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Lekan Fadina: Road to Paris 2015 (5)

Michael Simire
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Lekan Fadina: Road to Paris 2015 (5)

The COP 21 in Paris, France is an important Conference of Parties and there are many reasons for this.

Prince Lekan Fadina
Prince Lekan Fadina

In New York on 10th February, 2015 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, experts and high level officials discussed specific ways to build mutually reinforcing processes on climate change and post-2015 development agenda.

The link between the two important United Nations meetings in September in New York to discuss the 17 issues in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris in December to agree on having a global agreement on emission reduction call for a more detailed understanding of the two.

Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN), who was a co-host of the event, said: “Sustainable development means the holistic combination of the economic advance, social inclusion and environmental sustainability, the greatest threat to which is climate change.”

Therefore sustainable development and climate change are one and same. He further said that sustainable development is a more inclusive concept. The process culminating in Addis Abba, New York and Paris should be viewed as long, continuous, interconnected negotiation with the ultimate result of a new global framework for sustainable development.

“It is one agenda, we have to succeed,” said Prof Sachs, who was of the view “that the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) is the world’s final chance to cap warming at two degree Celsius – which is the last guardian against disaster.”

There are different opinions about financing to meet the expectations of both the SDGs and the climate change. It is expected that climate financing should be secured at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD) in Addis Ababa because waiting for the outcome of the Paris Conference may mean panic.

The need to agree on net zero carbon by 2070, according to Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, is “not too complicated, it is just not too pleasant”.

The $100 billion Green Climate Fund approved by the UNFCCC, according to a number of experts, must be linked to official financing of climate-related issues and not only markets. It is expected that the SDGs outcome must agree with the agreement in Paris in December.

There are views going round the globe that, for the SDGs to be effective and achieve the objectives, the 17 SDGs should be condensed into 12 goals without losing the substance. In this regard the agenda should be an educational and advocacy document that is simple to follow, implement and not a technocratic one.

In a recent contribution, Isabella Lovin, Minister for International Development Co-operation of Sweden, said that none of the SDGs can succeed if humanity does not seriously submit itself to address climate change. She argued that SDGs put climate in a larger context than the numbers and technical terms characterising UNFCCC negotiations and they explain why we must avoid dramatic climate change because we want a fair, inclusive, sustainable and dignified society.

Joe Colombano of the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General on Climate Change is of the view that a key to greater coherence between the climate negotiations and post 2015 agenda is financing. He noted that the $100 billion Green Climate Fund is too small but it can be a good starting point to unlock the $90 trillion that will actually achieve the needed changes.

Pasztor went on further to priotise integrating climate change throughout the SDGs, saying that if all of the targets that directly or indirectly relate to climate change can be met, it will be a lot easier for climate negotiators to reach an agreement.

It is important to highlight that the two degrees Celsius cap leaves about 100 countries behind and the issue of loss and damage must be stressed especially as it relates to risk, disaster and other unexpected happenings.

The issue of SDGs and climate change must be properly addressed by governments’ private sector and civil society. We must ensure that people understand that these issues are about them, their livelihood and existence.

We must invest in human capital development through education, capacity building, public awareness and hands-on training workshops. It is then we can be confident that we are on the way to make the world a better place and for greater number of people to be able face the challenges ahead.

The year 2015 is important for addressing global governance on climate change, environmental sustainability and sustainable development. We should all see that Nigeria and other developing countries unite to ensure they have the knowledge and expertise to play significant roles.

By Prince Lekan Fadina (Executive Director, Centre for Investment, Sustainable Development, Management and Environment (CISME). He is a member of the Nigeria Negotiation Team, Africa Group of Negotiators and member, AGN Finance Co-ordination Committee)

SA activists frown at Eskom permission to postpone compliance

Michael Simire
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0
SA activists frown at Eskom permission to postpone compliance

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in South Africa on Tuesday announced its decision to approve almost all Eskom’s applications to postpone compliance with atmospheric emission standards for 14 of its coal-fired power stations.

Eskom's Komati power station. Photo credit: www.eskom.co.za
Eskom’s Komati power station. Photo credit: www.eskom.co.za

A condition of these postponements is that Eskom is required to “implement an offset programme to reduce (particulate matter) pollution in the ambient/receiving environment. A definite offset implementation plan is expected from Eskom by 31 March 2016”.

