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Abiodun to Ambode: Why Mile 12 Market relocation is spot on

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Abiodun to Ambode: Why Mile 12 Market relocation is spot on

Parkview Estate, Ikoyi-based urban planner and planning advocate, Yacoob Abiodun, writes an open letter to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, urging him to uphold his decision on the relocation of the Mile 12 Market to a new site 

Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State. Photo credit: ecomium.org
Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State. Photo credit: ecomium.org

Your Excellency,

I indulge in writing this unsolicited letter to your Excellency for various reasons and perspectives, in respect of the planned relocation of the Mile 12 market at Ketu to a new location at Imota on the outskirts of Lagos. The first reason is that I am an age-long resident of Lagos and a qualified stakeholder in the affairs of the mega city by virtue of my residency. The second reason is that under your able leadership, you took the bold step to establish the Office of Civic Engagement, in the political history of Lagos State, for the purpose of promoting inclusive/participatory government, whereby the residents are encouraged to speak out their minds about matters of public interest, which is an embodiment of democratic tenets. It is a guarantee for effective public participation in governance. It is that sole assurance that spurs me to write this open letter, to your Excellency, sir on the Mile 12 market saga, which has recently dominated the centre stage in public discourse, trending in social media and daily newspaper commentaries.

Sir, the third most compelling reason for this writer is my professional background as a trained urban planner, who has tried valiantly in the past and now to contribute his humble/modest suggestions on how to improve physical planning practice and urban development in Lagos State in all ramifications. The most pivotal solution to the Mile 12 market problems from my personal perspective has to do first and foremost, with issues of urban planning, regardless of other perceived remedies either on the basis of social or ethnic considerations.

Your Excellency, you would recall the ugly and bloody public affray that took place at the Mile 12 market on March 3, 2016 as a result of a minor dispute traced to one Hausa commercial motorcyclist who allegedly drove against traffic and knocked down a pregnant woman. That unfortunate incident snowballed into an apex ethnic clash between the motley community of Hausas in Mile 12 market and their Yoruba host communities. Before the fracas was finally put under control, over five innocent lives were lost, 40 houses razed by arsonists and unquantifiable number of personal property worth millions of naira were destroyed. The rest, as they say is history.

As the Chief Security Officer of Lagos State, you quickly intervened and ensured that peace returned to the troubled area immediately, to the admiration of Lagos residents. You were able to bring the two warring ethnic groups to the negotiation table to jaw, jaw their differences, instead of war, war- in your firm belief of the aphorism that “two wrongs can never make a right.” At that well-publicised parley, it was reported that the Executive of Mile 12 Market Traders Association cum other stakeholders voluntarily/unanimously agreed to the decisions taken with high ranking Lagos State Government officials who took part in the peace meeting. The communiqué of the meeting was put in the public domain. I quote what Mr. Femi Odusanya, the Secretary of the traders association said verbatim as reported in one of the several daily newspapers which covered the event: “We have agreed with the government on the relocation of the market from its present location to Imota. We were told that a 30-acre of land between Ikorodu and Imota has been set aside for the market. We promised to co-operate on security, ensure peace, free-flow of traffic and hygiene in and around the market.” (Punch, March 18, 2016).

Having extracted these promises voluntarily from the traders’ association devoid any duress, your Excellency with the relevant Lagos State Ministries immediately went to work in order to prepare grounds for the relocation of the market to its new location at the shortest timeframe. This Day newspaper edition of April 13, 2016 reported that, to show the state government is committed to the peace agreement, you made the following inspiring and promissory comments among others when you went to inspect the new site at Imota on April 12, 2016: “….the new market will be ready in six months. Government is committed to developing the new market. We know it is in the interest of Lagos residents that we relocate Mile 12 market to Imota. The traders have agreed to the relocation plan. The onus is now on the state government to ensure that we deliver this new market within the next six months. If we start within the next seven days, and within the next six months, Mile 12 Market Ketu will be a thing of the past. New commodities market will take off from here, Imota new site.” (THIS DAY, April 13, 2016.)

However, the “spirit-lifting statement” credited to your Excellency was short-lived, based on a newspaper report in the Nigerian Tribune edition of May 22, 2016 titled “Don’t relocate the Mile 12 Market, Kaduna gov (sic) appeals to Lagos gov.” The said newspaper report seems to have contradicted your comments and good intentions. It has also taken many Lagos residents aback and dampens their spirit, including this writer. The paper reported that “Governor Abdullahi Urmar Ganduje of Kano State has appealed to the Lagos State government to reconsider its decision to relocate the Mile 12 market because of the economic and social repercussions of such action on the Hausa community traders in the market. This is just as he said that if the market is relocated; the entire people of Lagos State will be negatively affected, thereby harming the overall economy of the state.” (Nigerian Tribune, May 22, 2016).

The report went further to confirm that Governor Ganduje had met with your Excellency over the matter and that “Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode “appears positive” after considering the implication of relocating the popular Mile 12 Market according to a statement signed by one Alhaji Halilu Baba Dantiye, who is Governor Ganduje’s director-general, media and communication” in Kano State. Governor Ganduje was equally quoted by the same paper that: “I discussed with my colleagues, the Northern governors, and I initiated a letter to the governor of Lagos State to reconsider the proposed relocation of the market. The letter was copied to all the Northern governors and the Lagos State governor appeared positive after seeing the implication of relocating the market,” Governor Ganduje stated (Nigerian Tribune, May, 22, 2016).

