A climatologist, Prof. Emmanuel Olukayode Oladipo, has said that political will is critical in sustaining Ogoniland clean-up amid the economic recession of the country.
Prof. Emmanuel Olukayode Oladipo
Prof. Oladipo noted that the economic situation might slow the project but should not derail government’s commitment to restoring the ecosystem and creating a sustainable livelihood beyond oil for the community.
The Federal Government on June 2, at Bodo, Rivers State, inaugurated a $1 billion clean-up and restoration programme of Ogoniland. The project is expected to last for 20 years. The first five years would address remediation while the subsequent years would restore the ecosystems of the area.
The exercise is a response to recommendations made by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports, 2011.
Prof. Oladipo, who also serves as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) consultant, noted that commitment to the exercise would integrate peace into the Niger Delta region.
“Government is trying to get support from all sources, recession may slow it down but should not derail it.
“Maybe, instead of providing half a billion yearly, it may not be able to provide more than 250 million dollars every year towards it. It may delay the time of completion but once the political will is there, ideally, it should be completed.
“It may mean we have just limited money from our annual budget that can go to it, but at least we continue to do it. Once people see even if it’s one acres of land that is cleared every year and they see the commitment, they will relax.
“But if we abandon it because we say there’s economic recession, then we are going to add more trouble to the ongoing trouble in the Niger-Delta region. Government’s will should be high to ensure that Ogoniland issue is properly addressed.
“The exercise cannot be finished in one administration; the continuity is critical. When Buhari Administration goes, whichever one takes over should see Ogoniland Cleaning as priority and do what is supposed to do, then we should have no problem,” Prof. Oladipo said.
Ogoniland is home to some 20 million people and 40 different ethnic groups; its floodplain makes up 7.5 per cent of Nigeria’s total land mass.
Oil exploration and production, mainstay of the economy for decades, has severely damaged the ecosystem of the Niger Delta, contaminated the environment while affecting fishing and agriculture practice that constitutes community livelihood.
The Mexican Alliance for Biodiversity and Business, with the aim of promoting the protection, conservation and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems, was launched last week (17 October 2016) in Mexico City.
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources for Mexico, Rafael Pacchiano Alamán,
Comprised of 15 institutions and 12 companies, the Mexican Alliance for Biodiversity and Business seeks to generate constructive dialogue between conservation organisations, cooperation agencies, institutions and businesses to develop investment mechanisms and projects to protect natural resources and ecosystems, not only as an altruistic action, but as an integral element of the business strategy of businesses.
“I am very pleased that Mexico has established its national business and biodiversity initiative, thereby demonstrating its support for the ongoing work under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to strengthen the engagement of business,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD Executive Secretary. “The involvement of the business sector is crucial to achieving the objectives of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.”
Attending the launch on behalf of the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources for Mexico, Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, the Undersecretary of Development and Environmental Regulation, Cuauhtémoc Ochoa Fernández, praised the commitment of Mexico’s private sector in contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s natural capital.
Members of the Mexican Alliance for Biodiversity and Business emphasise that biodiversity is the foundation of life on Earth, and therefore sustains economic activity and human welfare, and that conserving and sustainably using genetic resources, species and ecosystems is essential for the long-term prosperity and viability of society and business.
Mexico is hosting the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cancun between 2 and 17 December 2016 and, as a parallel event, the 2016 Business and Biodiversity Forum will take place on 2 to 3 December 2016. In line with the theme of the UN Biodiversity Conference – the integration of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the plans, programmes and sectoral and intersectoral policies with emphasis on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism sectors – the Business and Biodiversity Forum will highlight the importance of mainstreaming biodiversity across sectors for the achievement of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011- 2020, its Aichi Biodiversity Targets, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Mexican Alliance for Biodiversity and Business will actively participate in the Business and Biodiversity Forum. It is also expected to join the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity established by Parties to the CBD, which allows for the sharing of information and best practices amongst the various member initiatives as well as their constituent organisations.
The creation of the Global Partnership is said to be a concrete signal by Parties to the Convention of their growing understanding that business needs to play a critical role in addressing the global challenge of biodiversity loss.
