The Green Climate Fund has agreedon 13 new finance partners but drew fire from campaign groups for including Deutsche Bank, a major coal investor.
Hela Cheikhrouhou, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund. Photo credit: gettyimages.com
During the GCF board’s four-day meeting that held recently in Songdo, South Korea, it chose 20 accredited entities, tasked with submitting proposals for funding as well as channelling and leveraging tens of billions of dollars to poorer nations to help them tackle climate change.
Most of the partners are intergovernmental banks and agencies including the EBRD and Inter-American Development Bank, but Deutsche Bank was notably the only private institution chosen.
Deutsche Bank’s approval was criticised by civil society groups due to its heavy involvement in financing coal projects and record on human rights but business observers said such institutions would be needed to tap investors for further finance.
“The GCF needs to change direction away from accrediting controversial big banks that are heavily invested in fossil fuels and thus actually exacerbating climate change,” said 21 of the groups ina statement.
But Abyd Karmali of US bank BAML, one of four active GCF board observers, disagreed with the criticism.
“The GCF needs global banks as partners if it is to succeed in mobilising climate finance via mainstream capital markets,” he said.
First Projects
The GCF has around $5.5 billion of $10.2 billion pledged mainly by rich developed nations, with the rest expected to come by year-end.
It aims to submit to its board “some initial projects” to approve for funding at its November meeting, but last month GCF head Hela Cheikhrouhou said only a small fraction of the 120 received to date looked “promising”.
The fund will prioritise projects that are not adequately supported by existing climate finance mechanisms, in particular for cities, land management and the resilience of small island states.
Though the fund is required to split 50-50 its cash between adaptation and mitigation, observers expect carbon-cuttingCDM projects and Programmes of Activities (PoAs) to apply and receive at least a small share of the money.
Next Projects
The board approved a $200 million pilot phase that would fund up to 10 projects via test procedures for allowing national bodies to approve.
At least four would have to be from countries classed as ‘least developing’, small island developing states or African.
“This ‘enhanced direct access’ is intended to devolve decision making to national and sub national entities, which could also include private sector entities like commercial banks in country,” said Karmali.
The GCF will launch a request for proposal (RFP) process inviting projects to bid early next year.
Energy, clean energy has just reached Bamdzeng and Kingomen villages in the North West of Cameroon and the lives of the villagers might never be the same again but the dawn of renewable energy could just be a curse for Africa that is endowed with deposits of fossil fuels.
Ardo Abdou Karimu admires light from solar power at his home in Kingomen village. Photo credit: Arison TAMFU
It is 10:31 pm in Bamdzeng village in the North West region of Cameroon and a pregnant woman in critical labour has just arrived the Bamdzeng Health Centre. She is breathless as nurses rush her to the newly created delivery room of the centre.
“We trekked for more than one hour to reach here. The health centre in our village cannot perform risky delivery at night because there is no electricity there,” says the distressed husband, impatiently waiting for his new born baby. Things moved faster than expected. Nurses quickly switched on the lights, started the delivery process and, in less than three hours, the cry of a baby is heard. She is delivered of a healthy boy and she is in good shape.
“Just few weeks ago, delivery at this time of the day was impossible. We were using torches and lamps to deliver pregnant women and, in most cases, it was a deadly venture. The arrival of electricity here has changed everything,” says a delighted Rahina Tou Dzemoyua, assistant director of the centre.
A few kilometers away, Ardo Abdou Karimu, a respected community figure of Kingomen village, reflects on how electrification of the village has changed the lives of the villagers.
Solar panels on rooftop of Bamdzeng village Health Centre. Photo credit: Arison TAMFU
“The children now do their school homework under a solar light at night and they are performing very well in school. We charge our phone batteries easily and we are able to make calls all the time to our relatives and business partners. Importantly, our standard of living has increased considerably,” says Abdou Karimu.
Abdou and Rahina remember with a sense of humour the first day solar panels arrived the village.
“It was like a miracle. They came and placed them on the rooftop of my house and in the evening we had light. My children thought it was witchcraft. We only discovered that it`s night time by 8pm because there was light everywhere,” Abdou recalls hysterically.
“It was like darkness has been defeated by light. I could not imagine that the sun could be used for electricity,” Rahina says.
“The project was born out of the need to improve the livelihoods of the people, alleviate poverty and fight against climate change. We are moving to a new world now,” says Stephen Njodzeka Ndzerem, development analyst and managing director of Shumas Cameroon, the organisation that brought renewable energy to the two villages. Shumas works in special consultation status with the UN economic and social council (ECOSOC).
Solar power charging phones and other electrical appliances of villagers in Bamdzeng. More than 100 phones are charged everyday. Photo credit: Arison TAMFU
The two villages, now using hydroelectricity, solar and wind power represent a new form of energy that has come to stay and is gaining ground gradually and surely across the African continent – renewable energy.
“At the moment, the continent is witnessing a lot of green revolution and renewable energy projects being initiated. There also seems to be a positive shift in mentality towards renewable energy amongst African Governments,” says Mithika Mwenda of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), a civil society organisation defending the position of Africa under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat which are naturally replenished.
The sun shines almost daily throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, but most of the population – more than 620 million people — lives in the dark, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This extreme energy poverty in a region so rich in radiant sunlight presents both a paradox and an opportunity for a big part of the solution in powering Africa. Statistics from IEA indicate that Africa currently derives less than two per cent of its energy mix from renewable sources.