But a team of civil society organisations (CSOs) who work with and support numerous affected communities in South Africa’s pollution hotspots – Centre for Environmental Rights, Earthlife Africa (Johannesburg) and groundWork (Friends of the Earth South Africa) – has expressed disappointment with the DEA’s decision. The CSOs claim that this would allow Eskom to continue to pollute in excess of what has been agreed as safe standards of emissions for another five years. They describe the decisions as slapdash, with no attempt to set strict and enforceable conditions to ensure that Eskom comes into compliance in the next five years.

“This shows a complete disregard for DEA’s constitutional responsibility to protect the health of South Africans,” they stated.

 

Background to the minimum emission standards

Over a period of about five years prior to 2010, the DEA, industry (including Eskom) and a few civil society organisations negotiated “minimum emission standards” (MES) for activities that have a significantly detrimental impact on human health. All such polluting industries must meet certain standards by 1 April 2015, and stricter standards by 1 April 2020. Despite knowing since 2004 that they would have to meet MES, Eskom – and about 20 other industrial facilities, largely following Eskom’s lead – applied to postpone such compliance, having failed to make the necessary investments to meet the MES.

 

Health impacts

One of the main grounds on which Eskom’s postponement applications were opposed by groundWork, Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and many community groups was that granting the postponements would violate the Constitutional right to an environmental not harmful to health or well-being. An expert who analysed these health impacts found that, if Eskom’s applications succeeded, this would result in about 20,000 premature deaths, over the remaining life of the power plants – including approximately 1,600 deaths of young children. The economic cost associated with the premature deaths, and the neurotoxic effects of mercury exposure, was estimated at 230 billion rand.

In a desktop report released by groundWork last year, it is clear that Eskom’s existing non-compliance with emission limits is proving extremely harmful to the health of the residents of the Highveld. The report indicated that air pollution from coal-fired power stations is:

  • responsible for 51% of hospital admissions and 51% of mortalities due to respiratory illnesses caused by outdoor air pollution. This is three times the impact from outdoor pollution due to domestic coal burning; and
  • responsible for 54% of deaths from air pollution-related cardiovascular diseases, compared to 16% attributable to domestic coal burning.

 

Permission to continue polluting given in areas already out of compliance

Twelve of the coal-fired power stations for which Eskom sought postponement are located in the air pollution hotspot known as the Highveld Air Quality Priority Area, with Matimba and Medupi power stations falling within the Waterberg-Bojanala Air Quality Priority Area and Lethabo falling within the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area. Most of these stations are already out of compliance with the existing ambient air quality standards. This means that Eskom’s applications do not meet the requirements of the Framework for Air Quality Management (which is regarded as part of the Air Quality Act), which only permits MES postponement applications to be made for facilities in areas where air quality meets the ambient air quality standards.

Director of groundWork, Bobby Peek, adds: “No one disputes that Eskom is in crisis. But the costs of compliance with the MES cannot trump other considerations. For too long, government, Eskom, and other polluting industries have failed to account properly for the devastating health impacts and costs of air pollution. The DEA’s decision simply reinforces the massive environmental injustices suffered by those who have to breathe poisonous air on a daily basis. This is undemocratic and unconstitutional – it makes polluted air, legal air. This is not what we planned for in 2004 when we got mandatory minimum emission standards.”

South Africa’s current electricity crisis has forced Eskom to perform massive maintenance to its plants at huge cost to the economy. Eskom should have been forced to retrofit its plants at the same time to ensure MES compliance, and to avoid a similar situation in the future, especially because these power stations will have to work longer because of the electricity deficit.

The DEA has also granted some applications to postpone compliance with MES that only apply from 2020. Although not prohibited by the legislation, we regard this as inappropriate and premature – the considerations that would influence a postponement application could be vastly different in five years’ time.

Nevertheless, as set out above, MES postponements have been granted on condition that Eskom implements an “offset” programme to reduce particulate matter in the receiving environment. Dominique Doyle, Energy Policy Officer at Earthlife Africa (Johannesburg) explains that this amounts to nothing short of an attempt to “offset” Eskom’s non-compliance with MES:

“It is completely inappropriate for the NAQO to have allowed Eskom to implement “air quality offsets”. Quite apart from the fact that there is no legal framework for such “offsets”, that pilot offsetting projects have not been concluded, and that these are contrary to internationally recognised principles around mitigation of environmental harm, monitoring compliance with such a vague requirement will be extremely difficult, if not impossible.”

