Chairperson of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Dr Soumya Swaminathan, has expressed concerns regarding relationship between climate change and drug resistance.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
Swaminathan, a former Chief Scientist at the World Health Organisation, expressed the concern in an interview when she spoke on the sidelines of the WomenLift Health Global Conference 2024 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
She gave insights into the complex relationship between the two global health issues and called for a multifaceted approach to mitigate their impacts.
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in earth’s atmospheric conditions caused primarily by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, leading to various environmental impacts.
Drug resistance occurs when microorganisms develop the ability to survive drugs that were previously effective, posing challenges in healthcare by causing treatment failures and spread of resistant strains.
Swaminathan highlighted various factors contributing to the rise in drug resistance, particularly in Tuberculosis (TB).
She said that improper prescriptions, self-medication and overuse of antibiotics in healthcare settings were major contributors.
Additionally, she pointed out widespread use of antibiotics in veterinary and agricultural practices leading to environmental contamination and proliferation of resistant bacteria.
On the connection between climate change and antimicrobial resistance, she said that rising temperatures and changing climate patterns could create favourable conditions for the spread of infectious diseases and emergence of drug-resistant strains.
Sheurged adoption of a One Health approach, which recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health in addressing the challenges.
She said that there was an urgent need for coordinated global and national efforts to combat drug resistance and mitigate the impact of climate change on health.
She called for the development of standards and guidelines at both levels to regulate the use of antibiotics, strengthen healthcare systems, and enhance surveillance and response mechanisms for infectious diseases.
The researcher urged sustained investment in health infrastructure, workforce training, and research to build resilient health systems capable of responding effectively to emerging threats.
She also stressed the importance of domestic financing for health, while advocating for continued international support, particularly for low and middle-income countries facing resource constraints.
The discourse on safety of genetically engineered crops categorised as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is heating up globally, including Nigeria.
An anti-GMO rally in Lagos
Just recently, the Federal Government approved the commercial release and open cultivation of a new maize variety, Tela Maize, a genetically modified maize.
The development of Tela maize was led by researchers at the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, who say it resists armyworm, stem borers and tolerates moderate drought.
At the commercial release of Tela Maize, Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, said the crop was a remarkable step at enhancing agricultural productivity to ensure food sufficiency in Nigeria.
“It exemplifies our commitment to harnessing the power of biotechnology in addressing pressing agricultural challenges, enhancing crop resilience, and improving the livelihood of our farmers and citizens.
“It also strengthens our position in the global agricultural landscape, fostering economic stability and opening new avenues for trade and export,” he said.
Still from a government’s standpoint, Dr Agnes Asagbra, the Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), recently said the pursuit of effective biosafety management and inclusive engagement was paramount.
According to her, the agency recognises the importance of diverse perspectives and expertise in shaping comprehensive solutions to biosafety challenges.
“We have established robust frameworks and enforcement mechanisms to ensure adherence to national and international biosafety regulations and standards,” she said.
Worthy of note here is that Mexico, the birthplace of maize, has banned genetically modified corn which it says is not safe for human consumption and threatens the biodiversity.
Some other countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas have also banned the importation and cultivation of GMOs over safety concerns.
The skeptics of GMOs in Nigeria posit that the science and technology backing transgenic crops is not clear enough.
They express worries on the inherent hazards GMOs pose to biodiversity, food safety, and the health of Nigerians.
More so, they argue that GM crops contain chemicals that could predispose humans to deadly ailments, damage soil health and phase out traditional seeds as both cannot co-exist.
At the forefront of the kick against GMOs, is the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR), a non-governmental organisation.
CEFSAR has consistently urged the Federal Government to be mindful of the acceptance and deployment of genetically engineered crops, categorised as GMOs due to safety concerns.
Prof. Qristtuberg Amua, CEFSAR’s Executive Director, said that Nigeria did not have the requisite laboratory infrastructure to test and verify the safety of the GMOs products in the food industry.