Wind turbines in Egypt. Photo credit: CDKN
Vaccine for climate change
Ardo Abdou Karimu is pleased that electricity has finally reached his village, yet he is very worried that things are turning upside-down for him and his family.
“The climate is changing. Rains come and go at any time. We don’t know precisely when to plant our crops and when to stop. Last year we almost went hungry because rains delayed a lot. Water is becoming scarce. We can`t feed our cows because green grass is disappearing,” he laments.
Abdou`s worries are familiar across the African continent where droughts, erratic rainfall, floods are affecting millions. Scientists predict that climate change could mean even longer, more unpredictable seasons and more extreme weather events and unprecedented rising sea levels. World leaders agree that there is urgent need to provide a therapy for climate change.
“Unlike some problems that we face, this one already has a ready-made solution provided by mankind that is staring us in the face: The solution to climate change is energy policy,” U.S Secretary of State John Kerry said during the last UN climate change conference dubbed COP20, in December 2014 in Lima, Peru.
That energy policy according to scientists is a switch to renewable energy. The main scientific authority on climate change, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has underscored the fact that renewable energy is one of the major ways of curing climate change because it is clean and does not emit dangerous greenhouse gases into atmosphere.
In addition to its importance to climate change, there’s another compelling reason to develop renewable resources in Africa: rapidly growing energy demand. As acute as Africa’s energy poverty is today, it could become even worse without aggressive efforts to develop more resources. IEA predicts that even if a projected one billion people gain access to electricity by the year 2040, rapid population growth will mean that some 530 million people will still live without it. And as Africa shifts from a primarily rural society to an increasingly urban one, more of its people will be living middle class lifestyles that require more electricity in their homes and workplaces. With a growing number of people seeking to light their homes and generate power for businesses, farms and manufacturing, the squeeze on resources will become unsustainable unless renewable resources become part of the mix according to IEA.
Abdou Karimu is shocked to hear that a major solution to his climate problem is the solar energy that has been provided him free of charge.
He wonders: “Why don`t they provide this kind of energy everywhere? It is very good for us in the village. People come every day from several villages asking me how they can have the energy. Why is the government delaying?”
Naïve as he may sound but he poses a key problem that currently divides the world in climate change negotiations. What Abdou does not know is that renewable energy means good and bad news for Africa.
Goodbye fossil fuels?
Here is the good news: Africa’s extractive industry is booming. Countries across the continent more than ever before are now endowed with fossil fuel deposits. Fossil fuels consist of gas used for cooking and heating, oil that is mainly used for transport and coal used to generate electricity. Six of the top 10 global discoveries in the oil and gas sectors in 2013 were made in Africa, with more than 500 companies currently exploring deposits on the continent according to PwC, the world’s leading advisor to the energy industry.
“These discoveries mean a lot for Africa. It means money; trillions of dollars. It means economic growth, job creation and fundamentally poverty alleviation. It will revamp the continent,” says economist, Dr. Emmanuel Mumfor.
Here is the bad news: Fossil fuels are a threat to the existence of mankind. Scientists agree that emissions from fossil fuels account for approximately 60 percent of the dangerous greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere causing global warming. The biggest emitters are China and America. Africa has contributed very minimal to global warming but IPCC has made it clear that 80 per cent of known global fossil fuel reserves would need to remain unexploited for the international community to reach its declared goal of staying below a maximum two degrees Celsius world average temperature rise. In brief: stop fossil fuels and move to renewable sources of energy.
“What this mean is that Africa`s dreams of exploiting and obtaining gains from the oil deposits will be shattered. Essentially this should be a problem for developed countries that have been emitting these greenhouse gases for decades. Africa needs to equally grow its economy by exploiting the fossil fuels,” says Dr. Mumfor.
During COP20, John Kerry stressed that the call to get rid of fossil fuels was meant for all nations without exception.
“Of course industrialised countries have to play a major role in reducing emissions, but that doesn’t mean that other nations are just free to go off and repeat the mistakes of the past and that they somehow have a free pass to go to the levels that we’ve been at where we understand the danger. Now, I know this is difficult for developing nations but we have to remember that today more than half of global emissions are coming from developing nations,” Kerry said.
President Obama has committed the United States to the goal of generating 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. China has increased their power generation from renewables from really nothing 10 years ago – and now it’s 25% according to IEA.
Africa`s position
In December in Paris this year, a high level UN climate change conference will bring world leaders together to decide on the right path to tackle climate change. It is at this conference that the world will take a final and legally-binding stand on energy choices, amongst other things. Already, Africa is making its position clear.
“We categorically reject the idea that Africa has to choose between growth and low-carbon development. Africa needs to utilise all of its energy assets in the short term, while building the foundations for a competitive, low-carbon energy infrastructure,” says Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General and Chair of the Africa Progress Panel.
“But Africa has enormous potential for cleaner energy. Unlocking Africa’s clean energy potential can drive growth and create jobs. Africa can grow and show the way for the rest of the world by gradually replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources and embracing a judicious, dynamic energy mix,” he adds.
Efforts to move to renewable are generally referred to as mitigation but Africa also wants adaptation, that is, those activities that make people, ecosystems and infrastructure less vulnerable to the impacts of climate change to be given priority.
“Africa is highlighting the need for mitigation target and also multilateral legally-binding agreement that will ensure that the objective of the emission reduction will be achieved, finances secured, technology transferred and means of implementation. Africa also wants to ensure that adaptation is fully considered and given the same priority as mitigation because for us in Africa adaptation is the key priority in the 2015 agreement. That is why Africa will not sign any Paris agreement that will not include its demands,” says Nagmeldin Goutbi Elhassan, Chairman of the African Group of Negotiators under the UNFCCC.