The above preface leads me to why this open letter is being written as earlier stated in the introductory part. Let us ask the following probing, but honest questions begging for answers from the Governor of Kano State, to wit: what is the interest of Governor Ganduje in a matter that is purely an internal affair of Lagos State? Was his advice solicited by his Lagos State counterpart? Was the advice made in good faith? What is the reason for sending a copy of the he wrote to Governor Ambode, to all Northern governors? Was it to exert more pressure from the Northern governors on your Excellency? What empirical studies does he have in his possession on the economic implications of relocating the Mile 12 market to Imota? Does he know where the shoe pinches regarding the litany of problems being caused by the market at its present location such as security breach, traffic logjam, incessant ethnic clashes and unwholesome environmental crisis plaguing the entire Mile 12 market environs? When last did Governor Ganduje pay a visit to the market to have a feel of the magnitude of the problems Lagos residents have gone through and are still baffling with on a daily basis, most especially the traffic gridlock and the menace of street urchins? Is he aware that plan is already afoot to relocate the market as part of the general plan to renew Lagos Mega city ever before the tragic ethnic clash of March 3, 2016? Or, does he have any knowledge about the traders at Oshodi Market who have been relocated to a new site preparatory to the redevelopment of Oshodi area to a transport hub of international standard to befit the status of Lagos as a mega city? Would he have heeded your own intervention if you advise him against the removal of almajiris (street beggars) by the Kano State government from the streets of Kano? I can go on and on. The list of these questions is exhaustive and based on superior argument/professional judgment, primary concern for good urban governance (your hallmark) and your allegiance to the people of Lagos State by virtue of the oath of office you swore to during your inauguration on May 29, 2015 as the newly- elected Governor of Lagos State, that you would “protect the lives and property of Lagos residents.”

With due respect sir, Governor Ganduje’s advice can be overlooked as an unconscious meddlesomeness in the domestic affairs of Lagos State. It is rather coming too late in the day, after every arrangement to relocate the market has been put on fast track and state resources in both human and financial outlay have been irretrievably committed!  Methinks, it is an advice with ethnic colouration, doubtful of any good intention. It is has an “ego-driven” motive to let the Hausa communities in Ketu area think they have one “baba ngbejo” (a godfather) who could talk to your Excellency on their behalf. Let Governor Danbuje be reminded that the essence of governance is not about the protection of the commercial interest of a privileged group of people at the detriment of the majority of Lagos State residents. While I am not acting as your Excellency’s man Friday or Special Adviser on Urban Affairs, sir, be rest assured that you have taken the right decision to relocate the market to a new location for public good, which you will be vindicated in the long run and posterity will judge you positively.

It is public knowledge that the market has outgrown its usefulness at its present location, space wise and that the reality on ground does not support the kind of advice being offered by Governor Danbuje. The market has become what in planning parlance is called an “urban nuisance,” an irritant settlement, a liability and not an asset. And as presently constituted, it is an incompatible land use, a flash point for public disorder, a breeding ground for petty thieves and a den of hardened criminals who daily terrorize the local residents.

If your Excellency succumbs to external pressure that you should rescind the relocation, it would be an unpopular decision and a contradiction of your earlier public statement referenced in this piece. Sir, I earnestly plead with you to avoid a decision that would set you in direct confrontation with Lagos residents, who hitherto have applauded your courageous decision to relocate the market to a new site vis-à-vis your modus operandi of how excellently you have governed the State of Excellent since your assumption of office in May 2015. Kindly stick to the popular slogan – Eko o ni baje under your watch, nay other future governors. Let logic, not sentiment, remains your lodestar.

The general plan to renew Lagos to a world class mega city-state cannot be faulted. The road to achieving the goal may be rough. It would warrant some tough decisions and the citizenry’s sacrifice, but in the end, the overall gain will be more than the pain. Lagos city proper has been extremely overbuilt and there is hardly any space for future physical expansion. By deliberate planning action, government must disperse the population to the hinterlands where the spillover of population can still be accommodated; and where employment opportunities can be induced and basic amenities provided there, in order to drastically reduce the steep direction of rural-urban migration to a mega city already bursting at the seams with its numerous problems of over-stretch infrastructure, housing shortage, inadequate health facilities and excruciating traffic gridlock.

The relocation of Mile 12 market to Imota vicinity would bring rapid development to the sleepy town in terms of population influx and corresponding demand for basic urban services and other human needs. Top on the list is demand for housing, employment for construction workers and local artisans, windfall income for prospective landlords and sundry multiplier effects on the local micro economy. If Lagos is not to be atrophied, its decongestion does not require rocket science rationalisation, but a committed government which is ready to listen to its technocrats’ advice. Such honest advice cannot come from an interloper-politician with a selfish provocative ethnic agenda who lives in a far-flung city from Lagos; and who fails to recognize the sovereignty of Lagos State.

Your Excellency, I thank you in advance sir, for reading this letter despite the exigency of other state matters you must attend to on a daily basis. Eko o ni baje, sir.

High-drama as Paris follow-up summit ends

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High-drama as Paris follow-up summit ends

United Nations climate change negotiations on Thursday in Bonn, Germany concluded their first session since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in December last year, including the first session of a new body called the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA) tasked with carrying out activities related to the implementation of the Agreement. What was touted as a “housekeeping meeting” following the high-drama of COP21 turned out in fact to be more eventful than expected.

Some members of the Nigerian delegation to the UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, led by Dr. Peter Tarfa (sitting, middle)
Some members of the Nigerian delegation to the UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, led by Dr. Peter Tarfa (sitting, middle)

On the closing day, controversy flared around proposed techno-fixes involving bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) with several dozen African social organisations and networks issuing a joint statement entitled: “Sacrificing the global South in the name of the global South: Why the 1.5°C goal must not be met with land grabs.”

