructure as a critical driver. However, this will not happen without radical change in the business and investment community. Real leadership is needed for the private sector to become a trusted partner in working with government and civil society to fix the economy.

In its flagship report Better Business, Better World, the Commission recognises that while the last few decades have lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, they have also led to unequal growth, increasing job insecurity, ever more debt and ever greater environmental risks. This mix has fueled an anti-globalisation reaction in many countries, with business and financial interests seen as central to the problem, and is undermining the long-term economic growth that the world needs. The Commission has spent the last year exploring a central question, “What will it take for business to be central to building a sustainable market economy – one that can help to deliver the Global Goals?” Better Business, Better World – the release of which is timed with the World Economist Forum in Davos and the U.S. presidential inauguration – shows how.

“This report is a call to action to business leaders. We are on the edge and business as usual will drive more political opposition and land us with an economy that simply doesn’t work for enough people. We have to switch tracks to a business model that works for a new kind of inclusive growth,” said Mark Malloch-Brown, chair of the Business & Sustainable Development Commission. “Better Business, Better World shows there is a compelling incentive for why the latter isn’t just good for the environment and society; it makes good business sense.”

At the heart of the Commission’s argument are the Sustainable Development Goals (or Global Goals) – 17 objectives to eliminate poverty, improve education and health outcomes, create better jobs and tackle our key environmental challenges by 2030. The Commission believes the Global Goals provide the private sector with a new growth strategy that opens valuable market opportunities while creating a world that is both sustainable and inclusive. And the potential rewards for doing so are significant.

The report reveals 60 sustainable and inclusive market “hotspots” in just four key economic areas could create at least $12 trillion, worth over 10% of today’s GDP. The breakdown of the four areas and their potential values are: Energy $4.3 trillion; Cities: $3.7 trillion; Food & Agriculture $2.3 trillion; Health & Well-being $1.8 trillion.

“Global Goals hot spots” identified in the report have the potential to grow two to three times faster than average GDP over the next 10-15 years. Beyond the $12 trillion directly estimated, conservative analysis shows potential for an additional $8 trillion of value creation across the wider economy if companies embed the Global Goals in their strategies. The report also shows that factoring in the cost of externalities (negative impacts from business activities such as carbon emissions or pollution) increases the overall value of opportunities by almost 40%.

“At a time when our economic model is pushing the limits of our planetary boundaries and condemning many to a future without hope, the Sustainable Development Goals offer us a way out,” said Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, and a commissioner. “Many are now realising the enormous opportunities that exist for enlightened businesses willing to stand up and address these urgent challenges. But every day that passes is another lost opportunity for action. We must react quickly, decisively and collectively to ensure a fairer and more prosperous world for all.”

While the opportunities are compelling, the Business Commission makes it clear that two critical conditions must be met to build these new markets. First, innovative financing from both private and public sources will be needed to unlock the $2.4 trillion required annually to achieve the Global Goals.

“As stewards of long-term capital, the investment industry and its clients can support the achievement of the SDGs by creating simple, standardised sustainability metrics integral to the investment process,” said Hendrik du Toit, CEO, Investec Asset Management, and member of the Commission. “We also need new streamlined partnerships with governments and communities that can reduce risks for everyone and bring more private investment at lower cost into sustainable infrastructure development.”

At the same time, the Commission believes a “new social contract” between business, government and society is essential to defining the role of business in a new, fairer economy. The recently released 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer reinforces this idea. It shows that while CEO credibility is sharply down, 75% of general population respondents agree that “a company can take specific actions that both increase profits and improve the economic and social conditions in the community where it operates.” And they can do so in ways that align with recommendations and actions outlined in Better Business, Better World: rebuilding trust by creating decent jobs, rewarding workers fairly, investing in the local community and paying a fair share of taxes.

“The promise of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement is a zero-carbon, zero-poverty world,” said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation, and commissioner. “To achieve these Global Goals, we need to rebuild trust. A new social contract for business where people, their environment and economic development are rebalanced can ensure that everybody’s sons and daughters are respected with freedom of association, minimum living wages, collective bargaining and safe work assured. Only a new business model based on old principles of human rights and social justice will support a sustainable future.”

Throughout 2017, the Commission will focus on working with companies to strengthen corporate alignment with the Global Goals, including: mentoring the next generation of sustainable development leaders; creating sectorial roadmaps and league tables that rank corporate performance against the Global Goals; and supporting measures to unlock blended finance for sustainable infrastructure investment. “We need to show these ideas work not just in a report but on the business frontline,” said Dr. Amy Jadesimi, CEO of LADOL, a Nigerian logistics and infrastructure development company, and a member of the Commission.

“The Global Goals provide a sustainable, profitable growth model for business, and have the potential to trigger a new competitive ‘race to the top,’” said Jeremy Oppenheim, Programme Director of the Commission. “The faster CEOs and boards make the Global Goals their business goals, the better off the world and their companies will be.”

Courtesy: ValueWalk

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