Stephen Ndzerem says bringing renewable energy to Bamdzeng and Kingomen was a difficult task.
“We lacked finance and technology and the technicians.” That alone signals a main problem for the continent. Switching to renewables requires money, lots of it and technology and capacity building.
“We are looking forward to getting the flow of know-how and financial resources,” says Dr. Khaled Fahmy African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) President and Minister of Environment of Egypt. African civil society is quite categorical.
“And the finances, technology, capacity building and the rest must come from those responsible for emitting gases into the air. They need to lead the mitigation efforts,” adds Mithika of PACJA.
John Kerry disagrees: “No single country, not even the United States, can solve this problem or foot this bill alone. It is literally impossible”
So, at the end of the day, sadly Abdou and millions like him that are experiencing the adverse consequences of climate change will have to wait for a while, a long long while before a concrete solution is achieved. The Paris conference promises to be extremely controversial.
“Future generations will surely judge these leaders not by principles they set out in communiqués but by the actions they took to eradicate poverty, build shared prosperity and protect our children’s children from climate disaster. The global climate moment can be Africa’s moment to lead the world,” says Kofi Annan.
One of the environmental problems confronting developing countries is inadequate waste management system particularly in urban centres with huge population and the most common means to dispose of the waste is through landfill.
The MRF facility. Photo credit: vanguardngr.com
Because of its nature, landfill leads to the conversion of the organic waste to biogas, containing about 50 per cent methane, a very active greenhouse gas that leads to global warming.
In Lagos, Nigeria for instance with a population of more than 17 million and daily waste generation of 11,000 metric tonnes, waste is dispose at landfill sites located across the metropolis particularly in Olushosun, Solus I and II, among others.
But the introduction of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) recently by the Lagos State government and West Africa Energy Company, many believe, will further assist the state to reduce its carbon foot print through the MRF.
MRF, according to Wikipedia, is a specialised plant that receives, separates and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-user manufacturers.
The facility, the first of its kind in Nigeria, was built on closed Solous I dumpsite along the LASU-Iyana Iba Road, Igando in Alimosho Local Government Area of the state under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement of Built, Operate, Manage and Transfer – with a 12-year tenure at a total cost of N1.3 billion.
Conceived in 2012, the facility has the capacity to receive about 130 waste trucks per day and compress more than 2,000 metric tonnes of waste out of the 11,000 tonnes generated per day.
Essentially, the MRF is expected to provide support to the manufacturing sector through the provision of waste off-takers such as plastics, papers, metals and others that may lead to reduction in cost of production and generation of employment.
Part of the long term projection of the deal is to expand the factory to usher in its next phase where more refuse will be needed in order to produce heat for electricity generation while the third phase would be compositing and the production of fertilizer to maintain lawns, parks, gardens and other green areas across the city.
Former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, disclosed that the facility’s function was to recover solid waste materials, recycle them for reuse and conservation, adding that, in doing so, Lagos was only joining the rest of the world by having the recovery facility.
He went further, “The whole world is recycling, the whole world is reusing, the whole world is conserving. So nothing really goes to waste in any significant proportion. So that is what we are signing on, we are joining the whole world by having this recovery facility to recycle our wastes and turn them into wealth.
“So from a state that could not manage refuse, we have moved to a state that needs refuse,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer, West Africa Energy Group, Mr. Paul O’Callaghan, while giving a brief on the project, said that the site where the facility was built used to be a borrow pit where piles of waste were dumped.
“It is our mission at West Africa ENRG that in partnership with Lagos State and the people of Lagos, that by 2020, zero waste will go to the landfill, helping to make Lagos the truly beautiful city that it is,” he said.
Mr. O’Callaghan stated that the facility would process more than 2,000 metric tonnes of waste per day and added that the staff strength sourced from the local community would increase from 120 to 350 skilled and unskilled workers.
He explained that the idea of the factory was conceived in 2012, adding that from then till now the idea has been turned into a factory that has the capacity to take 130 Private Sector Participation (PSP) compactor truckloads of refuse employing over 120 people at the first phase with the prospect to employ 300 in the later phases.
Executive Director, Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria), Leslie Adogame, said the compression to bails is in form of one product only before reuse, then it is a sound method environmentally.
Former Environment Commissioner in the state, Mr. Tunji Bello, said that the establishment of the resource recovery facility was a demonstration of the state government’s resolve to foster a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for the wellbeing of the citizenry.
Bello commended LAWMA and West Africa Energy for the laudable project, which he said would be a reference point in solid waste management in the country. He further revealed that the MRF, when fully operational, “is expected to provide support to the manufacturing sector through the provision of waste off-takers such as plastics, papers, metals etc, leading to reduction in cost of production and generation of employment to our teaming youths”.
He equally highlighted the importance of the MRF in the recently adopted policy on climate change adaptation and mitigation plan of the state. This, he said, would be achieved through the reduction in the carbon footprint of the state.
An efficient, renewable-based energy system could save the island nationup to US$25 billion over the next 15 years
Executive Director of Climate Change and Viceminister of Energy Ernesto Vilalta, Minister of Energy and Mines Antonio Isa Conde, Worldwatch Climate and Energy Director Alexander Ochs, and Secretary of State and Vice-President of the National Council for Climate Change Omar Ramírez
The Worldwatch Institute has presented analyses and recommendations to government officials and energy stakeholders to support a transition to a sustainable energy system in the Dominican Republic. The presentation was made during the week at the Energy Ministry in Santo Domingo.