He argued that the regulatory framework had no provision for labeling GMOs which invariably would deny consumers of the right to make knowledgeable decision of what to eat to and what not to eat.
The professor contented that GMOs were laced with chemicals which could lead to extinction of indigenous crops and a dependency on chemical-intensive farming methods.
He said the primary objectives of CEFSAR were to preserve native seed varieties, research sustainable agriculture practices and promote agro-ecological farming systems.
“Others are to support local and indigenous farming communities and educate farmers and stakeholders in the immediate society.
“We first of all begin with all those who consume GMOs in the form of modern crops that are being promoted in this country.
“And also, if you look at the venue of this engagement, it is the Federal Ministry of Justice, and a lot of the intrusion that is coming through GMOs is coming through policies and laws.
“And a lot of these policies pass through clearance from this ministry.
“So, we believe that by initiating this conversation, we are attracting attention into the concerns of GMOs,” he said.
Amua said he was hopeful that the advocacy would gain momentum because important stakeholders would begin to talk about it and draw the attention of the government and consumers to the dangers inherent in pushing for GMOs.
According to the academic, food security has an intricate nexus with national security as a hungry man is angry man.
“We have observed that parts of issues of national security are born out of aggression between individuals or groups.
“But beyond that, a crime is fueled when the larger population is hungry; they don’t get food to eat and that translates to poverty.”
The don said that in the present context, today, it was being said that food was scare in Nigeria, and it was because certain food production areas in the country had been attacked consistently for over a decade.
He said the attacks on food production had displaced people and initiated food scarcity.
“Because they cannot farm, we have food scarcity; so you can see, on one hand, national insecurity produces food insecurity.
“Now, take a reverse of it; because there is national food insecurity now, it is going to perpetrate further our national insecurity, in the sense that you have people taken away from their farms.
“A lot of farmers have been chased into camps.”
He said that CEFSAR’s observations indicated that there had been a lot of misinformation or deception targeted at some people in government—those who were at critical point of driving policy.
According to him, the essence of the campaign is to attract attention and partner with government and in its capacity on education of the citizens on issues concerning GMOs.
“I am a professor, a scientist. I have conducted some of this research myself.
“So, I believe that with me involved in this conversation, the people in government who genuinely have been misinformed or deceived, will pick interest and begin to ask the relevant questions,” he said.
Sharing similar sentiments, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said there was need to stick to agro-ecological methods of food production.
Bassey said that available data showed that 70 per cent of small-scale farmers fed the world through agro-ecological principles and techniques.
“So why do one want to jump into something that produces your food in a system with so many uncertainties? – a system that laces your food with pesticides, chemicals and insecticides.
“We need to ban them; we don’t need GMOs. Nigeria and indeed, Africa, has all it takes to grow food, to produce food that can feed our people and also export to other countries,” he said.
Deserving no less attention, Dr Segun Adebayo, Director, Operations, CEFSAR, argued that GM crops could cause increased pesticide runoff into water sources; thereby posing a huge danger to the soil, human health and the environment.
Adebayo said there was a correspondence between the consumption of GMOs and the surge in health issues such as cancer and organ failure, particularly among young persons.
According to him, everybody who eats is a stakeholder in the business of food.
“You are what you eat; you have to be concerned about what you eat; that is the reason we are having this engagement.
“The first step to being healthy is your food,” he said.
Adebayo urged Nigerians to be wary of GMOs and promote the natural food and stressing the imperative of creating a balance of knowledge to equip the public with the opportunity with consumption choices.
As the GMOs controversy rages, critical stakeholders hold that Nigerian scientists should intensify research on transgenic crops rather than depending on foreign research outcomes for what we consume.
By Chijioke Okoronkwo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
The Big Shift Global campaign, a group of 50 organisations across the Global South and North, are calling on the Multilateral Development Banks, the World Bank and its President Ajay Banga to act at the Spring Meetings to shift money out of fossil fuels and into renewables.
Ajay Banga, World Bank President
At the climate talks in December 2023, countries made the decision that fossil fuels need to be phased out. In January, US President Biden paused approvals for pending and future applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from new projects.
