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Govt, partners to integrate climate action, nutrition policies for sustainability

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The Federal Government, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) through its flagship Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN), and others have convened to integrate climate resilience and nutrition for sustainable food systems.

Nutrition
Stakeholders at the National Consultation on Climate and Nutrition Integration in Abuja on Thursday

This is geared toward achieving improved health outcomes in the country.

The I-CAN framework, launched at COP27 by the Government of Egypt alongside partners like WHO, FAO, UNEP, and GAIN, offers a global model to bridge the policy divide between climate and nutrition.

A study on climate and Nutrition Integration by GAIN was also presented at the National Consultation on Climate and Nutrition Integration in Abuja on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

The report centred around Evidence Generation, Stakeholders Mapping and Policy Landscape Analysis in Nigeria.

Dr Faniran Sanjo, Director, Social Development Department, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, said that the study being presented fitted into government efforts to review the National Food and Nutrition Policy.

Sanjo is also the National Convener, Food Systems Transformation Pathways in Nigeria.

“It will also help us to address the challenges in our food system, from the point of planting to the dining table, because it is at the dining table that we are mostly looking at the nutrition.

“If climate action is actually giving serious attention, all those things that are affecting nutrition, that are affecting our food system, will definitely be taken care of.

“We are looking up to a robust National Food and Nutrition policy, which the ministry is coordinating with all relevant stakeholders, both at the national and sub national levels of governance,” he said.

Mrs. Ladi Bako-Aiyegbusi, Head of the Nutrition Department, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, noted government’s efforts in implementing policies aimed at promoting nutrition and food security nationwide.

Bako-Aiyegbusi said that the National Policy on Food and Nutrition, National Health Promotion policy and others being implemented nationwide were aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the population.

She said that these policies also addressed the impact of climate change on health, nutrition, non-communicable diseases, amongst others.

According to her, through these policies and strategies being implemented, the government has been able to scale-up nutrition interventions and improve food security, health outcomes, and overall sustainable development.

Dr Michael Ojo, Country Director of GAIN Nigeria, stressed the urgent need to align Nigeria’s climate and nutrition policies in a coherent, actionable framework.

“Climate change is not just an environmental crisis; it is also a nutrition crisis.

“The need to align climate resilience with nutrition outcomes has never been more urgent,” he said.

Mr. Obinna Igwebuike, Co-Founder and CEO, Sawubona Advisory Services, presented the Nutrition Integration: “Evidence Generation, Stakeholders Mapping and Policy Landscape Analysis in Nigeria”.

Igwebuike said that climate change had severely impacted food and nutrition security in Nigeria.

He said that the study showed that over 33 million Nigerians were projected to face acute food insecurity in 2025, while over 30 per cent of children under five were currently stunted.

He stressed the need for the urgent implementation of actionable framework that would strengthen Nigeria’s resilience to climate shocks while improving nutrition outcomes.

Oher stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to address the climate-nutrition nexus.

They expressed commitment to building a mission-driven approach to sustainable, climate-resilient nutrition systems in Nigeria, as part of global efforts to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

By Justina Auta

Lagos seals Oko-Oba Abattoir over environmental violations

The Lagos State Government (LASG) has announced the immediate closure of Oko-Oba Abattoir over environmental violations and inappropriate operational practices.

Tokunbo Wahab
Commissioner For Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, on an inspection of the Oko-Oba Abattoir

Commissioner For Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said this while speaking with journalists after an inspection tour of the abattoir on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Lagos.

Wahab, who expressed disappointment about the situation of the abattoir, admonished the operators for defying regulations.

He, however, appealed to communities to take ownership of their neighbourhoods.

“We got a very strongly worded petition with reference to the state of Oko-Oba Abattoir and got a concurrence petition again from the Ministry of Agric and Food Security.

“They requested that the Ministry of Environment should intervene urgently with respect to the environmental degradation of that facility.

“So, we came this morning, and It’s very heart-wrenching what we saw there. Humans are now occupying tents built purposely for animals.