Minister for Energy and Mines Dr. Antonio Isa Conde, Vice Minister of Energy Ernesto Vilalta, Secretary of State and Vice-President of the National Council for Climate Change Omar Ramirez, and other high-ranking governmental officials met with Worldwatch’s Alexander Ochs, Director of Climate and Energy at Worldwatch and the director of the study, to receive the report, titled:Harnessing the Dominican Republic’s Sustainable Energy Resources.
Representatives from the Ministry and stakeholders in the energy sector were then briefed on the social, economic, and environmental benefits of transitioning to an efficient, renewable-based energy system.
According to the report, transitioning to an electricity system powered 85 percent by renewables can decrease the average cost of electricity in the Dominican Republic by 40 percent by 2030 compared to 2010. Such an ambitious pathway to renewable energy would improve the safety and reliability of the island nation’s energy supply. It also would create up to 12,500 additional jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Dominican electricity sector to a mere 3 million tons annually, all while making power generation in the country more resilient to the impacts of climate change and reducing local air and water pollution.
The Dominican Republic depends on fossil fuel imports for 86 percent of its electricity needs, a reliance that brings enormous economic and environmental vulnerabilities and costs. The country spends up to a tenth of its gross domestic product on fossil fuel imports and spent US$1 billion on subsidies in 2011 to keep electricity rates more affordable. Transmission and distribution losses remain very high, at 32 percent, leading to significant financial losses for the Dominican power system. Heavy reliance on fossil fuels also results in high local pollution and healthcare costs and contributes to global climate change.
“Transitioning to a sustainable system is in the country’s best long-term interest,” says Ochs “This Roadmap provides decision makers and stakeholders in the Dominican Republic with the technical, socioeconomic, financial, and policy analysis needed to guide the country’s further transition to an electricity system that works.”
“The study demonstrates that an alternative pathway exists, one that is socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable,” says Ochs. “Together with our partners on the island, we have proven that a power system built on the efficient distribution and competent use of the country’s vast available renewable resources is the only smart way forward for the Dominican Republic.”
Improving power generation efficiency and reducing grid losses – of which are far short of international standards – are a first step to reducing electricity prices for consumers, the report finds. The lowest-cost ways to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the country include installing efficient lighting controls in new commercial buildings, switching from incandescent light bulbs to LEDs and investing in more-efficient electronics in the commercial and residential sectors, and replacing fuel oil plants with natural gas-fired plants. Even with improvements in efficiency, however, new power capacity will still be needed to meet the country’s needs.
If grid strengthening measures are implemented, renewable energy can reliably meet up to 85 percent of the Dominican Republic’s electricity demand while still lowering energy costs. Of the possible renewable installed capacity, the majority (85 percent) could be met with solar (4,708 megawatts) and wind (4,205 megawatts) by 2030, according to the most ambitious scenario presented in the report. The rest would come from small hydropower and bagasse.
Renewable energy technologies are already fully competitive with conventional power solutions, even if so-called “externalities” are not accounted for, according to Worldwatch’s electricity cost modeling. Moreover, “the social and economic case for renewables becomes even stronger once the very real air and water pollution costs, as well as related health costs of fossil fuel generation, are included,” says Ochs. “Add climate change to the equation, and the rationale behind clean modern energy technologies becomes an economic no-brainer.”
Distributed generation—- producing power where it is consumed, such as using rooftop solar systems—- can greatly reduce grid losses. It is also more resilient than centralised fossil fuel generation to climate change impacts, such as hurricanes, inland flooding, or droughts. Renewable energy sources—- particularly distributed systems—- are also the only feasible long-term solution to provide affordable electricity to the 4 percent of Dominicans who live in remote areas without any access to the power grid.
The report provides detailed geographic and temporal analysis of the country’s strong solar and wind resources. It demonstrates how a good weather forecasting system and a reliable, modernised grid allow for both reliable production and system protection in the case of extreme weather events.
The largest hurdle is the upfront costs of such a system change. Building up enough renewable energy capacity to power 85 percent of Dominican electricity would require investments of around US$78 billion. However, the switch to renewables is much more affordable than any scenario that relies on conventional energy sources, including installing, operating, and fueling fossil fuel-based power plants. Total savings to the country in the highest renewable scenario (85 percent) is US$25 billion by 2030. This would free up significant public money over the next 15 years to spend on other pressing social and economic concerns.
The Roadmap makes concrete suggestions for building both financial and human capacities to make the sustainable energy pathway a reality. The suggestions aim to improve the investment environment for public and private as well as domestic and international financing.
To speed the energy transition, the report recommends that the Dominican Republic make renewable energy an overarching development priority, rallying key governmental and non-governmental actors behind a clean, independent, affordable, and reliable energy vision. Creating a new Ministry of Energy and Mines in July 2013 was a strong first step toward mainstreaming the country’s myriad energy-related resources. The Roadmap outlines additional concrete finance and policy recommendations to strengthen the investment environment for renewables and to allow the energy sector to follow the best path forward based on conclusions from the report’s modeling and analysis.
“A paradigm shift is happening in the Dominican Republic, and our Roadmap will further accelerate it,” says Ochs. “The country’s government, private industry, and civil society actors have come to see the important role of energy reform in reducing electricity costs, bolstering the national economy, creating social opportunity, and contributing to a healthier environment.”