This was followed by an announcement of plans to launch a new renewable energy initiative for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) following on from last year’s breakthrough African Renewable Energy Initiative which has attracted $10 billion in pledges. The announcement was made during a press conference with Ambassadors from Sweden and Mali on behalf of the African Group, alongside the chief negotiator of the Alliance of Small Island States and the Chair of the LDCs.

Tense exchanges also took place throughout the week and boiled over in the closing plenary of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation around the issue of “conflicts of interest” with over 75 developing countries and many NGOs calling for climate talks to adopt measures which would limit the ability of fossil fuel corporations to advance their agenda, which runs contrary to the objectives of the negotiations.

As the negotiations wrapped up ahead of the next Conference in Marrakech, November 7-18, representatives from a diverse range of civil society groups expressed their views.

Harjeet Singh of Action Aid: “We spent another precious week engaged in very procedural discussions, but the hard work had to be done. As Gandhi said, ‘speed is irrelevant if you are going in the wrong direction’. Even as negotiations took place this week, the world has been dealing with record-breaking temperatures, and climate impacts. It’s clear that vulnerable communities around the world urgently need support. They need help when they are displaced, and they need strategies to cope with extreme weather events and slow onset impacts. The climate change agenda going forward must reflect these realities.”

Meena Raman of Third World Network: “As we move forward to Marrakech, we hope that developed countries will not re-negotiate what they have agreed in Paris for the Agreement to be implemented in a balanced manner, on all the elements, including mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage and means of implementation for developing countries. They should not resort to tactics in the process which lead to mitigation centric outcomes which that will not be just and equitable. We hope that now the process can carry on in an open and transparent way to ensure that a balanced outcome results in Morocco without a re-negotiation of the Paris Agreement and in implementing pre-2020 commitments with urgency.

“Asad Rehman, Friends of the Earth England, Wales, and Northern Ireland: “If Paris is to be more than just a diplomatic success, catalysing the urgent transformation of our global energy systems must be the cornerstone to meeting the planetary goal of 1.5°C. An important first step was the successful launch in Paris of the African Renewable Energy Initiative – now Marrakesh must build on that by broadening this initiative to other vulnerable countries. By becoming the COP for Renewable Energy, it would be genuinely deserving of global applause, for concretely tackling climate pollution as well as delivering energy to the millions of people who have none.”

Lidy Nacpil of the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development: “If Marrakech is to live up to its billing as an implementation COP, developed countries must come to the ministerial dialogue on climate finance with clear commitments – with amounts and timeframe – to meeting the $100 billion promised in 2010 and reaffirmed in Paris. This $100 billion is a floor – the real needs of tackling climate change and addressing the impacts are much greater.”

Augustine Njamnshi of Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance: “For many years we demanded a 1.5°C goal, which for Africa means significantly more warming and severe impacts on food security. For many years we were told it was not politically possible. Now that we have a 1.5°C in the Paris Agreement, we are being told that the measures to achieve it are not politically possible.

“Instead of changing the mode of production and consumption in the global North, we in the South are being asked to sacrifice our land and food security on the assumption that technologies such as BECCS will work. Let me be clear: they will not work for us. We cannot sacrifice our food security and land. Instead we need urgent and serious mitigation to keep to 1.5°C. The next 5 years are critical – we hope countries come to Marrakech ready to increase their pre-2020 ambition in line with their fair shares.”

Tamar Lawrence-Samuel of Corporate Accountability International: “The Paris Agreement swings the door wide open to non-state actors, including to the private sector, not only to enhance climate action but also to engage in the policymaking process. But no process currently exists to address the perceived, potential, or actual conflicts of interests that could result from that engagement. If we are serious about keeping warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, Parties must overcome opposition from the US and others and ensure this process has safeguards in place to maintain the integrity of the UNFCCC, it’s Parties and its outcomes.”

Reactions trail closing Bonn climate negotiations

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Reactions trail closing Bonn climate negotiations

Expert observers from the Climate Action Network (CAN) have responded to two weeks of UN climate negotiations as they draw to a close on Thursday in the German city of Bonn. Civil society reflected on progress during the session and also on what needs to happen over the coming months, ahead of COP 22 in Marrakesh this November, to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement and boost short-term climate action.

Vositha Wijenayake, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for Climate Action Network South Asia
Vositha Wijenayake, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for Climate Action Network South Asia

“As Donald Trump takes evasive action to insure his golf course against climate impacts, governments and businesses, with far more at stake than the 18th green, are putting in the hard yards to accelerate the drive for 100% renewable energy, to build prosperous economies for the future,” said Wael Hmaidan, Director at Climate Action Network International.

Vositha Wijenayake, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for Climate Action Network South Asia: “In Bonn, the countries have discussed the need for entry into force in a rapid manner. It is necessary that Parties take action back home to ensure that ratification happens swiftly, and in a manner that facilitates increase of ambition and with rules developed to ensure transparency and accountability of climate actions.”

Tina Johnson, Policy Director at US Climate Action Network: “The first week of negotiations post-Paris began with fits and starts. However, Parties managed to agree on an APA agenda and the hope leaving Bonn remains that COP 22 will be the Action COP. However, because of the inadequacy of ambition in current INDCs, Marrakesh needs to make sure that the path is set for the facilitative dialogue in 2018 in order to ramp up ambition to limit global warming to 1.5°C.”