“The operators have also defied regulations, and they have chosen to be law unto themselves. They slaughter animals, discharge waste into the public drainage system, and it’s just unacceptable,” he said.

He added that the ministry would take a drastic, firm, and decisive action until they were able to comply with the minimum standard.

“The next step is, we are going to take a very drastic, firm and decisive action until they are able to comply with the minimum standard but we have to be very decisive in the next few hours. It’s a catastrophic thing to happen,” he said.

Wahab, who said the ministry would close down the abattoir, noted that they were not working in silos but rather with the Ministry of Agriculture.

“We are the same government. We are not working in silos. I am glad this major complaint came from the Ministry of Agric.

“This system is settled by laws. There are regulations for the abattoir. You can’t choose to defy and go your own way.

“Once we start the enforcement, we are also going to ensure we have the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) there.

“But this is beyond LASEPA. The Lagos Waste Management Authority must have a main station there,” he said.

Wahab who also visited Johnathan Coker Road, along Agege area of the state, expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of infrastructure orchestrated by some mid rants.

He disclosed some individuals had been found chiselling iron rods from bridges and drainage systems funded by taxpayers.

“These infrastructures cost the state huge resources. We can’t build and still police them daily,” he said.

He called on Community Development Associations (CDAs) to take ownership.

“The three CDA chairmen here today must step up. It’s your community. Protect what is yours,” he urged.

Wahab also decried residents’ refusal to pay for waste services preferring to dump refuse indiscriminately.

He affirmed that the government was actively prosecuting offenders caught in the act and would not relent in its efforts to enforce environmental laws across the state.

“Our laws are clear. You generate your waste, pay for it. No more freeloading. We are also grateful that many Lagosians are beginning to take ownership and whistle-blow on violations.

“It’s a gradual process, but we’re making progress,” he added.

By Olaitan Idris

Netherlands returns 119 stolen artefacts to Oba of Benin

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Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, on Thursday, June 19, 2025, received 119 stolen artefacts from the Government of the Netherlands.

Oba of Benin
Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II

Oba Ewuare attributed the successful return of the artefacts to divine intervention, while thanking President Bola Tinubu and former President Muhamadu Buhari for their supports and commitment.

He said that both Tinubu and Buhari ensured that the artefacts were not looted for another round.

“There were groups in this country believed to be an international cartel that had all sorts of conspiracy to enable them re-loot our artifacts,’’ he said.

Oba expressed gratitude to the government of the Netherlands for working with them, adding that the gesture had reawakened the courage and morale of Benin people.

He also praised the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments for his efforts in retrieving the artefacts.

Oba Ewuare used the medium to urge the youths to be strong and resilient in the face of adversity.

He emphasised that the return of the artefacts was a testament to the power of determination and prayer.

He prayed with the officials of the commission, while hoping that more artefacts be returned in the future.

Earlier, the Director-General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Olugbile Holloway, stated that the commission and the Benin Royal Palace are working tirelessly to ensure more return of stolen artefacts.

Holloway noted that the 119 artefacts were the largest number so far received of several stolen artifacts.

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Musa Ikhilor, pledged to collaborate with the federal government to improve the storage system for the artefacts.

The state promised to build necessary facilities to preserve the items.

The General-Director of Wereld Museum, Marieke Van Bommel, explained that the artefacts were looted; noting that the Netherlands has a policy to return what does belong to them.

She noted that there were more collections in Europe, but they were not under their jurisdiction.

By Imelda Osayande

Dangote Refinery an industrial revolution, liberating Nigeria – Committee

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The $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has been hailed as a symbol of industrial revolution, driving Nigeria’s economic emancipation.

Dangote Refinery
President/CE, Dangote Industries Ltd (DIL), Aliko Dangote; Coordinator, Technical Committee of the One-Stop Shop (OSS) for Sale of Crude and Refined Products in Naira Initiative, Maureen Ogbonna; Vice President, Oil and Gas, DIL, Devakumar Edwin, look on as Assistant Quality Assurance Officer, Dangote Petroleum Refinery Laboratory, Nwankwor Favour Alex, shows samples of products from the refinery during the visit of the Technical Committee to Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant, Lekki, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025

This commendation was made by the Technical Committee of the One-Stop Shop (OSS) for sale of crude and refined products in naira initiative during a tour of the facility on Tuesday.