Robyn Hugo, attorney heading up the Pollution & Climate Change Programme at the Centre for Environmental Rights, says: “As currently phrased in the decisions, there are no specific requirements for these “offset” programmes. They do not, for instance, indicate by how much Eskom must reduce pollution. Who will monitor this? What will DEA do if Eskom simply doesn’t comply?”

 

Next steps

The CSOs claim that they will now evaluate the postponement decisions and speak to community organisations in affected areas to determine the possible options to challenge the decisions. In the interim, they add, Eskom must be forced to comply with each and every term of the MES postponement conditions, with severe consequences if it fails.

Kaduna farmers get N1 billion agricultural loans

Michael Simire
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Kaduna farmers get N1 billion agricultural loans

The Kaduna State Government has commenced disbursement of loans to farmers in the state under a partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) with a total sum of N1 billion ready for access by the farmers.

Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State. Photo credit: elombah.com
Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State. Photo credit: elombah.com

The state governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, disclosed this at a flag-off ceremony and distribution of cheques to benefiting farmer cooperative groups and individual farmers in the state.

Governor Yero said the scheme is aimed at providing finance to farmers in a bid to increase performance in the sector.

“The Agricultural loan scheme has a convenient means of raising funds to finance agriculture and agro allied businesses in view of the attractive interest rate chargeable which is only 5%, with a very short period of loan processing and disbursement.

Yero said the Technical Committee established by the State Ministry of Agriculture had screened six cooperative associations and nine individual farmers to benefit from the first phase of the scheme.

“The beneficiaries have been drawn on equal basis from the three senatorial zones of the state. Each cooperative association has an average of ten farmers and will receive agricultural loan ranging from N2.5 million and above.

“On the other hand, each individual beneficiary will receive the sum of N250,000. The Bank of Agriculture will continue to disburse the facility to other beneficiary Cooperative Associations and individual farmers. I therefore urge farmers that have not indicated interest to hasten to take advantage of the opportunity being provided by this scheme,” he said.

He further reiterated the commitment of the present administration towards improving the agriculture sector in the state as a way of diversifying the economy.

“With a population of approximately 170 million people in the country, government at both federal and state levels cannot afford to neglect the agricultural Sector. Especially with the ever dwindling Statutory Allocation from the Federation Account and the need to diversify the sources of revenue to fund government programmes and activities,” he said.

By Ibrahim Mohammad, Kaduna

How 5th climate report relates to East Africa, by IPCC

Michael Simire
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How 5th climate report relates to East Africa, by IPCC

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented the findings of its latest report in Nairobi on Monday to policymakers, civil society, scientists and students from Kenya and other East African countries.

Youba Sokona, Co-Chair of Working Group III. Photo credit: twitter.com
Youba Sokona, Co-Chair of Working Group III. Photo credit: twitter.com

Written by over 800 scientists from 80 countries, and assessing over 30,000 scientific papers, the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) tells policymakers what the scientific community knows about the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

The key findings of AR5, as expressed in the Synthesis Report released on 2 November 2014, are:

  • Human influence on the climate system is clear;
  • The more we disrupt our climate, the more we risk severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts; and
  • We have the means to limit climate change and build a more prosperous, sustainable future.

For East Africa, the IPCC AR5 highlights risks from climate change including those related to food and water security, changing patterns of disease, and extreme weather events. Addressing current vulnerabilities can reduce today’s climate risks and contribute to climate-resilient development over the coming decades.

“The longer we wait, the harder it will be to deal with climate change,” said Youba Sokona, Co-Chair of Working Group III, who presented the Synthesis Report as well as IPCC Working Group III’s findings to the meeting.

Around 300 people from Kenya, both from Nairobi and the rest of the country, registered for the event, and delegates from East Africa and other countries to a Session of the IPCC starting the following day were also invited.