Sanjay Vashist, Director Climate Action Network South Asia: “There has been painfully slow progress on key issues at the SB44 session in Bonn making it necessary to hold more meetings before the next Conference of Parties in Morocco. Raising adequate climate finance and carving out necessary rules and modalities to bring the Paris agreement into force must be the highest priority for all negotiators from now to November.”

Kimiko Hirata, International Director at Kiko Network: “The G7 Ise-Shima summit held in Japan is a great opportunity to maintain political momentum and accelerate negotiation on the Paris Agreement. However, as the only G7 country to promote coal at home and the biggest coal financier internationally, Japan nearly fails to deliver strong message on climate. This looks likely to be remembered as the summit at which Japan missed the chance to capitalise on momentum for change and left it to China to lead the world on renewable energy.”

Sven Harmeling, Climate Change Advocacy Coordinator, CARE International: “During the past two weeks in Bonn, we saw that the Paris spirit is still alive, but the implementation of the new climate deal remains a huge challenge. There has been some progress in helping vulnerable countries and people adapt to the dangerous impacts of climate change, but more focus must be given to local gender-equitable adaptation plans and programmes. When countries meet at COP22 in Marrakesh, we expect to see a clearer roadmap for scaling up financial support for adaptation, and for addressing unavoidable loss and damage.”

Mohamed Adow, Senior Climate Advisor at Christian Aid: “Marrakesh needs to be seen as the Renewables COP.  It offers an enormous opportunity to shift the conversation from grand political rhetoric to the implementation of short-term concrete actions which will keep the agreed temperature goals of 1.5°C and 2°C within reach. In Marrakesh countries must support the urgent need for more renewable energy in developing countries. There are exciting enterprises like the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative and the Solar Alliance which were launched in Paris and are building on the global need for renewable energy.”

Jens Mattias Clausen, Senior Climate Change Adviser at Greenpeace Nordic: “When countries next meet at COP22 in Marrakech, they need to make serious headway on the rules of the new climate regime and give the necessary teeth to the Paris Agreement. But above all, Marrakech needs to be all about action. Last year’s summit in Paris saw several promising renewable energy initiatives launched and today leaders from three developing country groups, representing over 90 countries, made a strong call for global action on renewable energy in Marrakesh.”

Sandeep Chamling Rai, Senior Global Adaptation Expert for WWF International: “This year average global temperatures were more than 1°C higher than before the industrial era – and we have had 7 straight months of record breaking global heat with widespread climate change impacts. As temperatures soar, vulnerable people and ecosystems will have to adapt more drastically and rapidly, but they will also face impacts that go beyond the potential for adaptation. That’s why negotiators need to urgently resolve the issue of adaptation and loss and damage to ensure that the necessary support will be delivered to help those that are least responsible but facing the worst consequences.”

Armelle Le Comte, Advocacy Officer for Climate and Fossil Fuels at Oxfam France: “Millions of the world’s most vulnerable people are already facing the disastrous impacts of climate change. Yet, adaptation has been short-changed. COP 22 needs to pick up the unfinished business from Paris. At COP 22, developed countries must present a roadmap to show how they will deliver their $100bn a year promise, and adaptation finance must me a core component of this roadmap.”

GMOs: Nigeria not dumping ground for risky technologies

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GMOs: Nigeria not dumping ground for risky technologies

We are at crossroads in the struggle for sustainable agriculture, safe foods, biosafety and biosecurity. Navigating this intersection and assuring Nigerians that their concerns are not pushed out of view by profit-driven biotech transnational corporations and their agents can only be achieved through a broad movement of vigilant Nigerians, and Africans at large.

Nnimmo Bassey
Nnimmo Bassey

The coming together of faith based organisations, farmers, consumers, academics, youths and non-governmental organisations to examine the critical issues under the co-coordination of the Africa Faith & Justice Network (AFJN), Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Africa Europe Faith & Justice Network (AEFJN) and the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) indicates that the movement to pursue the best interest of Nigerians and Africans is on track.

The saying goes that a people united can never be defeated. Today, we affirm that our unity is built on sound knowledge and on a commitment to ensure that our agricultural and food systems are not by any means compromised or corrupted.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), with its Precautionary Principle, sets the minimum international biosafety standards for the trans-boundary movement of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and requires that where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, the lack of full scientific knowledge shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective means to prevent environmental degradation. This key principle is lacking in Nigeria’s Biosafety law. With such a lacuna and many others – including lack of provisions for strict liability, labelling of GMO products, open and full public consultations – there is no guarantee for our biosafety and ultimately biosecurity.

The desperate push by the biotech industry to invade our agriculture and foods has come on the heels of coming into effect of the severely defective National Biosafety Management Act. That law was one of the last actions of the immediate past presidency. It is an act that threatens to enthrone a biosafety regime that caters for the interest of biotech industries seeking markets for their genetically modified crops and related chemicals.

We demand that current applications by Monsanto to bring in genetically modified varieties of maize and cotton into Nigeria should be set aside until we have a system that can protect the interest of Nigerians and is in line with the African Model Law on biosafety as well as the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Although the law is recently enacted, we cannot avoid quickly repealing it or, at a minimum, drastically revising it to ensure that risky or harmful substances do not have a free reign in our land.

Our agricultural systems, including that of saving and sharing seeds, should never be tampered with. Our biodiversity is our strength and this critical inbuilt resilience will be lost if we allow GMOs to erode or erase our heritage and destroy our soils and water with harmful chemicals.

We call on relevant government ministries to jealously guard our crop and animal varieties, provide rural infrastructure, support agro-allied industries for food processing and preservation and expand extension services that were severely constricted by the requirements of the infamous structural adjustment programmes.