Coordinator of the OSS Technical Committee, Mrs. Maureen Ogbonna, who led the delegation, described the refinery as a breath of fresh air, impacting virtually every sector of the economy.

“This refinery touches all our lives. There’s scarcely any sector unaffected. From pharmaceuticals to construction, food to plastics, this project is transformational. God has used the President of the Dangote Group to liberate Nigeria. I see this as the beginning of an industrial revolution,” she said.

Noting that, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of achieving full domestic sufficiency in petroleum products and positioning Nigeria as a major global exporter, the committee is committed to eliminating regulatory, operational and logistical barriers that hinder the smooth supply and sale of domestic crude oil and refined products in naira.

Reflecting on the scale and sophistication of the facility, Ogbonna, who had visited during construction and more recently alongside the leadership of the Nigerian Ports Authority, expressed continued awe at its execution.

“It is truly mind blowing that one man could envision and execute such a project. As we toured the refinery, we thought we had seen everything until we reached the laboratory. That lab alone is an institution. I don’t know of any institution in Nigeria or even globally that boasts such a laboratory for petrochemical,” she said.

Applauding the engineering feat, Ogbonna urged Dangote to remain focused and undeterred by detractors, emphasising that the project is a global achievement, not a personal enterprise.

“We feel truly honoured to have been warmly received by the President of the Dangote Group and his team. My advice to him is: do not be discouraged by critics. He was never self centred. Despite the obstacles, he was driven by a vision for Nigeria’s future, reaching far beyond Africa,” she added.

In response, Aliko Dangote applauded the technical committee for its role in supporting the implementation of President Tinubu’s laudable Naira-for-Crude initiative. He commended the positive impact of the naira-for-crude swap deal on the Nigerian economy, noting that it has led to a reduction in petroleum product prices, eased pressure on the dollar, and ensured the stability of the local currency, among others.

However, he noted that due to a shortage of domestic crude oil, the refinery has increasingly relied on imports from the United States to meet its needs in recent months.

Dangote stressed the importance of bold investment in strategic sectors as a key to industrialisation, revealing that building the refinery required extensive infrastructure development, including a world-class, self-sufficient marine facility capable of accommodating the largest vessels globally.  He assured the delegation of the refinery’s commitment to national development.

Designed to process a wide range of crude types including African and Middle Eastern grades as well as US Light Tight Oil, the refinery has the capacity to meet one hundred per cent of Nigeria’s domestic demand for petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation jet fuel, with a surplus available for export.

Global survey demands oil and gas taxes for climate action

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A vast majority of people believe governments must tax oil, gas and coal corporations for climate-related loss and damage, and that their government is not doing enough to counter the political influence of super rich individuals and polluting industries.

Carbon tax
Carbon tax

These are the key findings of a global survey -including responses from South Africa and Kenya – which reflect a broad consensus across political affiliations, income levels and age groups.

The study, jointly commissioned by Greenpeace International and Oxfam International, was launched on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the UN Climate Meetings in Bonn (SB62), where government representatives are discussing climate policies, including ways to raise at least $1.3 trillion annually in climate finance for Global South countries by 2035.

The survey was conducted across 13 countries, including most G7 countries.

Sherelee Odayar, Oil and Gas Campaigner for Greenpeace Africa, said: “In Africa, people are feeling the heat – literally – and they’re done footing the bill for disasters driven by record fossil-fuel profits. This survey sends an unmistakable message: our governments have a popular mandate to make oil, gas and coal corporations pay their fair share for the floods, droughts and hunger they’ve helped unleash. A polluter-pays tax would turn dirty profits into clean investments for frontline communities, and that’s the climate justice Africa has been calling for.”