“The country is now at a crucial point where it must implement targeted measures in order to achieve the full benefits of a sustainable energy system for generations to come.”
As part of government’s effort to provide affordable housing units, the Ogun State Housing Corporation in collaboration with Shelter Afrique has concluded plans to provide a housing estate valued at N2 billion.
Gov Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State
The estate, which will be located at Kemta-Idi-Aba in Abeokuta, will house civil servants who are contributors to the National Housing Fund Scheme.
The Corporation’s general manager, Arc. Jumoke Akinwunmi, made this known recently during a meeting with the Resident Regional Representative of Shelter Afrique, Mr. Oumar Diop, at Plainfiled Estate, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
She commended Shelter Afrique for the partnership, assuring the outfit of government’s cooperation on the project.
Mr Diop, in his response, said that Shelter Afrique was willing and committed to make available the sum of N2 billion in order to realise the project, which is aimed at providing affordable shelter for workers who had not benefited from the previous housing schemes in the state.
Diop maintained that the project would avail workers the opportunity to have their own houses, saying that the gesture would in turn boost their productivity.
Shelter Afrique, with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and a regional office in Abuja, belongs to African countries and the African Development Bank (ADB). It is a commercial institution that works with banks and other specialised financial intermediaries to promote home ownership.
Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Tuesday in Abuja urged online publishers to ensure credibility in order to secure the future of online media in the country.
Femi Adesina
Mr. Adesina gave the advice while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the official unveiling of `Sundiata Post’ online newspaper.
He said the call for credibility in online media was to ensure that the sector was not flooded by biased publishers.
“There is this saying that bad coins tend to drag good coins out of circulation. So, if we leave online publishing for the bad ones, the good ones cannot make a difference.
“We have the good, the bad and the ugly among online publishers; but when we have more of the good ones, the better for the country,” he said.
Veteran journalist, Mohammed Haruna, the keynote speaker at the event, said the invention of the Internet had transformed journalism into a truly all-comers’ trade.
Mr. Haruna spoke on the theme “Has Online Journalism Come of Age?”
He said the question assumed that the conflict between online media’s imperative of speed and the old media’s core value of accuracy was something new and something that the new media should overcome in time.
“This assumption is largely false. Depending on how much in a rush one is, there has always been conflict between accuracy and speed since the emergence of mass media in the 19th century.
“The difference is that the new media, in its rush to be in real time in the news, seems more wired to sacrifice accuracy on the altar of speed than the old media.
“As a result, online journalism tends to be less reliable than the offline journalism and on this ground, it can be argued that online journalism is less mature than the mainstream journalism.”
In his remarks, Emeka Mba, the Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), described online journalism as a media for the coming generation.
Mr. Mba, represented by Awwalu Salihu, the Director of Public Affairs, NBC, also urged online publishers to focus on credibility, accuracy and professionalism so as to meet the needs of the society.
Max Amuche, the Publisher, Sundiata Post Online Newspaper, said that credibility and professionalism would continue to be the watchword of the platform.
He said that the publishers had set up a unifying body — the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP)– to ensure that the activity of the media is self-regulated.
Speaking at the event, the National Vice Chairman of GOCOP, Musikilu Mojeed, said owners of online media in the country are accomplished professionals some of whom he said had risen to the topmost management positions in some of Nigeria’s leading dailies.
Mr. Mojeed, who is the managing editor of PREMIUM TIMES, said GOCOP had been busy in the past months training its members on ethics and the latest trend in the media industry.
He hinted that GOCOP members would soon begin to name and shame charlatans passing themselves off as online newspaper publishers.
He also said the organisation was partnering relevant Nigerian authorities to descend heavily on thieves plagiarising the work of its members.
Wetlands International (WI) through her regional office in Dakar, Senegal and country office in Nigeria is assisting some Niger Delta communities in alleviating poverty and sustaining their wetland ecosystem services via an incentive system known as Bio-Rights.
Abobiri beneficiaries with cheque
Bio-Rights is a microcredit finance mechanism that combines poverty reduction and environmental improvement (restoration or/and conservation). WI provides funding to local communities to be actively involved in environmental conservation and restoration activities in return for the communities’ support to refrain from unsustainable practices.
Micro-credits are converted into definitive payments upon successful delivery of conservation or/and restoration services at the end of a contracting period. The conservation actions through Bio-Rights have economic and environmental benefits – not only for local people but at the global level as well. For instance, replanting mangrove forests can increase fish stocks locally while storing carbon that helps limit climate change globally. Bio-Rights is thus able to bridge the gap between local and global interests.
On the 19th of June 2015, WI disbursed funds through Wetland Micro Finance Bank, Warri, Delta State to 25 Sustainable Livelihoods and Biodiversity Project (SLBP) beneficiaries in Obiayagha community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Opume beneficiaries with cheque
Also, on the 23rd and 24th June, 2015 WI gave out funds through Equator Micro Finance Bank, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State to 14 SLBP beneficiaries in Abobiri Community and 21 SLBP beneficiaries in Opume Community both in Ogbia Local Government of Bayelsa State respectively, to improve their livelihood and sustain the environment. The disbursement ceremony in Obiayagha community was chaired by Mr. Obi-ebi Emamezi, the Director of Forestry and Conservation, Delta State Ministry of Environment, while that of Abobiri and Opume communities was chaired by Chief Cloude Eze, the Director of Forestry and Conservation, Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment.