According to the group, the World Bank is lagging, continuing to push outdated and dangerous fossil fuel projects.
The group added: “President Banga talks about ending poverty and promoting shared prosperity on a ‘liveable planet’ and yet the bank continues to promote gas as a transition fuel. This is a reputational risk to the World Bank.
“Local communities, especially women, indigenous peoples, and other marginalised groups carry the burden of the negative impacts of fossil gas infrastructures on their livelihoods and environment, as well as the impacts of a rapidly warming planet.”
The Big Shift Global campaign says that the 2024 Spring Meetings must be the moment Multilateral Development Banks like the World Bank quit using public funds for fossil gas.
Sophie Richmond, Global Lead at the Big Shift Campaign, said: “This year the Bretton Woods Institutions turns 80. At 80, the World Bank cannot continue out-dated, business-as-usual practices that are harming people and the planet. Gas is not the future or the answer to energy access. Gas investments are not ‘Paris-aligned’. The bank must shift its finance out of fossils once and for all and into sustainable, renewable energy. The upcoming Spring meetings are the moment for the Bank to demonstrate a real commitment to the Paris Agreement and fossil fuel phase out.
Mark Moreno Pascual, Global Advocacy Lead at Recourse, added: “The ‘bigger and better’ bank framework anchored on the ‘private sector first’ mantra, is misguided and dangerous. Not only is it perilous for people and planet, but it is also a morally bankrupt choice for MDBs. A ‘bigger bank’ should NOT be about getting more money from the private sector, but about how MDBs can provide more grants-based finance for debt-distressed countries. A ‘better bank’ should NOT be about efficient bank operations, but about ensuring that the rights and welfare of communities are protected in the energy transition.”
Dean Bhekumuzi Bhebhe, Campaigner for Don’t Gas Africa, said: “The African continent stands at a crossroads in its development. There are two possible futures that lay ahead for the continent and its people. One where the World Bank continues to pursue and provide public finance for a fossil-fueled development pathway, guided by the extractive industries and colonial powers that have pulled wealth out of the continent for centuries and have failed to bring real sustainable development to the majority of the continent.
“Or a different pathway that prioritises a fossil fuel finance exclusion policy where Africa leapfrogs fossil fuels and toward a thriving economy built around energy sovereignty & independence, energy access and nurturing both the industries of the future and the natural environment. This second path is currently uncharted, but it is a course that can be written by Africans, for Africans – those alive today and those yet to be born.”
Thousands of companies are behind on key steps to tackle plastic pollution in their value chains, according to landmark data released by CDP.
Plastic pollution
The data reveals, for the first time, the extent of companies’ awareness of their contribution to the plastic crisis and presents a strong baseline for accelerating action at the fourth round of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC-4) later this month, where mandatory corporate disclosure is on the table.
Findings show that almost half (42%) of companies took the vital first step of mapping where plastics were produced and used within their value chains in 2023. However, there are significant gaps in corporate understanding and action:
Only 21% of companies were aware of risks associated with their plastic-related activities, however
70% of companies have not yet mapped the impacts of their plastic-related activities on the environment and human health; and
64% have not yet set targets for managing their plastic-related impacts, such as the use of plastic products and waste management practices.
These findings come from the disclosures of nearly 3,000 companies in 2023, spanning all regions and sectors, many of which have significant plastic-related impacts, including food and beverage, retail, and apparel.
These high-impact companies are very likely to face tangible risks as a result, including supply chain disruptions, waste management fees, and regulatory risks, with more than half of G20 countries already having introduced plastic-related legislation.
Encouragingly, of companies not yet taking action, around half plan to map their impacts and set targets within the next two years.
Greater visibility of plastic footprints, gained through consistent corporate data disclosure, will support companies to build strategies reduce their use of plastics and the pollution associated with it. Governments can accelerate this by including mandatory corporate disclosure on plastics in the Global Plastics Treaty being negotiated in Ottawa later this month.