Ali Mohamed, Special Envoy for Climate Change, Kenya, said: “African Leaders adopted the Nairobi Declaration during the inaugural Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, which among others, calls for a global carbon taxation regime, including levies on fossil fuel trade. Kenya co-chairs the Global Solidarity Levies Taskforce, which brings together a coalition of willing countries to design and implement progressive levies that reflect the true cost of pollution.

“The principle is simple, sectors profiting from the increasing greenhouse gas emissions that cause the destructive climate change, must be taxed to support climate impacted vulnerable communities in Africa and other developing world, adapt and recover from the devastating losses and damages being suffered so frequently.”

Mads Christensen, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, said: “These survey results send a clear message: people are no longer buying the lies. They see the fingerprints of fossil fuel giants all over the storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires devastating their lives, and they want accountability. By taxing the obscene profits of dirty energy companies, governments can unlock billions to protect communities and invest in real climate solutions. It’s only fair that those who caused the crisis should pay for the damage, not those suffering from it.”

Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said: “Fossil fuel companies have known for decades about the damage their polluting products wreak on humanity. Corporations continue to cash in on climate devastation, and their profiteering destroys the lives and livelihoods of millions of women, men and children, predominantly those in the Global South who have done the least to cause the climate crisis.

“Governments must listen to their people and hold polluters responsible for their damages. A new tax on polluting industries could provide immediate and significant support to climate-vulnerable countries, and finally incentivise investment in renewables and a just transition.”

The study, run by Dynata, was unveiled alongside the Polluters Pay Pact, a global alliance of communities on the frontlines of climate disasters. The Pact demands that – instead of piling the costs on ordinary people – governments make oil, gas and coal corporations pay their fair share for the damages they cause, through the introduction of new taxes and fines.

The Pact is backed by firefighters and other first responders, trade unions and worker groups, and mayors from countries including Australia, Brazil, Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and South Africa, the US, and plaintiffs in landmark climate cases from Pacific island states to Switzerland.

The Pact is also supported by over 60 NGOs, including Oxfam International, 350.org, Avaaz, Islamic Relief UK, Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente (AIDA), Indian Hawkers Alliance, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, Jubilee Australia and the Greenpeace network.

The survey’s findings reveal broad public support for the core demands of the Polluters Pay Pact, as climate impacts worsen worldwide and global inequality grows.

IPCC, AGU partner to expand access to publications for work on Seventh Assessment Report 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU) have announced access to the full library of AGU Publications for IPCC authors working on the Panel’s Seventh Assessment Report, or AR7.

Jim Skea
Jim Skea, IPCC Chair

“This landmark decision is an invaluable scientific boost for the IPCC’s ongoing work,” said IPCC Chair Jim Skea. “It will enable our authors from developing countries and those facing access barriers to enhance their scientific contributions to the upcoming reports of IPCC’s three Working Groups assessing the latest science related to climate change. We encourage other major scientific publishers to consider following suit at this critical time for climate science.”

As a non-profit scholarly publisher, AGU publishes 24 peer-reviewed high-impact journals and four active book series, including monographs, advanced-level textbooks, and technical manuals across the entire spectrum of Earth and space sciences. It also runs the Earth and Space Science Open Archive.

AGU journals publish research articles, letters, commentaries and other types of scholarly content within the fields of Earth and space sciences. Covering topics ranging from atmospheric science and oceanography to geophysics, planetary science, and climate change, AGU journals are an essential mode of information sharing and enterprise building for the global scientific community. 

“IPCC Reports provide authoritative scientific consensus on climate change to a broad spectrum of key players, from government and community leaders to industries and advocacy organizations,” said AGU President Brandon Jones. “Opening AGU publications’ portfolio to the authors of the Seventh Assessment Report provides greater equitable access to critical research of the scientific community, which can be assessed, considered, and weighed when informing the final report.”

Following the Panel’s agreement in February on the outlines of the three Working Group contributions during its 62nd Session held in Hangzhou, China, the IPCC has now completed the call for nominations of experts to act as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, or Review Editors for the three key Working Group contributions to IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report.