Bio-Right approach unites the conservation and development aspirations of NGOs, governments, private sector players and local communities alike. Projects in the field have demonstrated that Bio-Rights serve as a powerful tool that addresses the major environmental challenges of our age, including climate change and biodiversity loss. In the light of major efforts in relation to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and even the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Bio-rights have the potential to translate global objectives into concrete action.
In demonstration of its commitment to the global efforts to curb global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Nigeria has formally kick-started the process of preparation of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), writes Olufemi Adeosun
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
The need for all parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be committed to setting realistic target towards reducing the greenhouse gas emissions formed the fulcrum of discussion during the 19th session of the multilateral climate forum which took place in Warsaw, Poland in 2013.
One of the resolutions arrived at the meeting was the need for all parties to the convention to submit their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). The document is expected to contain policies and programmes that align with the global attempt to reduce the level of global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
According to environment experts, the borderless nature of the negative effects of climate change has compelled nations of the world to come together to explore ways of addressing the drift. They noted that although the level of technological advancement in the developed economies has made them major emitters, the negative effects of it is more biting on the developing nations because of their low resilience status.
Dr. Samuel Adejuwon, Director, Department of Climate Change in the Federal Ministry of Environment
For instance, in Nigeria, the extreme desert encroachment in the northern parts of the country, erosion problem in the East, menace of ocean surge and flooding in the South-West have been regarded as manifestations of the negative effects of climate change.
These environmental challenges, they added, are not only constituting a blight on the poverty alleviation programmes of successive governments in Nigeria, they are aiding the worsening security situation confronting the country.
It is against this background that environment experts during a recent stakeholders’ forum in Abuja urged the new administration to utilise the opportunity availed through the development of the INDCs document to embark on policies and progrmmes that would not only help to address, in a sustainable manner some of these climate change induced challenges, but also help to steer the country on the path of low carbon economy and high growth without jeopardising its development priorities.
As part of the processes for the successful submission of the document in September, Nigeria had two months ago hosted a Project Initiation Workshop in April 2015, in Abuja. It also recently commissioned a British environmental consulting firm of Ricardo-AEA to execute the project. The consortium, which is being led by a climate change policy expert, Hans Verolme, will be supported by local experts such as Prof. Olukayode Oladipo who is also a leading climate change expert and James Okeuhie.
Speaking at the sidelines of the consultants/stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, the Director, Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environment, Dr Samuel Adejuwon, underscored the significance of the INDCs to the country. According to him, apart from helping the country to develop its developmental programmes across the various sectors of the nation’s national life in a greener manner, it would also help to address some of its environmental challenges in a sustainable manner.
On the modalities for the production of the document, he said: “The whole exercise (INDCs) will consider some priority sectors, look at the baseline and look at our needs too for development and see what we can put on the table that we are going to strive to mitigate in terms of greenhouse gases (GHGs). And it is not something you just rush into without understanding because you are never too sure whether the potential agreement in Paris will be legally binding.”
According to him, the requirement for countries to submit their commitments ahead of the conference is to see if they will be able to address the impact of climate change. He, however, maintained that the ministry had held series of workshops to fulfil its commitment to climate change conventions and protocols as well as exploit opportunities as a party to the protocols.
Prof. Oladipo stated that the development of the document would enable the country diversify its energy base, particularly the need to do away with fossil fuel.
He said, “Maybe many who do not understand it means may be underestimating it. But, as an expert, it points to the fact that whether Nigeria likes it or not, the era of fossil fuel is over. Every country is now exploring how to use lesser energy for more things in an efficient manner, how to rely on renewable energy sources than what we are doing and how to be able to drive our economy through reduced energy consumption without actually reducing the rate at which our economy is growing.”
When reminded that implementation of policies has always been a problem in Nigeria, he maintained that the present administration had demonstrated sufficient commitment to the issue of climate change and such the issue of whether it would be able to muster the needed political will to push it through should not arise.
“I have to be honest with you and I have been saying it since President Buhari assumed the leadership of the country that, for the first time, we have a Nigerian President who reflected climate change in his electoral campaigns. Not only that. During his inauguration, climate change was recognised as one of the challenges that government will face. That gives me the confidence and the joy that Nigeria is now recognising the importance of carrying climate change along the developmental path. I am confident this government will accord it a pride of place. Moreover, the document must be approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).”
Also, a Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos and member, National Committee on COP21, Prof Babajide Alo, noted that beyond Paris, INDCs would be an action plan that would be of immense benefit to the nation as it would help it develop policies that promotes green living.
In particular, he said, the document would help the country reduce the effect of climate change, reduce flooding.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director, Dr Pa Lamin Beyai, noted that the process was extremely important for Nigeria in view of its leadership role within the African continent.
He said: “The process is extremely important for Nigeria because of the leadership role Nigeria stands to play in the area of climate change negotiation in Africa. If Nigeria is serious about pushing forward the climate change agenda, it is important that the INDCs be developed in a very robust manner. That is why the UNDP supported the preliminary discussion on the INDCs. We will continue to support Nigeria in its climate change efforts.”
A report by the All Progressives Congress (APC) asking the Muhammadu Buhari administration to discard the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is not only unfortunate but is one that will also embolden oil multinationals to continue their impunity which has polluted the Niger Delta and eroded Nigeria’s revenues, the Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has warned.
Ibuu Creek polluted by an oil spill, in Okwuzi Community in Rivers State. According to ERA/FoEN, Niger Delta communities have suffered degradation and neglect. Photo credit: Dandy Mgbenwa
The APC, had in the report on Bloomberg which was confirmed by its Policy Director, Kayode Fayemi, said the president should discard the PIB and replace it with a new reform bill that is based on discussions with international oil companies to “ensure all perspectives are adequately considered”.