CDP’s Head of Sustainable Business, Nathan Cole, said: “The fact that 3,000 companies disclosed voluntarily on plastics in this pilot year is an incredibly positive first step. Our findings show how much actionable data on plastics is needed. Not just to rapidly boost corporate progress and translate awareness into action, but to assess our global progress toward reducing plastic pollution and its impacts.”
“Governments must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and create the enabling environment companies need by agreeing an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty, with mandatory corporate disclosure as a core element. As plastic use continues to rapidly increase, our time to effectively limit its most dangerous impacts shrinks. We must accelerate action on plastics urgently by making plastics disclosure mandatory.”
CDP’s expansion to plastics disclosure is in partnership The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Minderoo Foundation and WWF.
The Astronomy Society of Nigeria (ASN) has faulted claims that Monday’s Solar Eclipse in parts of America, was also observed in Nigeria.
The full solar eclipse
The President of ASN, Prof. Augustine Ubachukwu, said that the claim was wrong.
“Solar eclipse takes place during the day, unlike the lunar eclipse that occurs at night, the path of the eclipse this year did not pass through the Southern hemisphere.
“By the time the movement was passing through Mexico, US through Canada, we were already at nighttime here, so it wouldn’t have been observed in Nigeria.
“Solar eclipse has to happen during the new moon, during the day,’’ he said.
He added that other parts of the world had always witnessed eclipses, unlike the US that would experience the next one in August 2044.
“In the Southern hemisphere, we may be getting it before then. It is just a question of the alignment of the Sun, the Earth and the Moon,” he said.
Ubachukwu added that being preview to the total solar eclipse event, was a thrilling occurrence that exposed the part of the sun which had been hidden from human beings.
“The temperature of the outermost part of the sun is so hot, but during this type of eclipse, the moon covers it so that one can peep into the sun.
“It helps Astronomers peep into the sun and some energetic particles thrown out from the sun, astronomers get to look into some of these particles and study them,” he said.
He observed that the eclipse which could have taken place for about four minutes, would have recorded a total time phenomenon of two hours, with the moon gradually covering the sun.
The president also said that the exact laws of physics and its predictive nature had made it possible to project events like eclipse and some other natural occurrences.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) earlier studied the trajectory of the eclipse.
NASA said that it moved from Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennysylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
According to the report, the eclipse exited continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
A new UN report on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, says financing challenges are at the heart of the world’s sustainable development crisis – as staggering debt burdens and sky-high borrowing costs prevent developing countries from responding to the confluence of crises they face. Only a massive surge of financing, and a reform of the international financial architecture can rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed
The “2024 Financing for Sustainable Development Report: Financing for Development at a Crossroads (FSDR 2024)” says urgent steps are needed to mobilise financing at scale to close the development financing gap, now estimated at $4.2 trillion annually, up from $2.5 trillion before the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, rising geopolitical tensions, climate disasters and a global cost-of-living crisis have hit billions of people, battering progress on healthcare, education, and other development targets.
“This report is yet another proof of how far we still need to go and how fast we need to act to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” said UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed. “We are truly at a crossroads and time is running out. Leaders must go beyond mere rhetoric and deliver on their promises. Without adequate financing, the 2030 targets cannot be met.”
With only six years remaining to achieve the SDGs, hard-won development gains are being reversed, particularly in the poorest countries. If current trends continue, the UN estimates that almost 600 million people will continue to live in extreme poverty in 2030 and beyond, more than half of them women.
“We’re experiencing a sustainable development crisis, to which inequalities, inflation, debt, conflicts and climate disasters have all contributed,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua. “Resources are needed to address this, and the money is there. Billions of dollars are lost annually from tax avoidance and evasion, and fossil fuel subsidies are in the trillions. Globally, there is no shortage of money; rather, a shortage of will and commitment.”
According to the report, debt burdens and rising borrowing costs are large contributors to the crisis. Estimates are that in the least developed countries debt service will be $40 billion annually between 2023 and 2025, up more than 50 per cent from $26 billion in 2022. Stronger and more frequent climate related disasters account for more than half of the debt upsurge in vulnerable countries.