Hundreds of experts in different scientific domains worldwide will be selected to volunteer their time and expertise to produce the new set of IPCC Reports. Author teams will reflect a range of scientific, technical, and socio-economic knowledge. Coordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors will be responsible for drafting the different chapters of the Working Group contributions to the AR7 and, with the help of the Review Editors, revising those based on comments submitted during the two rounds of reviews by experts and governments.

IPCC author teams include experts from different regions to ensure geographic balance. The IPCC also seeks a balance in gender, as well as a balance between those authors with experience in working on IPCC Reports and those new to the process, including younger scientists.

The outlines of the three Working Group contributions to the AR7 were developed after a comprehensive scientific scoping meeting in December 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before the Panel considered them and agreed upon them at the end of February.

Climate Analytics updates 1.5°C pathway, renewables investments for Nigeria, others

In its 1.5°C national pathway explorer, Climate Analytics showcases different pathways countries can take to limit peak global warming to 1.5°C – and the economy-wide and sectoral emissions reductions required to get there.

Balarabe Abbas Lawal
Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Lawal

CanadaChileEgyptthe European Unionthe UKNigeriaPoland and Viet Nam have been updated with new policy analysis, net pathways including land sector emissions, and power sector capacity investments.

The profiles show when fossil fuels like coal and gas need to be phased out for countries to be 1.5°C compatible – and the corresponding renewable energy capacity required to replace this.  

To help policymakers prepare their updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs), each profile shows what 1.5°C-aligned 2030 and 2035 NDCs would be alongside current targets and policy projections. It also breaks down the transition for key sectors such as power, industry, transport and buildings.

Climate Analytics has collaborated with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) to develop new global pathways to guide policymakers and advocacy groups on the action necessary in order to deliver the Paris Agreement goals and keep 1.5°C alive.

Nigeria’s conditional NDC target aligned with 1.5°C pathways

In Nigeria for example, its conditional target from its 2021 NDC is aligned with 1.5°C compatible pathways (when excluding LULUCF). Given how few historical emissions Nigeria has emitted, 1.5°C compatible pathways still allow for a small increase in emissions – to 26% above 2010 levels, or to 375 MtCO₂e/yr by 2030. Further international support would be necessary for Nigeria to achieve its conditional target.

Investing in fossil gas increases risk of stranded assets

Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan targets a 10 GW increase in fossil gas capacity by 2030 before decreasing to meet Nigeria’s 2060 net zero emissions target. Adding additional fossil fuel capacity would require deeper decarbonisation elsewhere, either in Nigeria or internationally, potentially causing delays and increasing the costs of transition. In analysed 1.5°C pathways, fossil gas is almost entirely phased out of the power sector by 2045, with electricity needs met by renewables instead.

Trade barriers introduce uncertainty, threaten progress on wind and solar power

Analysed pathways show Nigeria reaching at least 23 and up to 70 GW of total renewables capacity in 2030, exceeding its set target of 17 GW of total renewables capacity with investments requirements of up to USD 11bn per year between 2026-2030.

This rollout may be slowed down by the recently announced “Nigeria First Policy”, which aims to boost local manufacturing. However, this is likely to result in trade barriers on renewable energy technologies, potentially increasing costs and reducing imports.

Caribbean countries launch landmark platform to scale up climate investment

The creation of a platform to accelerate the mobilisation of finance for the boosting of resilience across the Caribbean region was announced on Monday, June 16, 2025.  

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley
Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, delivering a speech to the World Leaders Summit at COP26 in Glasgow

The landmark Regional Platform for catalysing Resilience and Climate Action in the Caribbean aims to identify and deliver country-focused game-changing investment opportunities while enhancing a regional approach to resilience building in the era of a climate crisis.

This first ever regional Resilience investment platform was convened under the stewardship of Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of CARICOM.

Prime Minister Mottley said: “For too long, the Caribbean has been sounding the alarm and calling for greater action to build the resilience of our people and to protect us and our countries from the impacts of the climate crisis.

“Today, we take another step in this regard, with the launch of the Regional Platform for Catalyzing Resilience and Climate Action. This is our bold collective response to mobilise the scale of finance we truly need to develop projects and boost our capacity. We must not invest in band-aids for the moment, but in game-changing, future-defining solutions to this challenge that confronts us all.