Delhi, India will host the 2016 FCTC COP7, where countries will advance a provision to hold the tobacco industry civilly and criminally liable for alleged abuses
At the conference, countries will advance a provision to hold the tobacco industry civilly and criminally liable for alleged abuses. In the wake of revelations this year about British American Tobacco (BAT)’s alleged bribery, governments will also advance policies to exclude the industry from public health policymaking at the international and national levels.
Litigation against Big Tobacco has compelled the industry to pay for the healthcare costs it has caused to countries around the world. The successful litigation against the tobacco industry in the U.S., via the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), secured the recovery of $206 billion in health care costs and transformed public health by banning advertising to kids and exposing industry lies, it was gathered.
A recent 17-year court case in Canada has similarly awarded smokers $15.6 billion CAD, in what is believed to be the largest class-action lawsuit in Canada to date.
“Litigation is one of the most powerful strategies in forcing the tobacco industry to pay for the staggering costs it incurs on society,” said Cloe Franko, senior international organiser with the Challenge Big Tobacco campaign at Corporate Accountability International. “The outcomes of this year’s Conference of the Parties are poised to mark a turning point for public health.”
The tools Parties will promote at this year’s conference will especially help low- and middle-income countries, where the majority of the world’s smokers now live, but whose GDPs are often dwarfed by Big Tobacco’s revenues – making going head-to-head with the industry in the courts a dubious prospect.
“Nigeria and other developing nations targeted by Big Tobacco for marketing of their lethal products now have the opportunity to support the adoption of mechanisms to hold the industry accountable for the harms caused by tobacco,” said Philip Jakpor, Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) Nigeria spokesperson. “Standing for the adoption of provisions that advance criminal liability on Big Tobacco is the right step for delegates from the African region owing to widespread bribery allegations levelled against British America Tobacco (BAT), which has in no small measure slowed the implementation of life-saving legislations.”
In addition to advancing tools to hold the tobacco industry civilly and criminally liable, Parties will also close loopholes the tobacco industry has exploited to participate in treaty meetings. The policy stems from a broader treaty directive called Article 5.3 thatprevents industry interference in the halls of government.
The global tobacco treaty entered into force in 2005. To date, 179 countries and the European Union have become Parties to the treaty. It is believied to contain the world’s most effective tobacco control and corporate accountability measures – estimated to save more than 200 million lives by 2050 if fully implemented.
During the Pre-COP22 session held last week in Marrakech, Morocco, as a prelude to the next UN Climate Change Conference that will take place in that country in November, the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC in Spanish), presented its positions in favour of the operationalisation of the Paris Agreement.
Segolene Royal, Minister of Environment of France and COP21 President, was at the Pre-COP22 session where AILAC presented its positions in favour of the operationalisation of the Paris Agreement. Photo credit: zimblo.com
The AILAC is a group of eight countries that share interests and positions on climate change, namely: Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Peru.
Its main objective is to generate coordinated, ambitious positions and contribute to the balance in the multilateral negotiations on climate change with a coherent vision for sustainable development that is responsible to the environment and future generations.
At the pre-COP forum, around 70 countries welcomed the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement next November 4th and the celebration of the first Conference of the Parties to the Convention serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CM1) on November 15th.
The Pre-COP was chaired by Salahdeddine Mezouar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco and COP22 President; as well as Segolene Royal, Minister of Environment of France and COP21 President. Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, also participated in the meeting.
Participants addressed the road map for climate finance led by Australia and the United Kingdom to meeting the collective goal of mobilising $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020. The Roadmap sets out the range of actions developed countries will take to meet it, through a combination of public and private finance. AILAC praised the efforts shown by Australia and the United Kingdom in advancing the roadmap to the $100 billion as a positive signal of commitment to the Paris Agreement.
Specific deliverables for Marrakech relate to capacity-building initiatives such as the Paris Committee on Capacity Building and the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency, and to help countries implement their Nationally Determined Contributions to the global response to climate change.
For AILAC it is of utmost relevance to ensure that during the Conferences in Marrakech the delicate balance of the spirit of the Paris Agreement is maintained and progress is reached in the following areas of deliverables: definitions and overarching guidance for initiating the operationalisation of the Agreement, including clear times and mandates for the strengthening of NDCs with regards to the Global Stocktake or collective progress towards achieving Paris Agreement Goals; progress on the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency and the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage; and Pre-2020 Action.