But the ERA/FoEN in a statement issued in Lagos on Monday July 6, 2015 described the call as “very disturbing” in light of the support the PIB has garnered in the last four years from civil society groups and Niger Delta communities that have suffered degradation and neglect.
ERA/FoEN Executive Director, Godwin Ojo, said: “We are perplexed at this call coming at a time that Nigerians are demanding environmental accountability and a say on how oil multinationals operate in the environment.”
Ojo noted that while the APC made some positive recommendations which included a review of audits and corruption allegations against the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), however, “calling on the government to discard the PIB will amount to government lacking the political will to hold oil multinationals accountable for their human rights violations, environmental degradation and the application of the polluter pays principle.”
He added: “The APC government should not set a bad precedent by disappointing the expectations of the Niger Delta people who remain shell-shocked by the rigmarole of the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan in pushing a strong legislation through. That government also failed to implement the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Assessment on Ogoniland. We believe that a strong PIB will promote the interest of local communities and the protection and preservation of the Nigerian environment.”
The ERA/FoEN boss recommended that “the Buhari administration must sieve the recommendations and show good example by listening to the voice of the people which is overwhelmingly in support of a strong PIB”.
“It is now time to stop paying lip service to environmental sustainability and hold those who violate the environment of the Niger Delta accountable. Nothing short of the peoples demand for a strong PIB is acceptable,” Ojo insisted.
A new report released by the Global Commission on the Economy and the Climate identifies 10 key economic opportunities that could close up to 96 percent of the gap between business-as-usual emissions and the level needed to limit dangerous climate change. The report calls for stronger cooperation between governments, businesses, investors, cities and communities to drive economic growth in the emerging low-carbon economy.
Former President of Mexico Felipe Calderón, Chair of the Commission. Photo credit: mpiweb.org
“This report shows that success is possible: we can achieve economic growth and close the dangerous emissions gap,” said former President of Mexico Felipe Calderón, Chair of the Commission. “Today’s report shows us that a goal we once thought of as distant is within our reach. We can achieve global prosperity and secure a safe climate together. The low carbon economy is already emerging. But governments, cities, businesses and investors need to work much more closely together and take advantage of recent developments if the opportunities are to be seized. We cannot let these opportunities slip through our fingers.”
The new report, Seizing the Global Opportunity: Partnerships for Better Growth and a Better Climate, shows how recent trends in the global economy – such as the dramatically falling cost of clean energy, the continuing volatility of oil prices, and the worldwide growth of carbon pricing – are building momentum for low-carbon development.
“More and more countries are committing to integrating climate action into national economic plans, from the recent G7 statement on the need to decarbonise the economy by the end of the century, to the development of low-carbon and climate resilient growth strategies in a number of developing and emerging economies”, said Lord Nicholas Stern, leading economist and Co-chair of the Commission. “Strong economic growth that is also low-carbon is going to be the new normal.”
The Commission’s 10 recommendations include:
Scaling up partnerships between cities, like the Compact of Mayors, to drive low-carbon urban development. Investment in public transport, building efficiency, and better waste management, could save around US$17 trillion globally by 2050.
Enhancing partnerships such as REDD+, the 20×20 Initiative in Latin America, and the Africa Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance to bring together forest countries, developed economies and the private sector to halt deforestation by 2030 and restore degraded farmland. This would enhance agricultural productivity and resilience, strengthen food security, and improve livelihoods for agrarian and forest communities.
Governments, development banks and the private sector should collaborate to reduce the cost of capital for clean energy, with the goal of investing US$1 trillion in developed and developing countries by 2030.
The G20 should raise energy efficiency standards in the world’s leading economies for goods such as appliances, lighting, and vehicles. Investment in energy efficiency could boost cumulative economic output globally by US$18 trillion by 2035.
Action to reduce emissions from aviation and shipping under international treaties and from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol could reduce emissions by as much as 2.6 Gt in 2030. In shipping alone, higher efficiency standards are expected to save an average of US$200 billion in annual fuel costs by 2030.
The Commission calculates that its recommendations could achieve up to 96 percent of the emissions reductions in 2030 that are needed to hold the rise in global temperature to under 2°C, the level which governments have pledged not to cross.
The report finds that businesses are already driving a growing US$5.5 trillion global market for low-carbon goods and services. It calls for new business partnerships to open new markets, share costs, and reduce concerns about the international competitiveness impacts of climate policy.
“Businesses are already preparing for a low-carbon future, and in many ways are ahead of the curve. For instance, companies representing 90 percent of the global trade in palm oil, including ours, have committed to deforestation-free supply chains by 2020”, says Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever.
The Commission argues that the actions identified in Seizing the Global Opportunity would enhance the national pledges (“Intended Nationally Determined Contributions,” or INDCs) already being submitted by countries to the UNFCCC for the Paris climate conference. It urges INDCs to be seen as “floors, not ceilings” to national emissions reduction targets.
“We know that the current INDC pledges are not likely to get us to the 2°C world we need. But this report shows there is significant room for stronger action that is in countries’ economic self-interest,” said Michael Jacobs, Report Director, New Climate Economy. “It is therefore vital that the Paris climate agreement sets in motion a regular process for strengthening national commitments, on the way to the long-term goal of reducing emissions to near-zero in the second half of this century.”