The IPCC is the world body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly, to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

The IPCC does not do its own research, conduct climate measurements or produce its own climate models; it assesses the thousands of scientific papers published each year to tell policymakers what we know and don’t know about the risks related to climate change, and identifies where there is agreement in the scientific community, where there are differences, and where further research is needed. Thus the IPCC offers policymakers a snapshot of what the scientific community understands about climate change rather than promoting a particular view. IPCC reports are policy-relevant without being policy-prescriptive.

The IPCC may set out options for policymakers to choose from in pursuit of goals decided by policymakers, but it does not tell governments what to do. To produce its reports, the IPCC mobilises hundreds of scientists who – like the Chair and other elected officials – work as volunteers. These scientists and officials are drawn from diverse backgrounds. They are not paid for their work at the IPCC. Only a dozen permanent staff work in the IPCC’s Secretariat. The members of the IPCC, comprising the Panel, are its 195 member governments. They work by consensus to endorse the reports of the IPCC and set its procedures and budget in plenary meetings of the Panel.

The word “Intergovernmental” in the organisation’s name reflects this. It is not a United Nations agency, but is sponsored by two UN organisations – WMO and UNEP.

IPCC reports are requested by the member governments and developed by authors drawn from the scientific community in an extensive process of repeated drafting and review. Scientists and other experts participate in this review process through a self-declaration of expertise. The Panel endorses these reports in a dialogue between the governments that request the reports and will work with them and the scientists that write them. In this discussion the scientists have the last word on any additions or changes, although the Panel may agree by consensus to delete something.

The IPCC produces comprehensive assessment reports on climate change every six years or so. The IPCC completed the AR5 with the release of the Synthesis Report on 2 November 2014. AR5 is the most comprehensive assessment of climate change ever undertaken. Over 830 scientists from over 80 countries were selected to form the author teams producing the report. They in turn drew on the work of over 1,000 contributing authors and over 1,000 expert reviewers. AR5 assessed over 30,000 scientific papers.

Besides the Synthesis Report, AR5 includes the contributions of IPCC Working Group I (the physical science basis of climate change), of Working Group II (impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability), and of Working Group III (mitigation of climate change). The Synthesis Report distils, synthesises and integrates the findings of the working group contributions into a concise document. This integrated approach allows the Synthesis Report to draw together the assessment of past changes in climate as well as projections for the future from the three working group reports as well as the two Special Reports brought out in 2011. It covers both adaptation and mitigation to provide an overview of possible risks and solutions.

Forensic tools boost Thailand’s drive against illegal ivory trade

Michael Simire
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0
Forensic tools boost Thailand’s drive against illegal ivory trade

Ivory traffickers be warned: the Thai authorities have a powerful forensic tool in the country’s drive to detect ivory of illegal origin entering its markets and ensure domestic traders are complying with new laws.

Ivory trafficking. Photo credit: girlegirlarmy.com
Ivory trafficking. Photo credit: girlegirlarmy.com

A collaborative project between Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, has trailed forensic DNA examination of ivory products to assess the origin of elephant ivory products commonly available in local markets.

One hundred and sixty items of small ivory products legally acquired by TRAFFIC researchers primarily from retail outlets in Bangkok were subjected to DNA analysis at the DNP’s Wildlife Forensics Crime Unit (WIFOS Laboratory). The aim of the exercise was to determine whether the ivory products were made from African Elephant or Asian Elephant tusks.  The African Elephant Loxodonta africana found in 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, or the Asian Elephant Elephas maximas found in Thailand and 12 other Asian countries.

Forensic results show that African Elephant ivory accounted for a majority of the items tested.  Whilst the relatively small number of samples cannot be considered as representative of the entire ivory market in Thailand, it indicates that African Elephant ivory is prominently represented in the retail outlets in Bangkok.

This capability supports the enforcement component of Thailand’s revised National Ivory Action Plan (NIAP) submitted to CITES in September 2014. The plan was developed to control ivory trade in Thailand and strengthen measures to prevent illegal international trade. It includes a strong focus on law enforcement and regulation, including the execution of a robust ivory registration system.

“The ability to use DNA and other forensic expertise provides great support to law enforcement,” said Mr. Adisorn Noochdumrong, Acting Deputy Director General of DNP. “We are deeply concerned by these findings which come just at the moment a nationwide ivory product registration exercise is being conducted pursuant to recently enacted legislation to strengthen ivory trade controls in Thailand,” added the DNP representative.