In this sense, for AILAC is relevant the effective development of an inclusive CMA1 that decides on a clear timeline for its upcoming work and sending a straight message to the world in terms of the commitment of the Parties of the Convention and of the Agreement to their implementation and achievement of their long-term goals.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday that it was significantly increasing its five-year growth forecast for renewables, thanks to strong policy support in key countries and sharp cost reductions. Renewables have surpassed coal last year to become the largest source of installed power capacity in the world.
IEA Executive Director, Fatih Birol.
The latest edition of the IEA’s Medium-Term Renewable Market Report now sees renewables growing 13% more between 2015 and 2021 than it did in last year’s forecast, due mostly to stronger policy backing in the United States, China, India and Mexico. Over the forecast period, costs are expected to drop by a quarter in solar PV and 15 percent for onshore wind.
Last year marked a turning point for renewables. Led by wind and solar, renewables represented more than half the new power capacity around the world, reaching a record 153 Gigawatt (GW), 15% more than the previous year. Most of these gains were driven by record-level wind additions of 66 GW and solar PV additions of 49 GW.
About half a million solar panels were installed every day around the world last year. In China, which accounted for about half the wind additions and 40% of all renewable capacity increases, two wind turbines were installed every hour in 2015.
“We are witnessing a transformation of global power markets led by renewables and, as is the case with other fields, the center of gravity for renewable growth is moving to emerging markets,” said Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director.
There are many factors behind this remarkable achievement: more competition, enhanced policy support in key markets, and technology improvements. While climate change mitigation is a powerful driver for renewables, it is not the only one. In many countries, cutting deadly air pollution and diversifying energy supplies to improve energy security play an equally strong role in growing low-carbon energy sources, especially in emerging Asia.
Over the next five years, renewables will remain the fastest-growing source of electricity generation, with their share growing to 28% in 2021 from 23% in 2015.
Renewables are expected to cover more than 60% of the increase in world electricity generation over the medium term, rapidly closing the gap with coal. Generation from renewables is expected to exceed 7600 TWh by 2021 – equivalent to the total electricity generation of the United States and the European Union put together today.
But while 2015 was an exceptional year, there are still grounds for caution. Policy uncertainty persists in too many countries, slowing down the pace of investments. Rapid progress in variable renewables such as wind and solar PV is also exacerbating system integration issues in a number of markets; and the cost of financing remains a barrier in many developing countries. And finally, progress in renewable growth in the heat and transport sectors remains slow and needs significantly stronger policy efforts.
The IEA also sees a two-speed world for renewable electricity over the next five years. While Asia takes the lead in renewable growth, this only covers a portion of the region’s fast-paced rise in electricity demand. China alone is responsible for 40% of global renewable power growth, but that represents only half of the country’s electricity demand increase.
This is in sharp contrast with the European Union, Japan and the United States where additional renewable generation will outpace electricity demand growth between 2015 and 2021.
The IEA report identifies a number of policy and market frameworks that would boost renewable capacity growth by almost 30% in the next five years, leading to an annual market of around 200 GW by 2020. This accelerated growth would put the world on a firmer path to meeting long-term climate goals.
“I am pleased to see that last year was one of records for renewables and that our projections for growth over the next five years are more optimistic,” said Dr. Birol. “However, even these higher expectations remain modest compared with the huge untapped potential of renewables. The IEA will be working with governments around the world to maximize the deployment of renewables in coming years.”
Global corporations have begun the transition to a low-carbon economy and some are already capitalising on the opportunities this affords, whilst a large number risk being left behind through lack of long-term planning and inertia, according to analysis released on Tuesday by CDP, the not-for-profit global environmental data platform.
Chief executive officer of CDP, Paul Simpson
CDP’s report, “Out of the starting blocks: Tracking progress on corporate climate action”, produced in partnership with We Mean Business, presents carbon emissions and climate change mitigation data from 1,089 companies, disclosed to CDP at the request of 827 institutional investors with assets of $100 trillion. These companies – which represent some of the world’s most significant in terms of market capitalisation and environmental impact – account for 12% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
With entry into force of the Paris Agreement on climate change confirming the shift to a low-carbon economy, CDP will show how business action is stacking up against the world’s new climate goals by tracking this group of companies in subsequent annual reports.