“As Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of CARICOM, I am proud that Barbados, alongside our fellow CARICOM nations and global partners, have committed to this effort to pool our efforts to confront common challenges and to cooperate in the strengthening of our resilience. With one voice, we are saying clearly that the Caribbean will not wait, for the moment demands urgency. We will lead. We will innovate. And we will act together.”

Seven governments have initially committed – Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago have submitted Letters of Support for their participation in the Regional Platform. Others are expected to join in the near future.

Mafalda Duarte, Executive Director, Green Climate Fund, said: “I congratulate Caribbean countries on the launch of this pioneering regional climate change programme. This first-of-its-kind platform is a powerful example of leadership. It reflects a clear vision to turn untapped regional assets such as renewable energy as well as connectivity challenges into a strategic investment program that can ensure energy, water and food security in the region and beyond, helping others meet their climate goals.

“The Green Climate Fund is proud to support this effort through our flagship Readiness Programme, the largest instrument of its kind for helping countries make institutional arrangements, undertake relevant technical work and structure strategic investment programs that can align and unlock finance at scale.”

The platform aims to deliver a more programmatic, regionally led model for resilience building and climate action. It aims to mobilise greater public and private sector investment and strengthen coordination in key areas, such as sustainable energy transition, enhanced regional connectivity through resilient transport and related infrastructure, the development of innovative financial instruments that do not increase debt burdens but absorbs excess liquidity, and enhancing our water and food security. The participating governments will also seek to better align their educational systems and the resolution of their demographic deficit with the goal of building a common resilience in the Caribbean.

The platform is set to have a Regional Steering Committee, a Secretariat housed in the Caribbean Development Bank, and technical working groups, financial institutions, and support partner networks composed of experts and representatives of partner organisations.

GCF’s Readiness Programme provides grants of up to $7 million per developing country over four years. The launch countries for the Caribbean platform are committing to use some of their GCF readiness allocations to fund the platform.

G7 leaders accused of leaving climate action out of summit statements

At the close of the 50th G7 leaders’ summit in Canada on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, observers have expressed disappointment at the seeming lack of climate leadership, urgency, and ambition from world leaders. 

G7 leaders
G7 leaders at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada

The G7 make up the richest countries in the world and expected to be the first and fastest to phase out fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy – leading to more prosperity, cleaner air, and cheaper and more reliable energy. In this crucial decade, G7 global leaders must significantly raise their ambition to avert a climate catastrophe, according to a group of climate activists. 

This year’s leaders’ summit took place against a backdrop of devastating wildfires in Canada and a year of increasingly severe weather impacts worldwide due to climate change. The priorities for the summit laid out by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney resulted in a statement on responding to wildfires and a critical minerals plan, but all of the statements failed to include any mention of climate change, let alone any ambitious policy reform to tackle the climate crisis.  

The G7 leaders, said the campaigners, missed a crucial opportunity to lead on climate and to stand up against fossil fuel interests and the Trump administration.

“The G7 includes the most polluting countries and some of the largest fossil fuel expanders, Canada and the United States. These nations bear the historic responsibility to contribute climate finance to the tune of $1.3 trillion annually in non-debt-creating support for Global South nations.

“The G7 must seize the opportunity to reinforce their climate commitments ahead of COP30 in Brazil. Ensuring a dedicated ministerial meeting on energy and the environment is essential – not optional – to drive real climate progress. Without it, the G7 risks arriving at COP30 empty-handed and out of step with the level of urgency the climate crisis demands,” they stated.

Amara Possian, Canada Team Lead, 350.org, said: “As one of the world’s richest, most polluting countries, Canada has a responsibility to lead on climate justice and Prime Minister Carney should use the G7 presidency to raise the bar. To do our fair share, Canada must triple climate finance through grants, cancel Global South debt, make polluters and billionaires pay, and end trade rules that block climate action. This is a defining test of Canada’s commitment to long-term security and prosperity.”