Nigeria is not a dumping ground for risky technologies and we are not about to yield to be used as guinea pigs for experimentation by profit driven entities and their local agents. We stand for support of small holder farmers, food sovereignty encompassing our right to safe and culturally appropriate food. We stand for agricultural systems that do not harm the climate.

By Nnimmo Bassey (Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation – HOMEF)

500 women to benefit from UNDP-GEF solar scheme

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500 women to benefit from UNDP-GEF solar scheme

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with The Kings Domain, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has concluded plans to train no fewer than 500 women on the use of solar energy in Makoko area of Lagos.

A solar grill stove in use
A solar grill stove in use

Speaking at a sensitisation programme, the Chief Executive Officer, The Kings Domain, Segun Adaju, noted that the initiative, which was sponsored by the UNDP under the UNDP-Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), is aimed at providing clean energy solutions to underdeveloped areas where firewood and poor electricity abound. He added that the programme would train 500 women in the area on the use of solar energy and specialised stoves to use in their fishing business and also to create other jobs for the youths.

“It is believed that the programme will not only beneficial to the community, but will create jobs for the young people wandering on the streets and also add to women empowerment,” he said, adding: “If you notice the area, asides from the unkempt environment, you will see that the smokes coming out from their homes can choke and you often wonder how they cope, but it is also unfortunate that over 200 homes here are not covered by the national grid.”

He added that, as a result of the poor electricity in the community, residents has resolved to primary use of energy and electricity like firewood, candles and kerosene lanterns, which has prompt his organisation to provide an alternative to energy use, “as no one can operate in darkness.”

“The smokes have been a health threat to them, poses the risks of fire outbreaks, and also contributes adversely to climate change,” said.

Adaju also stated that, under the programme, 500 women would be trained on the use of specialised solar stoves, to use in cooking and smoking their fish and will also empower not less than 20 youths and 50 more women on the sales, repairs and maintenance of the solar stoves and lights.

Adaju added that the initiative would ensure adequate use of solar light as an alternative to electricity supply, saying that it could be done all over the country.

Forests to cover one quarter of China under nation’s ‘eco-civilisation’

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Forests to cover one quarter of China under nation’s ‘eco-civilisation’

UNEP reports shed light on how countries are using different tools to shift to low-carbon, resource-efficient economies that achieve sustainable development

Deforestation in China
Deforestation in China

Almost one quarter of China will be covered in forest by 2020 if the country succeeds in its mission towards building an “eco-civilisation”, a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) finds.

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the first universally binding climate change agreement signed last year in Paris have renewed hopes that the world can shift to a low-carbon economy that uses natural resources more efficiently and fosters green economic growth.

To help drive this change, UNEP has released a series of reports at the second United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) that look at how individual countries are trying to achieve this transformation.

The reports look at China’s attempts to build an “ecological civilisation”, Bhutan’s use of its novel Gross National Happiness Index, Germany’s attempts to build a circular economy, Costa Rica’s use of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and Botswana’s Natural Capital Accounting.

The UNEP reports find that, although Bhutan faces challenges related to socioeconomic issues, and trade and aid dependency, the country has made “impressive progress in recent years”.

Costa Rica’s PES programme has also achieved notable successes, with nearly 15,000 contracts signed with landowners to improve land management. The programme has worked in over one million hectares of forests and distributed over $300 million, the report notes.

While more remains to be done, Germany’s attempts to apply the principles of a circular economy to its waste management plan has led to significant increases in recycling rates, created green jobs and increased resource efficiency.

Released on Thursday, May 26 2016, UNEP’s Green is Gold report looks at the environmental dimension of China’s 13th five-year plan. As part of this plan, China has vowed that, by 2020, it will have decreased water consumption by 23 per cent, energy consumption by 15 per cent and CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 18 per cent.

By 2020, China’s forest coverage will reach more than 23 per cent and the share of days per year with good air quality in cities at the prefectural level will exceed 80 per cent if the country succeeds in building its “eco-civilization” – a resource-saving, environmentally-friendly society that seeks to integrate ecological development with economic, social, cultural and political development.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, “There are numerous tools available for countries to develop an inclusive green economy, and in this report we see examples from across the developed and developing worlds.

“There is no one path to a low-carbon economy, but rather many different opportunities for countries to transform their economies and societies, and orient themselves toward sustainable development. The multiple pathways outlined in this report offer insight into what might work, and are a resource for governments looking to address resource and environmental challenges in non-traditional ways.”

China has already made a number of notable achievements, the UNEP report finds. By the end of 2014, China had built 10.5 billion m2 of energy-saving buildings in urban areas – roughly 38 per cent of the total area of urban residential buildings.

In addition, China’s production of new-energy vehicles increased 45-fold between 2011 and 2015. The country has also built the largest air-quality monitoring network in the developing world – 338 Chinese cities at the prefectural level and above are capable of monitoring six different air quality indicators. The country has also lowered energy consumption per unit of GDP and the amount of CO2 released per unit of GDP.

As part of its attempt to build an eco-civilisation, China will build on these successes by:

  • limiting total primary energy consumption to 4.8 billion tonnes equivalent of standard coal by 2020
  • increasing the share of non-fossil fuel energy in primary energy consumption by up to 15 per cent and limit the share of coal consumption to 62 per cent by 2020
  • reaching peak CO2 emissions by 2030
  • building a green manufacturing system that is efficient, clean, low carbon and circular.