“This report highlights the huge opportunity countries now have to scale up climate action while also driving growth and development,” said Helen Mountford,GlobalProgramme Director of the New Climate Economy. “Global economic growth and carbon emissions are beginning to be decoupled: last year, for the first time in decades, emissions held steady while the global economy grew. But the pace of change needs to be accelerated if we are to meet our development goals and also reduce climate risks.”
Some global leaders offered comments:
Caio Koch-Weser, Vice Chairman, Deutsche Bank Group; Chair, European Climate Foundation: “Low-carbon sectors are a massive growth area for businesses and governments alike. Major infrastructure investments, supported by the cooperation of public and private financial sectors, are critical in unlocking this global economic opportunity, particularly in emerging markets.”
Chad Holliday, Chairman, Shell: “Momentum is building for a New Climate Economy. Business follows the money, and the money can increasingly be found in low-carbon economic growth. It’s time for governments to give us a clear policy foundation and let us get on with the job of making the transition.”
Naina Lal Kidwai, Chairman, HSBC India and Director, HSBC Asia Pacific: “We cannot tackle poverty successfully without also tackling climate change. International cooperation can drive both more inclusive economic growth and more ambitious climate mitigation, reducing the risks to the world’s poor. Businesses can play a major role in this, for instance, off-grid energy is a huge market in India and at the same time provides major social and environmental benefits. Together, a prosperous, low-carbon future is within our reach.”
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Former Minister of Finance, Nigeria: “African countries have a real opportunity to set themselves on a low-carbon growth path. With the support of the international community, critical investments that can be made in the next 15 years can ensure development goals, such as accelerated energy access and poverty eradication, are met and in way that doesn’t leave a polluted world at risk from climate change for future generations.”
Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, founder of Bloomberg LP, and former Mayor of New York City: “The New Climate Economy report highlights how strong action on climate change makes sound economic sense. Cities know from experience that cutting pollution can attract jobs and spur economic growth – the Compact of Mayors is helping them do that – and investors know that clean energy presents a major economic opportunity. The more that all levels of government can remove barriers to the clean energy market the more progress we’ll be able to make in the battle against climate change.”
Chen Yuan, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Former Chairman of the China Development Bank (CDP): “China’s growth can be driven by innovation, efficiency, cleaner energy and air, and more compact and productive cities. China can be a leader among developing countries on the road to the Paris climate conference, showing that low-carbon growth is the new normal.”
Eduardo Paes, Mayor, Rio De Janeiro; Chair, C40: “Low-carbon cities represent a US$17 trillion economic opportunity. Compact, connected, and coordinated cities can generate stronger growth and increase the health and wellbeing of urban citizens. Cities around the world are already leading the way in implementing sustainable and innovative urban solutions, from better mobility systems that reduce traffic and pollution to enhanced measures to treat waste. By sharing and scaling-up these best practices, cities can accelerate global climate action and help close the emissions gap.”
Ricardo Lagos, Former President of Chile, and Professor at Large, Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University: “We have clear evidence from countries around the world that actions to tackle climate change can also generate better, more sustainable economic growth. Seizing the Global Opportunity finds that halting deforestation and restoring degraded land will be critical in making sure that livelihoods and food security improve.”
Trevor Manuel, Former Minister and Chairperson of the South African Planning Commission; Former Finance Minister of South Africa: “The findings of this report, combined with those of the recent Africa Progress Report, prove that there are immense opportunities in the emerging low-carbon economy. Africa can ‘leapfrog’ the fossil-fuel based growth strategies of developed countries and become a leader in low-carbon development, exploiting its abundant – and currently under-utilised – renewable energy resources.”
Kristin Skogen Lund, Director-General, Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise: “2015 is a moment of opportunity to accelerate growth-enhancing climate action. Landmark conferences on development financing, the SDGs, and climate change have the potential to usher in a new era of international cooperation.”
Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC): “Governments must take responsibility for a plan for industrial transformation and they need to work closely with trade unions to ensure this occurs through a just transition, supporting jobs, skills and community renewal.”
Helen Clark, Administrator, UNDP; Former Prime Minister of New Zealand: “Tackling climate change presents many opportunities for developing countries to spur economic growth, enhance resilience, and encourage more sustainable development pathways. Climate change action should no longer be seen as a cost, but rather as an important building block in achieving sustainable development. As this report shows, by halting the loss of our natural forests, we can significantly improve the lives of the 1.6 billion people who rely on forests for food, water, fuel, and medicine, as well as reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.”
Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA): “Improving energy efficiency is crucial to sustained economic growth and meaningful climate action. It needs be seen as the “first fuel”. A more energy efficient world will have greater economic productivity and a smaller carbon footprint.”
Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, The World Bank; Former Finance Minister of Indonesia: “This report shows once again that climate action doesn’t require economic sacrifice. Smart policy choices can deliver economic, health and climate benefits for developed and developing countries alike. Multilateral Development Banks can play a crucial role in helping countries follow a transition to low carbon growth by using scarce government resources smartly and leveraging much larger, long-term private investments.”
Takehiko Nakao, President, Asian Development Bank: “Multilateral development banks are already investing heavily in infrastructure to ensure low-carbon and climate-resilient development. Increased investments in climate-smart infrastructure are vital in coming decades given the strong growth trends in Asia and the Pacific, coupled with rapid urbanisation and rising climate vulnerabilities.”
Seizing the Global Opportunity is a follow-up to Better Growth, Better Climate: The New Climate Economy Report, which was released in September 2014. The Global Commission is made up of 28 leaders in the fields of government, business and finance from 20 countries.