In January 2015, the Thai government passed new legislation to regulate and control the possession and trade of ivory that can be shown to have come from domesticated Asian Elephants in Thailand. With the passing of the Elephant Ivory Act B.E. 2558 (2015), anyone in possession of ivory – whether as personal effects or for commercial purposes – must register all items in their possession with the DNP from January 22 until April 21, 2015.  Penalties for failing to do so could result in up to three years imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of Thai Baht 6 million (nearly USD200,000).

“We remind anyone registering possession of raw ivory or ivory products under Thailand’s new laws that African Elephant ivory is strictly prohibited and ineligible for sale in Thailand,” said Mr. Noochdumrong.

TRAFFIC applauds the Thai authorities for using and highlighting the opportunities for DNA testing to determine the elephant species behind the ivory products found locally for sale. “This represents a new front in the country’s capability to police the local ivory market and meet the requirements of CITES, which Thailand joined in 1983,” said Dr Chris Shepherd, the Director of TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia.

Greenpeace: Agribusiness firms destroying apes’ rainforest habitat

Michael Simire
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Greenpeace: Agribusiness firms destroying apes’ rainforest habitat

Endangered great ape species are having their rainforest habitat destroyed and threatened by the expansion of agribusiness projects in central Africa, according to new evidence from Greenpeace Africa.

Chimpanzees. Photo credit: wired.com
Chimpanzees. Photo credit: wired.com

Satellite images, reportedly obtained by Greenpeace Africa, show that more than 3,000 hectares of rainforest bordering the Dja Faunal Reserve has already been destroyed inside the Chinese-owned Hevea Sud rubber and palm oil concession in Cameroon’s Southern region. The reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to apes such as the western lowland gorilla, chimpanzees and mandrills.

“Agro-industrial developments will soon emerge as a top threat to biodiversity in the African tropical forest zone”, says Dr Joshua Linder, an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at James Madison University.

“If proactive strategies to mitigate the effects of large-scale habitat conversion are not soon implemented, we can expect a rapid decline in African primate diversity.”

UNESCO has previously requested for an inspection to be carried out to assess if any damage has been done to the Dja reserve, but permission was denied by local authorities. The plantation lies in the home district of Cameroonian president Paul Biya. The forest clearance is significantly greater than that carried out by US company Herakles Farms for their palm oil project in the country’s South West region that has also deforested vital wildlife habitat and deprived local communities of the forest they depend on for their livelihoods.

A Greenpeace Africa investigation in December revealed that Cameroonian company Azur is also targeting a large area of dense forest in Cameroon’s Littoral region to convert to a palm oil plantation, a large part of which is adjacent to the Ebo forest, a proposed national park that is used by many primate species including the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee sub-species plus the rare and endangered drill, as well as threatened mammals such as the forest elephant.

Greenpeace Africa has twice written to Azur asking they detail their plans and allay environmental concerns over the project, but no response has been provided.

The Nigerian-Cameroon chimpanzee is one of the most endangered primates in the world and faces numerous threats including destruction of habitat from illegal logging, poaching, the bush meat trade and the effects of climate change. The drill is a rare ape and 80 per cent of the world’s remaining population is in Cameroon and Azur’s plantation project may lead to even more habitat destruction of this already endangered primate.

Industrial-scale agricultural concessions, many foreign-owned, are often allocated throughout West and Central Africa without proper land-use planning. This frequently generates social conflicts when forest clearance takes place without prior consent of local communities. This can result in severe negative ecological impacts and effects on endangered wildlife species as many concessions overlap with forest areas of high biodiversity value.

“Governments need to urgently develop a participatory land use planning process prior to the allocation of industrial concessions” says Filip Verbelen, a senior forest campaigner with Greenpeace Belgium.

“Projects that are being developed without adequate community consultation and are located in areas of high ecological value should not be allowed to proceed and risk further social conflict and environmental damage.”

The Congo Basin is the world’s second largest rain-forested area. Its rich and diverse ecosystem provides food, fresh water, shelter and medicine for tens of millions of people. The conservation of these forests is vital in the fight against climate change. But the area is increasing under threat from rising global demand for resources, corruption and poor law enforcement.