This year’s report, which sets the baseline, shows that the low-carbon transition can bring high returns. Over a five-year period, 62 companies have succeeded in cutting their emissions by 10% or more while increasing their revenue by the same margin. Collectively, revenue has increased by 29% and emissions reduced by 26% amongst this group, while the rest of the companies in the sample saw a 6% decrease in revenue alongside a 6% rise in emissions.
The group includes:
Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. The US real estate company saw revenue growth of 22% over five years alongside a 23% drop in emissions, with overall emissions intensity falling by 37%. The company has a science based target in place to reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions on an emissions-per-square-foot basis 28% by 2020 from a 2008 base-year;
SCA: The Swedish consumer goods company and pulp and paper manufacturer reduced its emissions by 32% while increasing revenue by 19%, achieving a 42% drop in emissions intensity. The company is reducing annual costs by €5 million thanks to a new biofuel-powered kiln at one of its mills;
Wipro: The Indian IT company saw growth of 15% over a five-year period alongside a 24% drop in emissions, with overall emissions intensity falling by 33%. The company has introduced new virtualisation technologies across its servers, resulting in huge annual energy savings.
Companies are one of the key actors in enabling the global economy to achieve its climate goals and the report reveals that 85% of businesses already have at least one target in place to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. However, these targets are lacking in long-term ambition, with just 14% of companies having set goals for 2030 or beyond. Moreover, just a small proportion of companies in the sample (9%) have committed to aligning their targets with the latest climate science for a 2˚C pathway.
Achieving their current targets would take the companies in the sample one quarter of the way to the level that their emissions should drop to in order to be consistent with keeping global warming below 2 degrees.
CDP’s chief executive officer, Paul Simpson, says: “This baseline-setting report uses data related to companies’ activities pre-Paris Agreement; it shows that while many are already on the right path, there is still a large gap to close. With hundreds of companies already disclosing to CDP that they anticipate substantive changes to their business resulting from the Paris deal, we expect to see a shift to longer-term, more science-based targets in future years.”
“As investors look to reduce risk by shifting investments to less carbon intensive infrastructure, the spotlight will shine more intensely on corporate actions. There is still all to play for in the race to seize the opportunities from this transition.”
We Mean Business’ chief executive officer, Nigel Topping, said: “We Mean Business is delighted to partner with CDP on this report, that sets the baseline for corporate action to combat climate change. We know that global business is instrumental in creating a below 2˚C world; this report shows that some companies are already reaping the business benefits of early action on climate.
“Future editions of this report will be the tool for the We Mean Business coalition to track how companies are capitalising on the low-carbon transition, and bringing the global economy ever closer to its climate goals.”
Some of the largest companies in the world by market capitalisation are notably absent from the analysis, having declined to respond to CDP’s investor-backed disclosure request. CDP will track a group of over 700 non-disclosing companies to monitor if they begin to engage with the process in future years and help investors assess their exposure to unrevealed risk. The three biggest companies by market capitalisation that failed to disclose this year are Berkshire Hathaway, Facebook and Amazon.
With the Financial Stability Board’s Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) due to publish its recommendations for consultation later this year, pressure on companies to disclose how climate change is likely to impact their business is expected to grow.
Alongside the report, CDP launches its 2016 Climate A List which comprises those companies identified as A grade for their actions in the 2015 reporting year to mitigate climate change. Following an independent assessment against CDP’s scoring methodology, 193 companies have made the list, which features brands from around the world such as Colgate Palmolive Company, Sony and Wipro.
Moody’s Investors Service says that global green bonds volume reached another peak during the three months ended September 30, with the strongest quarterly issuance yet of $26.1 billion, while the amount for all of 2016 could rise to over $80 billion.
Henry Shilling, Moody’s Senior Vice President. He says says that global green bonds volume reached another peak during the three months ended September 30
“The volume for the third quarter pushed green bond issuance for the first nine months of the year to $63.2 billion, an increase of 132% from the $27.2 billion issued a year ago,” says Henry Shilling, a Moody’s Senior Vice President. “Moreover, volume for the first nine months also strongly eclipsed the total of $42.4 billion issued during all of 2015, which was previously the record for annual green bond issuance.”