“If China succeeds in achieving these targets then it will have taken a major step towards shifting to a greener economy that uses resources more efficiently, limits the risks of climate change and improves the health of its people,” said Steiner.

Another UNEP report released on Thursday looks at the efforts of four other countries to transition to sustainable, socially inclusive societies, including Bhutan’s unique Gross National Happiness index.

The report, entitled “Multiple Pathways to Sustainable Development: Further Evidence of Sustainability in Practice”, begins by looking at Germany’s efforts to introduce a “circular economy”, a system where products, components and resources are designed to be maintained, reused, remanufactured and recycled to reduce the high levels of waste produced by linear economic models of “take, make, dispose”.

In many parts of the country, pay-as-you-throw recycling schemes make it cost effective for households to produce less waste.  The recycling rate of domestic waste grew from 50 per cent in 2000 to 64 per cent in 2013 while the amount of domestic waste has remained virtually constant over many years.

“As a result of its policies, Germany has achieved increasing resource efficiency, high recycling rates, virtually constant waste levels and more than 250,000 jobs in the waste industry,” the report says.

“However, despite being a frontrunner in the field, much is left to do to achieve a true circular economy, as the vast majority of raw materials used by German industry continues to be virgin materials (around 14 per cent derives from recovered waste).”

The report also looks at Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness (GNH), which the country uses instead of GDP to measure its development.

GNH aims for an economy that serves the spiritual, physical, social and environmental health of its citizens and natural environment instead of focusing purely on economic development.

The UNEP report notes that major improvements in Bhutan have been achieved. In the past 20 years, the country has doubled life expectancy and enrolled almost 100 per cent of its children in primary education. In the past 10 years, it has almost halved maternal mortality rate and, unique in South Asia, more than halved poverty.

“As a result, Bhutan achieved many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ahead of schedule, while at the same time following a cautious approach that puts preservation of traditional culture and environment ahead of economic growth,” the report states.

Since the financial crisis of 2008, GDP has become increasingly criticised as an insufficient metric of progress. Today, government initiatives to guide policy with more holistic measures of economic prosperity and well-being exist in Canada, China, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, among others.

“These countries demonstrate that the idea of GNH is relevant to a wide variety of national contexts,” the report states.

The UNEP report also looks at Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) – payments made to landowners and farmers to manage land so that it continues to provide ecological services. The report focuses on Costa Rica, which became one of the first countries in the world to initiate a nationwide PES programme.

The report states: “The programme in Costa Rica has helped to reverse deforestation and has the potential to help reduce poverty by supporting indigent landowners.”

The report also analyses Botswana’s use of Natural Capital Accounting (NCA), which is the process of calculating the stocks and flows of natural resources and measuring their contribution to a country’s economy.

The report states: “NCA helps the government to better determine the true contribution of natural resources, optimise their use, and assess how they can be used to diversify the economy and reduce poverty. Such accounts are of course no guarantee for sustainable development, but they can give important data support to decision makers that strive for it.”

Group exposes how Cameroon’s stolen wood reaches international markets

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Group exposes how Cameroon’s stolen wood reaches international markets

A Greenpeace Africa investigation into illegal logging operations in Cameroon has uncovered a trail of stolen timber leading to Cameroon’s main log exporter Compagnie de Commerce et de Transport (CCT), and has reportedly prompted a government audit into the activities of CCT and its suppliers. That audit should include the supplier La Socamba, subject of a Greenpeace briefing released on Thursday.

Observers insist that Cameroon's pledge to combat illegal logging needs more action and more transparency
Observers insist that Cameroon’s pledge to combat illegal logging needs more action and more transparency

The evidence presented in the briefing, “La Socamba: How Cameroon’s Stolen Wood Reaches International Markets”, demonstrates how CCT, which supplies timber companies worldwide, including in China and Europe, sources timber from La Socamba, a company engaged in seemingly questionable practices, including logging several kilometres outside their legal logging title. This new case complements evidence already presented by Greenpeace in its reports on CCT suppliers.

On 25 May, in response to Greenpeace offer of a right to response, CCT admitted that Cameroon’s Ministry of Forests and Wildlife (MINFOF) had ordered an audit of the activities of CCT and its suppliers to determine which were involved in illegal activities and to trace the resulting timber.

“Greenpeace Africa takes note of the audit of CCT’s practices – but stresses that this process should be independent and transparent, and that CCT suppliers are properly sanctioned when illegal activities are confirmed,” said Eric Ini, Greenpeace Africa forest campaigner.

In September 2015, Greenpeace published three cases of illegal logging in permits supplying CCT: logging permits exploited by South Forestry Company (SFC), FEEMAM and SOFOCAM. The Minister of Forestry, Ngole Philip Ngwese, has proclaimed the innocence of companies exposed by Greenpeace for their involvement in illegal logging.

Yet, one of the companies investigated by Greenpeace, SFC, has been fined by the authorities twice for exactly the kind of practices Greenpeace exposed, and CCT and its suppliers are now apparently subject to an investigation by MINFOF. In addition, the Dutch authorities sanctioned the Dutch importer of CCT timber based on the Greenpeace evidence.

“If Cameroon is serious about ending the illegal timber trade, it must work closely with the EU towards credible implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement and, as a first priority, to re-establish a system of credible Independent Monitoring of Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade in Cameroon,” concluded Ini.

Next to Belgium and the Netherlands, the UK government also regards timber from Cameroon as “high risk” and has recently investigated UK operators trading in Cameroon timber. These actions from the UK government and the sanction from the Dutch Authorities are positive first steps, points out Greenpeace, adding however that all EU countries must treat timber from Cameroon as high risk, and require stringent due diligence standards from importing companies until the government of Cameroon can prove beyond reasonable doubts that it is properly enforcing the country’s forestry laws and regulations.