Land-grab: Ugandan farmers sue oil palm project

Michael Simire
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0
Land-grab: Ugandan farmers sue oil palm project

Farmers in Uganda evicted by oil palm plantations last Thursday presented a lawsuit against a joint venture co-owned by oil palm giant Wilmar International. They are claiming restitution for their grabbed land and fair compensation for damages, three years after their land was taken for plantation development.

Oil palm plantation. Photo credit: www.palmplantations.com.au
Oil palm plantation. Photo credit: www.palmplantations.com.au

Friends of the Earth International is backing the communities’ land grab case, filed after three years of dialogue with the government and the company which has failed to bring them justice.

John Muyiisa, one of the plaintiffs, said, “When I lost that land, I did not only lose my livelihood, I also lost my pension and a secured income for my children and grandchildren. I did all I could to get the land back – I even went to the office of the President of Uganda. Now I am looking to the court to provide us with justice.”

Frank Muramuzi, director of the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE)/Friends of the Earth Uganda, said: “Wilmar and the other palm oil companies are aware of the fact that communities have been displaced but have to date not resolved the problems. This project was sold to the residents of Kalangala with promises of employment and a brighter future. But they were not fairly compensated for the loss of their livelihoods, and now without access to land face a daily struggle to get by.”

The land grab occurred on the islands of Kalangala – situated in Lake Victoria, Uganda – in 2011, leaving at least 100 small-scale farmers landless. Displaced smallholders received little compensation, if any.

The flagship oil palm project received initial seed money from the World Bank, which subsequently pulled out. Several governments also provide funding via the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Wilmar International receives money from several European banks and financiers. Friends of the Earth groups in Europe and the US have regularly brought the case to the attention of Wilmar International and their European and US financiers.

Anne van Schaik, accountable finance campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe, conducted a field visit in January 2015 to talk to John Muyiisa and other affected people, as well as to local leaders and government officials in Kalangala. Her experience made it abundantly clear there must be strong regulation to prevent European financiers supporting such damaging projects.

According to her, despite voluntary environmental and social governance commitments from Wilmar International and its financiers, peoples’ rights continue to be violated by their palm oil projects.

Anne van Schaik said: “This case clearly shows that we cannot expect companies and financiers to regulate themselves. We need strong rules for financiers in Europe to stop them from providing financial services to companies like Wilmar.”

John Muyiisa and the other plaintiffs are now waiting for a hearing date in court in Masaka. If the judge sustains their complaint, over 100 farmers will receive compensation and the restitution of their land.

The project is carried out by Oil Palm Uganda Limited (OPUL). OPUL is a subsidiary of Bidco Uganda, which holds 90% of its shares. Bidco Uganda is a joint venture formed between Wilmar International, Josovina Commodities and Bidco Oil Refineries, a Kenya-based company. Wilmar International holds at least 39% of the shares of the joint venture and is providing technical expertise for the project.

Additional financing for the project came from the Ugandan government and the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). IFAD provides loans and grants to approximately 119 national governments.

The court case comes after various attempts by NAPE/Friends of the Earth Uganda to resolve the land conflict by bringing all stakeholders together and initiating a commission to investigate the problems and provide recommendations.

Lekan Fadina: Road to Paris 2015 (4)

Michael Simire
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0
Lekan Fadina: Road to Paris 2015 (4)

The importance of COP 21 in Paris has once again been stressed by the appointment on the 16th January 2015 by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of Janos Pasztor of Hungary as UN Assistant Secretary General on Climate Change.

Prince Lekan Fadina
Prince Lekan Fadina

Mr. Pasztor is to serve as the Senior Adviser of the Secretary-General on Climate Change until the 21st UNFCC Climate Change Summit in Paris in December 2015.

A statement from the UN said: “Mr. Pasztor’s tenure will focus on supporting efforts toward a universal climate agreement in 2015 and mobilising global climate action on the ground including through a coherent United Nations System wide action.”

Mr. Pasztor was a former Acting Executive Director at World Wild Life Fund International. He also has a rich experience within the UN System, having served as the Executive Secretary of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability and, as Director of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team. Mr. Pasztor has also held various senior positions in the UNFCCC.