“Should the issuance levels seen in the third quarter be sustained through the end of the year, which is likely, given early issuance indicators during the first three weeks of the fourth quarter, the global market stands ready to achieve well over $80 billion in issuance and may approach $100 billion for the year,” says Shilling.
In addition, although renewable energy and energy efficiency remain projects of choice, the value of third-quarter issuance dropped in these categories to below 50%. By contrast, allocations to clean transportation, waste management, sustainable waste management and clean water and/or drinking water ticked up, strongly diversifying use of proceeds in the third quarter.
Moody’s conclusions were contained in its just-released quarterly report on green bond issuance, “Green Bonds – Global Record Quarterly Issuance Again in Q3 2016; Full Year Poised to Exceed $80 Billion”.
Benefiting from robust offerings from Chinese financial institutions in particular, full-year issuance could exceed $80 billion and, in doing so, would be within striking distance of doubling issuance in one year that was otherwise achieved over a period of the previous nine years, according to Moody’s.
While still small in absolute terms, this development reinforces a signaling of an acceleration in the momentum of a trend to acknowledge and address climate change that is also echoed in the speed with which the Paris Agreement on climate change went into force.
Significant issuance from Chinese banks marked a return of the pattern observed in the first quarter of 2016 and contributed to China accounting for 44% of global issuance. Financial institutions more generally contributed to 48% of issuance. Beyond China, supranationals and Mexico ranked second and third with 16% and 8% of global issuance, respectively.
During the third quarter, the number of issuers and transactions declined slightly, while the average transaction size increased. A total of 50 distinct issuers came to market with 77 transactions, a slight decline from the second quarter’s 54 issuers and 81 transactions. Average transaction size increased during the third quarter, averaging approximately $337 million per transaction.
The credit quality of green bonds also fell entirely within the investment-grade category. Ratings were distributed across the range, with 33% rated Aaa, 3.8% rated Aa1- Aa3, 42% rated A1-A3 and 21.6% rated Baa1. None of the issuances rated by Moody’s fell into the non-investment grade space.
The General Assembly of Oilwatch, which is celebrating its 20 years of existence, met recently in Quito, Ecuador in the framework of the Social Forum Resistance to Habitat III. In this declaration, the group frowns at the Habitat concept as well as the newly-adopted New Urban Agenda, saying that they encourage land grabbing and oil extraction. Oilwatch is thus demanding a “de-petroleum-ised habitat”.
Members of Oilwatch
The United Nations Conferences on Human Settlements held in Vancouver in 1979, Istanbul in 1996, and Quito in 2016 are a clear testament to the relationship between the oil industry and the global urbanisation agenda: expanding cities are the motor, justification and destination of hydrocarbons and their derivatives; constitute a source of energy; and allow for the profits and power of the oil, gas and coal industry, the vast car, petrochemical and mining industries as well as speculative financial capital to increase. This urban model is an expression of the oil civilisation and is profoundly linked to the global environmental crisis.
Both the slogan and objective of the New Urban Agenda open the door to new patterns of “sustainable and responsible” production, distribution and consumption of Nature and human labour; the sacrifice of bodies and territories to the extraction of oil, gas and coal, other sources of energy and inputs for the petrochemical industry.
Habitat III promotes and imagines a global future which is essentially urban, ignoring the importance of rural territories and the contribution of indigenous and peasant communities to sustaining life on Earth. Habitat III justifies land grabbing and the expropriation of the territories of ancestral peoples; the emptying of territories to provide raw material for industry; and the urbanisation of the rainforests, forests and peasant communities with projects such as “housing for the poor”, Millennium cities and other projects that are presented as part of social agendas, conservation or “offsets.”
The Green Economy is proposed as a way of addressing the habitat crisis; a discourse of “sustainability” is imposed; and projects like biodiversity and carbon offsets are promoted, which are nothing more than strategies for perpetuating the primacy of the market and allowing those responsible for the crisis to avoid their responsibilities. These projects justify the destruction, demobilise and displace communities, and generate profits for companies with new business ventures, while oil capitalism gets stronger and more entrenched.
The aggressive processes of urbanisation are always based on millions of cars, cause evictions, displacement and invasions both in the cities as well as in the territories of extraction. The agenda of urban growth with the construction of highways, super-car-ification of society and related infrastructure, is above all a function of the expansion of the extractive frontiers of new and old hydrocarbon companies with new and old technologies.