Nicolò Wojewoda, Europe Regional Director, 350.org, said: “European leaders arrived at the G7 with plans to build more nuclear and expand fossil gas, pushing LNG not to solve the climate crisis, but to score points in trade relations with Trump. Europe claims climate leadership but backing more gas infrastructure in a year of record heat and extreme weather is reckless. This summit should be about figuring out how to phase out fossil fuels and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 – not climate hypocrisy.”

JL Andrepont, US Senior Policy Analyst, 350.org, said: “The US left the diplomatic table, again. President Trump’s early exit from the G7 Summit in Canada is part of a continued effort to remove our leadership and commitments from the world stage. We cannot move forward quickly enough on the needed clean, just energy transition with a US government hostile to the very concept of the climate crisis and the readily available tools necessary to fight it – justly sourced and implemented, low-cost wind and solar. The rest of the planet must step forward in our absence to keep the fight to end the fossil fuel era going. Unfortunately, G7 leaders followed in Trump’s footsteps and ended the meeting pretending climate change doesn’t exist. Our people and our planet deserve better.”

Ilan Zugman, Latin America and Caribbean Regional Director, 350.org, said: “Brazil is using the excuse that rich countries haven’t done their part to justify expanding fossil fuels and that is absolutely the wrong path. But let’s be honest: wealthy countries have made it easy for Brazil to fall back on that argument by failing to deliver on climate finance and by continuing to expand their own fossil fuel production. The G7 now has a critical opportunity to show that this is not how it’s done – to demonstrate real courage and political will. By stepping up with bold climate action and serious financial commitments, they can send a clear message: the just energy transition is possible.”

Masayoshi Iyoda,  Japan campaigner, 350.org, said: “Japan must stop seeking to expand its fossil gas investments, which destroy ecosystems, endanger communities, and increase the debt burden of developing nations across Asia. Japan must not buy more gas from the US as part of a trade deal: if we are to survive, our fossil free future is non-negotiable. We instead urge Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to show other G7 leaders that strong, resilient economies must be fueled by renewable energy. We urge the government to be responsive to the needs of future generations—not the short-term profits of fossil companies.”

Nigeria assures zero biodiversity loss by 2030

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The Federal Government on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, reaffirmed its commitment to achieving zero biodiversity loss in Nigeria by the year 2030.

Biodiversity
Participants at the Validation Workshop on the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in Abuja

Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal, made this known at the Validation Workshop on the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in Abuja.

Lawal was represented by Dr Amah Moses, Director, Forestry Department in the ministry.

According to him, the validation workshop marks a crucial milestone in the country’s efforts to align national strategies with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

“By 2030, all areas will be effectively managed to reduce the loss of high biodiversity areas to near zero.

“As a country blessed with diverse flora and fauna, it is our responsibility to develop a strategic framework that promotes the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of these invaluable resources,” he added.

Lawal stressed that Nigeria’s biodiversity is not only vital for ecological balance but also plays an important role in the country’s economy, culture, and food systems.

“Biodiversity is not just about conservation; it is the foundation of our ecosystems. It provides food, medicine, clean water, and healthy soils,” he noted.

He reiterated that the health and well-being of all Nigerians depend on a healthy environment, and called for collective efforts to lay the groundwork for a more resilient and ecologically sustainable nation.

“As we move to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and its ambitious goals, it is worth recalling Nigeria’s active role, along with ECOWAS, during its development between 2020 and 2022,” he stated.

In her remarks, Dr Agnes Asagbra, Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and collaboration with the Ministry of Environment.

“The private sector also has a key role to play, especially in biotech and agriculture-based industries, to support biodiversity through corporate social responsibility,” she said.

Similarly, Mrs. Ibironke Olubamise, Coordinator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), highlighted the programme’s extensive support for biodiversity initiatives.

“Biodiversity has always been a priority. To date, we have supported between 60 and 70 biodiversity projects in Nigeria,” she said.

She added that the programme has worked in nearly all the national parks and supported non-governmental organisations and local communities across the eight traditional national parks in the country.

By Abigael Joshua

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