It is pertinent to mention that this appointment is an important one as it is to facilitate the success of COP 21.

It should be recalled that the UN system especially the Secretary-General has been involved in the process of ensuring that the global world moves on the path of reduction of emission, low carbon economy and achieving global sustainability.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon set up various High Level Committees on Energy, Financing Climate Change and Global Sustainability, among others.

He was in Warsaw – COP 19 to talk about the need for government, business and civil society to get together and address the challenges of climate change. He organised UN Secretary-General’s Head of States and Governments Summit on Climate Change in September 2014 in New York and made sure that the COP 20 in Lima, Peru provided “the not too difficult road” to COP 21 in Paris, France where it is expected that the world leaders will agree to a new path to reduce emission and a global template to ensure that a more disciplined approach to sustainable development is put in place.

There are many meetings before the COP 21 and Mr. Pasztor, as an experienced diplomat and one familiar with the UN system-wide activities, will use his vast exposure and experience to ensure that the path to a successful meeting and historical signing of the new climate path is achieved. Although the UN sectional meeting on climate change in Geneva early February closed on an optimistic manner, it is clear that a lot of political work still lie ahead. The climate diplomacy efforts to cross the T’s and dot the I’s will surely be one of Mr. Pasztor’s important roles.

We wish him well while all nations including Nigeria must start the process of studying the draft negotiating text agreed on and distributed in Geneva while waiting for the corrected version from the Secretariat. It is evident that there is a lot to be done and all of us must play our part to support our government through the Nigeria National UNFCCC Designated Point – the Climate Change Department of the Federal Ministry of Environment.

By Prince Lekan Fadina (Executive Director, Centre for Investment, Sustainable Development, Management and Environment (CISME). He is a member of the Nigeria Negotiation Team, Africa Group of Negotiators and member, AGN Finance Co-ordination Committee)

TB drug candidate advanced into clinical testing

Michael Simire
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TB drug candidate advanced into clinical testing

TBA-354 is the first potential tuberculosis drug to advance to Phase 1 trial in six years

A TB patient. Photo credit: frontiersnews.com
A TB patient. Photo credit: frontiersnews.com

The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) has announced the start of the first human trial of a new tuberculosis (TB) drug candidate, designated TBA-354. It is the first new TB drug candidate to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial since 2009.

“There is a critical gap of new compounds for TB,” said Mel Spigelman, MD, President and CEO of TB Alliance. “The advancement of TBA-354 into clinical testing is a major milestone, not only because of the potential it shows for improving TB treatment, but because it is the first new TB drug candidate to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial in six years.”

TBA-354 comes from the nitroimidazole class of chemicals, known for being effective against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis. The class also includes the experimental TB drug pretomanid (formerly PA-824), which is being tested as a component of other novel regimens in multiple clinical trials.

TBA-354 emerged from studies designed to identify a next generation nitroimidazole for TB. TB Alliance conducted the studies in collaboration with the University of Auckland and University of Illinois, Chicago. Once identified, TB Alliance further advanced TBA-354 through pre-clinical development and is now the sponsor of the Phase 1 study.

In preclinical studies, TBA-354 demonstrated more potent anti-bactericidal and sterilizing activity compared to pretomanid. Recruitment is under way to enroll nearly 50 U.S. volunteers for the randomised, double-blind Phase 1 trial, which will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and dosing of TBA-354.

The World Health Organisation reported that 1.5 million people die each year from TB, and more than nine million were diagnosed with the disease. The lack of short, simple, and effective treatments is a significant obstacle to TB control. However, because there is little economic incentive to develop new tools, there are not enough promising drugs in the pipeline, which could hinder efforts to develop the appropriate treatments needed to combat the TB epidemic.

The TB Alliance is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to finding faster-acting and affordable drug regimens to fight TB. It aims to ensure equitable access to faster, better TB cures that will advance global health and prosperity.

The organisation receives support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, European Commission, Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, Irish Aid, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, UNITAID, United Kingdom Department for International Development, United States Agency for International Development, and the United States Food and Drug Administration. Additional support for the development of TBA-354 was provided by the Lilly TB Drug Discovery Initiative.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria is rated the third highest  (TB) burden country in the world and the number one in the Africa Region.

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