In the framework of the petroleum-isation of habitat, the omission in the discussion of the following issues is of particular concern to Oilwatch:
The use and promotion of extreme energies to undergird aggressive urbanisation
The new technologies linked to the oil, gas and coal industries’ prospecting, extraction, transformation, and management of waste, instead of protecting Nature and respecting the rights of communities, increase risks and adverse impacts. The extraction of extra heavy crude, natural gas and oil from fracking; the extraction of coalbed methane; coal and oil mining; the deep-sea drilling, the biotechnology for the oil industry and the expansion of the petrochemical industry have similar or even worse impacts than those already registered on the planet.
The creation of new sacrifice zones
The new frontiers of oil, gas and coal extraction are national parks, indigenous territories, coral reefs, deep seas, glaciers and other zones of extreme vulnerability, as well as the bodies of the workers and peoples near these projects. Destroying these areas not only means the loss of humanity’s heritage, but also unleashes uncontrollable forces of Nature. The industries linked to hydrocarbons, including the oil, services, mining, car and petrochemical industries are putting criminal pressure on the planet and her peoples. It is imperative to establish the chains of responsibility and act to stop these ecocides and ethnocides.
The extractive frontier is expanding even into cities, causing accidents, spills, pollution, land grabs and other adverse impacts, and posing enormous risks for life on Earth.
The analysis of the causes of climate change and the risks of its impacts on cities
The extraction of coal, oil and gas not only has provoked the planetary climate crisis, but is also provoking extreme disasters, to a great extent because of the experimental technologies that are being used. For example, fracking is linked to the generation and increase of earthquakes and explosions. Deep-sea drilling and in situ combustion pose grave risks for workers and territories. The cities, which continue to expand, are hyped as spaces of security, wellbeing and salvation for people who are slated for displacement, but they are really spaces of collapse where the worst climate crises are unfolding.
The extermination of peoples of extreme vulnerability
The last of the indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation that live in the Amazon rainforest and the Gran Chaco of South America, the communities of the forests of the Congo basin, the pastoralists of the African continent, the ethnic minorities of Arakan in South East Asia, the artisanal fisherfolk and hunter-gatherers, among others, are under siege by development plans and the extraction of minerals and hydrocarbons.
In the last couple of months in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, seismic exploration and the extraction of heavy crude are taking place in the territories of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation. These peoples must be prioritized for protection by the United Nations, and urgent action must be taken to immediately stop the oil projects that threaten their existence.
Agenda for Habitat
Oilwatch works for a post-oil civilisation, to de-fossilise the economy and to decentralise and diversify energy, to de-petroleum-ise the industrial food system, de-urbanise the life of our societies, to promote mass transit, to protect the territories/communities and restore the waters, bodies and forests.
Oilwatch demands that the United Nations block the influence of corporations in the international decision making arena; control and sanction them for their crimes, and make the relationship between the hydrocarbon and car industries and the urban growth agenda transparent.
Oilwatch recognises that the men and women defenders of Nature are the ones who are acting responsibly towards our habitat, and demand an immediate end to the criminalisation, harassment, stigmatisation, smear campaigns and criminal charges brought against nature defenders.
Oilwatch celebrates the ways that Nature rebels by returning rivers to their natural paths, preventing the discovery and extraction of the fluids of the Earth (the blood of the Earth according to indigenous peoples) and slowing down urban expansion.
Oilwatch is open to building alliances with urban organisations to jointly promote new ways of living together, which are in harmony with Nature, respectful of societies, build solidarity, democracy and life plans based on common ground and the collective good.
As Nigeria rounds up preparations for the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) scheduled to commence in two weeks’ time in Marrakech, Morocco, civil society organisations (CSOs) have been advised on their role at the two-week global summit.
Representatives of CSOs at the meeting
At a daylong session in Abuja on Monday that featured a Pre-COP22 Strategic Meeting and Launch of the Nigeria Labour Congress’ (NLC) Climate Change Policy document, Nigeria’s erstwhile climate chief, Dr Samuel Adejuwon, told participants that their role is to pay close attention to details and be the eye of their country delegation in every session they cover.