The poorest countries now spend 12 per cent of their revenues on interest payments – four times more than they spent a decade ago. Roughly 40 per cent of the global population live in countries where governments spend more on interest payments than on education or health.
While investment in SDG sectors had grown steadily in the early 2000s, major sources of development funding are now slowing down. For example, domestic revenue growth has stalled since 2010, especially in LDCs and other low-income countries, in part due to tax evasion and avoidance. Corporate income tax rates are falling, with global average tax rates down from 28.2 per cent in 2000 to 21.1 per cent in 2023, due to globalisation and tax competition.
Meanwhile, Official Development Assistance from OECD countries and climate finance commitments are not being met. While ODA increased to an all-time high in 2022, reaching $211 billion, from $185.9 billion in 2021, much of the growth came from aid to refugees living in donor countries, and the total amount is inadequate for development. Only four countries met the UN aid target of 0.7 per cent of GNI in 2022.
The report concludes that the international financial system, which was set up at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, is no longer fit for purpose. It proposes a new coherent system that is better equipped to respond to crises, scales up investment in the SDGs especially through stronger multilateral development banks, and improves the global safety net for all countries.
“Without global cooperation, targeted financing, and, crucially, the political will, the world will not achieve the SDGs,” said Deputy Secretary-General, Mohammed. “The clock is ticking. Between now and next year’s FfD4 Conference, we have a once-in-80-year opportunity to comprehensively reform the financial architecture, and a last chance to correct course before 2030. History will not be kind to those with the power to act who fail to do so, while the clock winds down on the planet and its people.”
As the world grapples with the urgent need for climate action, the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) is convening a strategy meeting in Nairobi in collaboration with key partners with a focus on aligning African priorities with global climate objectives.
Participants at the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) strategy meeting in Nairobi
The four-day meeting which was opened by the Gender Permanent Secretary, Ms. Ann Wang’ombe, is expected to conclude on Friday, April 12, 2024, with a Common African Position ahead of the SB60 session in Bonn, Germany, in June this year.
The common African position will provide the African negotiators with a strategy and an approach to engage in negotiations on agriculture, adaptation, loss and damage and adaptation finance. The discussions will also focus on health, gender and water as well as biodiversity.
The event has brought together climate experts from 30 African countries ranging from policymakers, negotiators, experts, practitioners, farmer organisations, civil society organisations (CSOs), UNFCCC and gender national focal points, development partners, and international and regional research organisations.
Key objectives:
Reflect on COP28 outcomes, particularly regarding agriculture, adaptation, loss and damage, adaptation finance, gender and climate change, health and climate change, water and climate security, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions.
Prepare a common African position and submission on key agenda items for SB60, including agriculture, adaptation, gender, health, water, and biodiversity.
Inform African negotiators on emerging areas of interest such as the development and alignment of Long-Term Strategies (LTS) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), capacity-building for accessing adaptation finance, and IPCC work.
Ms. Anne Wang’ombe, PS, State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, said: “In Kenya, we have embarked on a National Gender and Climate Change vulnerabilities hotspot mapping exercise, with support from AGNES, to inform targeted actions in sectors such as Water, Energy, and Agriculture. Beyond my department, the Kenyan government has prioritised climate change initiatives, including the promotion of green energy and tree planting initiatives. Our collective representation across various sectors underscores the holistic approach needed to tackle climate challenges, integrating gender perspectives into policies and actions.”
Dr. George Wamukoya, OGW, Team Lead, AGNES: “We stand at a critical juncture in the fight against climate change. The urgency to address the warming planet has never been more palpable. As we convene for the Pre-SB60 AGNES Strategy Meeting, it’s imperative that we unite under a common African position. Together with our esteemed partners and collaborators, we aim to pave the way for meaningful action at the upcoming SB60 session. Our collective efforts, guided by reflection on COP28 outcomes, will shape strategic approaches across crucial themes: agriculture, adaptation, gender equality, health, water security, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions.