While carrying out research for the La Socamba briefing, Greenpeace undertook field investigations in October 2014 and January 2016 to document areas where permits for destructive “cut-and-run” logging, known as “sales of standing volume” (or VCs, from the French ventes de coupe), have been issued to CCT suppliers and recorded testimonies from local residents and authorities, as well as ex-employees. Greenpeace also discovered timber carrying the permit number VC 09 01 203 – issued to La Socamba – discarded up to 8km outside the logging title.

Cameroon’s forests support the livelihoods of thousands of people and are amongst the region’s most biologically diverse forests, providing valuable habitat for endangered Western Lowland Gorillas, chimpanzees and forest elephants, amongst other species. Unsustainable and illegal logging in these forests is leading to deforestation, destruction of the ecosystem and diminished resilience to climate change.

Success of the Los Angeles BRT system

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Success of the Los Angeles BRT system

Who would have thought that one of the best Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in the U.S. would be in its most crowded, congested, sprawling city? Well check this out. It’s really fabulous.

An Orange Line bus operating under the LA BRT
An Orange Line bus operating under the LA BRT

In October 2005, the Los Angeles County Metro Authority (or Metro) debuted a new 14-mile BRT system in the San Fernando Valley using a former rail right-of-way. Unlike many “rapid” bus transit systems in the U.S., the Orange Line is true BRT – it features a dedicated roadway that cars may not enter, has a pre-board payment system so buses load quickly and efficiently, and uses handsome, articulated buses to transport passengers fast – sometimes at speeds approaching 55 mph! The roadway is landscaped so ornately you could almost call it a bus greenway.

But that’s not all. The corridor also boasts a world class bike and pedestrian path which runs adjacent to the BRT route for nearly its entire length, giving users numerous multi-modal options. Each station has bike amenities, including bike lockers and racks, and all the buses feature racks on the front that accommodate up to three bikes.

Perhaps the biggest problem is its soaring success: ridership numbers have some calling for the BRT to be converted to rail, and Metro is exploring ways to move more passengers, including buying longer buses. Plus: expansion plans are underway. Whatever way you slice it, this is truly a hit with Angelenos. A formerly 81-minute trip now takes 44-52 minutes – over an hour in round-trip savings – making a bona fide impact in the lives of commuters.

Ways to curb hunger, environmental damage, by study

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Ways to curb hunger, environmental damage, by study

Latest IRP report lists 12 ways to use natural resources more efficiently, improve human health and reduce the environmental damage caused by food systems

Achim Steiner of UNEP
Achim Steiner of UNEP

A major overhaul of the global food system is urgently needed if the world is to combat hunger, use natural resources more efficiently and stem environmental damage, the International Resource Panel (IRP) has said.

In a report unveiled on Wednesday, the IRP – a consortium of 34 internationally renowned scientists, over 30 national governments and other groups hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – is calling for a switch to a “resource-smart” food system that changes the way food is grown, harvested, processed, traded, transported, stored, sold and consumed.

Current food systems, which the IRP says are “inefficient” and “unsustainable”, are responsible for 60 per cent of global terrestrial biodiversity loss and about 24 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. They are also responsible for the overfishing of 29 per cent of commercial fish populations and the overexploitation of 20 per cent of the world’s aquifers.

Although food production has increased across the world, more than 800 million people remain hungry, more than two billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies – mainly vitamin A, iodine, iron and zinc – and more than two billion people are overweight or obese, the report notes. Compounding the problem, pressure on natural resources is expected to rise as populations grow and demand for food increases.

To combat these problems, the IRP says a “resource-smart” food system should be adopted, a system that adheres to three principles: low environmental impacts, the sustainable use of renewable resources and the efficient use of all resources.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, “We have the knowledge and the tools at our disposal to feed all the people in the world while minimising harm to the environment. A better, more sustainable food system can allow us to produce and consume food without the detrimental effects on our natural resources. The environment is not the only beneficiary of this system. More sustainable consumption and production of food will also be a boon to human health and the goal to end hunger throughout the world.”

To help the world shifts to a more sustainable food system, the IRP has come up with a list of 12 key recommendations for governments, private companies, civil society and citizens.

They are listed to include:

  • Reduce food loss and waste.
  • Move away from resource-intensive products such as meat, ‘empty calories’ and highly processed food.
  • Connect rural and urban centres, especially in developing regions, where urban actors (e.g. supermarkets) could invest in regional supply chains and improve the position of smallholders.
  • Connect urban consumers with how their food is produced and how it reaches their plates, and inform them about both the health and environmental consequences of dietary choices.
  • Protect peri-urban zones around cities and use them for local food production.
  • Decouple food production from resource use and environmental impacts, and replace certain inputs (such as pesticides) with ecosystem services.

The IRP report also recommends removing harmful subsidies, such as fossil fuel subsidies, that encourage unsustainable production and practices.

Compounding current problems, rising wealth in developing countries will lead people to adopt diets that are richer in resource-intensive products – meat, fish, fruits, vegetables and highly processed foods – at a time when climate change will make producing food increasingly difficult.

As per-capita income rises, people’s diets change from one that is largely rich in carbohydrates to a diet richer in calories, sugars, and lipids, with more livestock-based products. In combination with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, this has led to a sharp increase in obesity, the report states.

It blames the high consumption of animal-based products and highly processed foods for triggering “disproportionate environmental costs” while undermining public health due to obesity related disease.