He advised the civil society players to always pass thorough and privileged information to their country delegation that may help influence decisions at the COP, which will also feature the 12th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP12) and the 1st Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1).
While commending Samuel Onuigbo, Chairman, House of representatives Committee on Climate Change, for his commitment and support for his work, Dr Adejuwon however pointed out that it would yield no result without the support of the efforts of the overall National Assembly (NASS). He said that the support of the NASS is needed to help fund the implementation of the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) as, according to him, inadequate funding might forestall its execution.
Adejuwon demanded: “How are you looking into making laws that will help Nigeria transit to green economy even with technology and expertise import? How will you ensure funding for CSOs and carry them along in all the processes of your work? When will the Climate Change Commission Bill be passed into law? Are you factoring in gender balance in all your works?”
Onuigbo’s reply: “We have done a lot of work since I was appointed into this position in November 2015 and we have been able to establish that all MDAs (ministries, departments and agencies) can be held accountable for what they do to the environment and how they comply with international conventions to which Nigeria is party to.
“We were able to identify impacted ministries and explain to them why they are under the oversight of the NASS Committee on Climate Change. We will continue to do a lot of work that will allow the ease of implementation for the Paris Agreement. The Climate Change Commission Bill was scuttled when it got to the stage for assent for some unknown reasons, but we are working on a new one now. We will work to make provisions for interactive session in our budget to encourage this kind of forum.”
The legislator lauded the President’s commitment to climate change, which he said has been obvious but capped by the recent signing of the Paris Agreement in New York. He promised that the House would continue to do its best to support work on climate change and commended the NLC for its efforts.
Citing the drying up of Lake Chad as a typical and current example of how devastating climate change can be, he urged all to change and join the effort to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Environment rights activist, Nnimmo Bassey, faulted the Paris Agreement, saying it allows countries to pledge to what they can do, and not what they must do.
Speaking during the launch of the NLC Climate Change Policy document, he stressed that now is time for all to fight for a “green labour revolution”. He urged the NLC to help cut emissions at source through innovative projects and policies.
He adds: “COP21 was a failure because the things mentioned were things they could do, and not what they should or must do. Paris Agreement has given room for more carbon offset.
“Those who have taken 80% of carbon budget are still putting carbon into the system. This is the basis of climate injustice.
“On gas flaring, the Nigerian government has refused to the counterpart funding and that has stalled implementation of many initiatives including stopping gas flaring as they are the major shareholders in the impacting companies.
“I advise CSOs: support your country’s position but be critical, look beyond the ordinary words and know the underlying reason for everything.”
Tracing the genesis of the Climate Change Policy, Hauwa Mustapha of the NLC said: “It wasn’t until 2015 that the NLC started serious engagement on climate change and started out with a study on workers’ knowledge of climate change and how they relate to it.
“The study revealed that workers, though aware of climate change, could not immediately relate it to their daily activities. The policy document is expected to give us a guide towards more action.”
She decried the poor conditions of work environment of most places in Nigeria with workers being unaware of the impact on their health and environment.
President of COP22, Salaheddine Mezouar, has said that the COP in Marrakech next month will be a union of decision and action. He made the submission at a pre-COP meeting of ministers that held recently in Morocco.
Moroccan Foreign Minister and COP22 President, Salaheddine Mezouar. He says the COP will be a union of decision and action. Photo credit: AFP/Fadel Senna
More than 80 ministers from different countries and over 400 politicians and civilians gathered for the pre-COP Ministerial conference, which took place on 18-19 October.
In his opening address, Mr Mezouar, confirmed that COP22 would be a union of decision and action, indicating that the rapid entry into force of the Paris Agreement, while desirable, is not an end in itself, but only a prelude to its practical implementation.
Mr. Mezouar drew attention to three major issues concerning sustainable development: the need to promote access to clean, modern energy sources; the need to develop economically dynamic, resilient, and inclusive cities; and the need to strengthen the resilience and productivity of agriculture.
Moreover, the President of COP22 stressed that the event was based on three major pillars: ratification of the Paris Agreement by as many parties as possible prior to COP22; the swift implementation of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs); and the mobilisation of governments and non-governmental players in order to institutionalise the framework of Global Climate Action.