“Through dialogue, collaboration, and determination, we endeavor to chart a path towards resilience, sustainability, and equitable development. Let us seize this opportunity to make a tangible difference in the fight against climate change.”
Desta Lakew, Global Partnerships for Africa Lead, AMREF Health Africa: “As we convene in Nairobi for the Pre-SB60 Strategy Meeting, it’s imperative to acknowledge the urgent nexus between climate change and health. AMREF Health Africa stands at the forefront of this critical dialogue, advocating for greater recognition of health considerations within climate negotiations. With rising temperatures exacerbating disease burdens and threatening food security, the time for action is now.
“We urge increased interdisciplinary collaboration, investment in research, and political support to ensure that health remains central to climate discourse. Together, let’s pave the way for a resilient future where the well-being of people and planet go hand in hand.”
Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director, PACJA: “PACJA pledges to leverage its convening power by facilitating broad-based consultations on adaptation issues at SB60 and engaging with negotiation blocks. It also aims to anchor key agendas legislatively through platforms like the Pan African Parliament and ACLI networks, while providing a unified platform for African non-state actors. Additionally, PACJA will co-host Africa Climate Talks with UNECA to amplify messaging and support the Keep Your Promise Campaign for increased adaptation financing.”
African Group of Negotiators (AGN) Interim Chair, Dr. Alick Muvhundika (represented by Natasha Museba, a member of the AGN Policy and Legal Team), said: “Health is identified as one of the targets to be considered in the framing of the GGA that it will be used to assess the impacts of climate. The target is to achieve universal health coverage for climate related health impacts, strengthen climate-resilient health systems and services, and eliminate climate-related mortality and morbidity, by 2030. This is informed by WHO targets as well as SDG targets. Africa in particular is on the frontline of the climate-induced health burden.
“There has been a 63% increase in the number of zoonotic outbreaks in Africa in the decade from 2012-2022 compared to 2001-2011. Zoonotic diseases represent approximately 32% of Africa’s infectious disease outbreaks reported between 2001 and 2022. This could be due to several reasons, including Arica being the world’s fastest-growing population, growing demand for food derived from animals, rising urbanization, and encroachment on the habitats of wildlife.
“Existing and future impacts of Climate Change will substantially challenge global efforts to build healthy populations. Losses to the public health sector as a result of climate impacts include damage to infrastructure due to extreme weather. Facilities and health services themselves will need to adapt or become more resilient, to reduce the health risks to populations and maintain service delivery despite climate-related disruptions.”
In several African countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Gabon, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, and Malawi, bilateral agreements based on Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement have been signed with industrialised countries such as Singapore, Australia, and Sweden. For instance, Ghana has designated the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MEDTI) as the authority to authorise the use of International Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs).
Greenhouse gas increases are leading to a faster rate of global warming. Photo credit: earthtimes.org
Nigeria is not an exception either, and a team of highly skilled individuals is currently developing a blueprint for carbon market activation. The goal of these agreements and blueprints is to encourage the use of carbon markets to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve national targets for sustainable development and climate change mitigation. These initiatives are important steps toward a global shift toward a low-carbon economy and the achievement of the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
In an article published last month, I argued that: “Nigeria relies heavily on oil, which contributes to an uncertain political environment for implementing diverse environmental incentives conducive to voluntary carbon markets.
“The Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas, which will discourage the development of a carbon market. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that the government is reliant on revenues from oil and gas for its budget. This reliance makes it difficult for the government to prioritise environmental protection and sustainable development, which are key components of a carbon market.”
This is just half the truth. There are two types of carbon market; one is the cap-and-trade carbon market which is a form of the compliance carbon market. The cap-and-trade carbon market is a system that regulates greenhouse gas emissions by setting a limit (or “cap”) on the total amount of emissions allowed and then allowing companies to trade “emissions credits” or “allowances” to meet the cap. Companies that reduce their emissions below the cap can sell their extra credits to other companies that need them to comply with the cap.