Globally, chicken meat and dairy consumption are expected to increase by 20 per cent over the next 10 years while the consumption of pig meat and beef is also projected to increase, both by around 14 per cent, according to data reviewed in the IRP report.

A combination of the various options listed in the IRP report, at different points of intervention and by diverse actors throughout the system, could lead to resource efficiency gains of up to 30 per cent for certain resources and impacts.

Some of these options include:

  • Sustainable intensification’ of crop production – higher yields without increasing environmental impacts
  • Better feed conversion and higher productivity of pastoral systems
  • Higher nutrient efficiency along the food chain – better recycling of minerals in animal manure and use of by-products or food waste as feed or compost
  • More efficient aquaculture systems – lower nutrient losses and less impact on coastal systems
  • Reduction of overconsumption and change of unhealthy dietary patterns – shift in affluent societies from animal-based to more plant-based diets

“If the above changes are not made, land degradation, the depletion of aquifers and fish stocks and contamination of the environment will lower future food production capacity,” the report warns. “It will undermine the food systems upon which our food security depends, as well as cause further degradation of other ecosystem functions.”

Lagos plans fourth bridge to link Island, Mainland

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Lagos plans fourth bridge to link Island, Mainland

Lagos State Government on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to kick-start the construction of the 38km 4th Mainland Bridge, expected to bring a 14-year-old dream to reality.

An impression of the Fourth Mainland Bridge
An impression of the Fourth Mainland Bridge

The bridge, which is geared towards economic growth in the state, is expected to gulp N844 billion in a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative and would be delivered in three years.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU held at the Banquet Hall, Lagos House, Ikeja, Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, said that the need for the bridge had become imperative following the phenomenal growth of the state with a population of over 21 million people, which has in turn increased commercial activities and traffic gridlock.

“This has made it imperative for us to have a 4th Mainland Bridge that will serve as an alternative route to the eastern axis and decongest traffic in the state.

“More importantly this bridge will provide the required transportation compliment to the rapidly growing industrial activities on the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe corridor of the state,” Ambode said.

He said the proposed alignment of the bridge will pass through Lekki, Langbasa and Baiyeiku towns along the shoreline of the Lagos Lagoon estuaries, further running through Igbogbo River Basin and crossing the Lagos Lagoon estuaries to Itamaga area in Ikorodu.

The governor said the alignment would also cross through the Itoikin Road and the Ikorodu-Sagamu Road to connect Isawo inward Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at the Ojodu Berger axis.

He said the bridge would be made up of eight interchanges to facilitate effective interconnectivity between different parts of the state.

“This structure will be a four-lane dual carriageway with each comprising three lanes and two metres hard shoulder on each side. The bridge will be constructed to have a generous median to allow for both future carriageway expansion and light rail facility. There is no gainsaying the fact that huge benefits will be derived from this project but most importantly, make life more comfortable for Lagosians,” he said.

Expressing confidence that the project would be delivered on a win-win framework for all investors, the governor said that, for the first time in the history of the state, the government was embarking on the construction of a long-span bridge and expressway without federal funding as the project is to be solely funded by the private sector.

“I am delighted that this project which has been on the drawing board for quite some time is now set to become a reality. This again, is the continuity with improvement which we promised Lagosians.

“We have started the process with the signing of this MOU which is an expression of the commitment of major stakeholders including the government and the consortium of consultants and investors to the delivery of the project within the scheduled time frame,” the governor said.

The bridge, among others, will accommodate cyclists and pedestrians and feature two service areas as well as additional pedestrian crossing.

It will also accommodate three toll plazas which are still being tested from financial point of view and serve as a major boost to the actualisation of the Lekki Master Plan.

The project is to be financed by Africa Finance Corporation, Access Bank and other private investors who have already signified intention to be part of the construction, while Visible Assets Limited will be the coordinating firm.

In his remarks, Executive Chairman of Visible Assets Limited, Mr. Idowu Iluyomade, said the project would go a long way to reduce traffic gridlock in the state and provide job opportunities for Lagosians.

He said aside improving the quality of life of the people, the bridge would also be a big asset to be handed to the Lagos State Government at the end of the concession, assuring that it would be delivered on schedule.

Earlier, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson, said that the bridge, when completed, would utilise state-of-the-art tolling system that will ensure free flow of traffic.

Prior to the proposed overpass, three bridges had previously been built in Lagos within 90 years to connect the Island to the Mainland.

The first of the three bridges connecting the Lagos Island to the Lagos Mainland is the Carter Bridge. Built in 1901, it was constructed by the British colonial government, prior to the Nigerian independence in 1960. After independence, the bridge was dismantled, redesigned and rebuilt during the late 1970s. The Alaka-Ijora Flyover, on the Iddo end of the span, was completed in 1973.

This was followed by the Eko Bridge, which is the shortest of three bridges connecting the Island to the Mainland. It starts from Ijora on the Mainland and ends at the Apongbon area of the Island. The bridge and its landward extension of 1,350 metres were constructed in phases between 1965 and 1975. It serves as the preferred access point for vehicular traffic approaching Lagos Island from the Apapa and Surulere areas of Lagos.

In the bid to further ease the increasing stress resulting from commuters’ accessing the Island from the Mainland, the Federal Government embarked on the ambitious Third Mainland Bridge, which turned out to be not just the longest of the three bridges connecting the Island to the Mainland, but in fact the longest bridge in Africa.

The 11.8km long structure takes off from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. There is also a link midway through the bridge that leads to the Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. Built by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the bridge was opened by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990.

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