This system is designed to encourage companies to reduce their emissions by giving them a financial incentive to do so. It has been used to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions in the United States and carbon dioxide in Europe.
In my country Nigeria, this form of carbon market is most likely a fantasy because there is no politico-social, economic and legal incentive or will to move away from fossil fuel. Despite the inadequacies in our non-fossil fuel energy sector, there seem to be no promising efforts towards improving it, but we constantly hear the narrative that fossil fuel is the sustaining ingredient in Nigeria’s economy.
What if the Nigerian government gave the cap-and-trade system a try? That would mean that the government would set emission limits for companies (including oil companies} across the country with strong and independent regulatory bodies to ensure that they adhere to their emission limits. This has the potential to disrupt presently existing business models because it would affect for instance, oil production infrastructures responsible for gas flaring, oil and gas barrels produced. If they intend to maintain or increase production volumes which require exceeding their emission limit, then they will have to pay for carbon credits.
There are other forms of the compliance market strategy like the carbon taxing system in Canada. Carbon taxing may be unfriendly in Nigeria because it would affect fuel prices which would affect small businesses and the government has a track record for corruption and embezzlement of public funds which means the money accumulated from carbon taxing will not be reinvested in clean energy projects.
For the voluntary carbon market also known as over-the-counter carbon market (OTP), there are no legal or regulatory requirement to engage the carbon market; companies are free to purchase carbon credits at their own volition. Given that it is not mandatory, there is little possibility that this would work in Nigeria. Companies in Nigeria (including the government) have little regards for environmental consideration.
Just like Ghana and other African nations, Nigeria can choose to engage developed nations for carbon offsetting but the problem with this is that it can become an avenue for embezzlement and corruption; money generated from carbon offsetting can be used to enrich the pockets of political elites and we should worry about that.
Switzerland is failing to meet its human rights obligations by not taking sufficient action to tackle climate change, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled in a landmark case
Members of Senior Women for Climate Protection react after the court verdict in Strasbourg
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg, France, on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, handed down judgments in three landmark cases, which represented the first climate litigation before the court. Judges rejected the applicants’ arguments in the other two cases, which were brought against France and 33 European countries respectively.
In Tuesday’s Grand Chamber judgment on the Swiss case, the ECtHR held by 16-1 that Switzerland had violated Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life or home) and Article 6 § 1 (access to court) by failing to reduce emissions.
The case was brought by an association called KlimaSeniorinnen (Climate Senior Women) on behalf of more than 2,000 members, who it said were at risk of health problems because of heat waves linked to climate change.
Four individuals were also named as applicants, one of whom died while the proceedings were before the court, but judges ruled that they did not have standing as victims to bring the case, whereas the association did.
Because of the complexity of the case and the margin of appreciation allowed in this area, the ECtHR declined to make specific orders for actions Switzerland must take in response to the judgment, leaving this to the Council of Europe’s committee of ministers to oversee.
The court also awarded €80,000 to the KlimaSeniorinnen for legal costs and expenses.
Indeed, the Swiss association Verein KlimaSeniorinnen and its members, the former mayor of the French town of Grande-Synthe Damien Carême and a group of six young Portuguese aged between 12 and 24 had brought their cases before the ECtHR. The complaints of the KlimaSeniorinnen and Damien Carême were directed against their respective home countries, Switzerland and France.
In the case of the Portuguese youth group, all 27 EU member states as well as the UK, Russia, Turkey, Norway and Switzerland were in the dock. This makes the Portuguese complaint the “largest” climate complaint ever heard worldwide in terms of defendants. Originally, it was also directed against Ukraine. However, in the face of the Russian war of aggression, the young people withdrew their lawsuit against the country.
In all three cases, the plaintiffs invoked their human rights, which they considered to have been violated by the inadequate climate policy of the defendant states. Specifically, they referred to the right to life (Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, ECHR) and the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8 ECHR). The Portuguese group also invoked the prohibition of inhuman treatment (Article 3 ECHR) and the prohibition of discrimination in the application of rights and freedoms (Article 14 ECHR).
According to the prosecution, the states are not doing enough to fulfill their obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement and to limit global warming to below 2°C, or 1.5°C if possible.
In a reaction on the issue, Ottmar Edenhofer, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), said: “With its latest ruling, the European Court of Human Rights has expressed its opinion on the core issue of international climate policy – the question of responsibility. The fact that the court ruled in favour of the Swiss Climate Seniors Association and recognised inadequate climate policy as a violation of human rights is groundbreaking. This ruling should also remind other states of their international obligations: those who set climate targets are responsible for meeting them.
“However, it is also clear that Europe cannot meet the 1.5°C target on its own and that Switzerland does not bear sole responsibility here either. The Paris Climate Agreement sets global targets, but It does not define binding contributions from individual countries. Thus, the entire international community is responsible for combating climate change – and above all the main emitters. Binding mechanisms across national borders are therefore needed to enable cooperation. One successful example is the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which creates monetary incentives for non-European countries to cooperate. This can help to further expand carbon markets and link them internationally.”
On his part, Johan Rockström, also Director at PIK, submitted: “After more than three years of legal proceedings, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a state – in this case Switzerland – is neglecting to act properly on the human caused climate crisis thereby violating their citizens’ human rights. But these rulings are not just about one state: They mark the first time an international court has ruled on climate change, and will have important implications for all politicians and national leaders in particular.
“Heatwaves, droughts, floods and forest fires are already threatening human lives today. As climate change intensifies, these extreme weather events will increase. Future generations will therefore particularly suffer from climate impacts. Governments must take urgent action to reduce emissions and offset hard-to-abate CO2 emissions with negative emissions. The more we exceed the CO2 budget for 1.5°C, the more CO2 will have to be removed through targeted removals. Climate lawsuits can put pressure on governments to increase their climate policy efforts and thus advance diplomatic negotiations.”
Residents of Okun-Ajah community in Lagos State on Monday, April 8, 2024, protested at the State House of Assembly in Alausa over the plan to demolish their properties for the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project.
Protesting residents of Okun-Ajah community in Lagos
The protesting residents, numbering about 100, said their properties had been marked for demolition and urged the government to shelve the plan.
Leading the protesters, Chief Saheed Olukosi urged the government to follow due process in handling the matter by reverting to the original gazetted Right of Way (RoW).
Olukosi said that the community had checked at the Ministry of Physical Planning and had got confirmation that their buildings did not encroach on the RoW of the coastal road alignment.
He said that those who deliberately built on the existing RoW should be the ones having problems.
“We are aware of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s decision to construct Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and series of alignment verification has commenced.
“Okun-Ajah community specifically has preserved the portion of the alignment gazetted in the survey attached to the Certificate of Occupancy prepared and signed by Lagos State Surveyor-General.
“Also, the alignment has been marked by Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development since 2006/2013 respectively.
“At no point or time did we receive any formal communication that the alignment of the coastal road has been shifted from the original alignment being gazetted by the Lagos State Surveyor-General.
“On our part, before we bought the land and erected our properties, which clearly has a global C-of-O dated December 2006 No 69/69/2006AC, we had double-checked from Ministry of Physical Planning that we did not encroach on the Right of Way of the coastal road alignment. So, our properties should not be marked for demolition,” he said.
Another resident, Mr Ridwan Adekunle, said that approaching the alignment from Ahmadu Bello Way to their community, there was a serious deviation from the approved coastal road by the field officers from the Ministry of Physical Planning and the Federal Ministry of Works.
“They had been following the alignment, but when they got to our community they deviated. They had their coastal road clearance, C-of-O, and our land is covered by the global C-of-O,” Adekunle said.
Addressing the protesters, Mr Desmond Elliot, representing Surulere Constituency I, promised that the matter would be looked into at the resumption of plenary.
Elliot assured that the Assembly would call all the parties involved and the issue would be fully addressed.
