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Women leaders demand global solutions to counter govt climate inaction

Michael Simire
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Women leaders demand global solutions to counter govt climate inaction

On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, women climate leaders at a press conference called for governments to take effective climate action in the face of growing political conservatism and pro-fossil fuel agendas.

Bonn Climate Change Conference
Proceedings at the Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany

The call comes just days before negotiators convene in Bonn, Germany, where Parties will prepare for the annual climate negotiations at COP30 in Brazil. With the window for tackling climate change quickly shrinking, the coming years are said to be crucial in mitigating the crisis through democratic, science-based solutions worldwide.

“In 2025, this year alone, we have seen triple-digit heatwaves from across Brazil, the U.S., Central Asia, and the Gulf Region. This is not just an environmental crisis; it is a justice crisis and a societal crisis, and how we respond and who is centered in that response matters deeply. Study after study shows that women are the most effective climate leaders, building local scalable solutions and defending ecosystems and human rights,” said Osprey Orielle Lake, Founder and Executive Director at the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).

“And yet, that space to lead is shrinking. We can’t separate the failure of governments to act ambitiously on climate from the global rise of authoritarianism, and right now, that is playing out heavily in the United States. When democracy is weakened, climate justice becomes nearly impossible. The same forces suppressing free speech are blocking climate action and silencing frontline communities,” added Lake. 

Speakers, including Canadian Senator Rosa Galvez, addressed top priorities for climate action on the road to COP30 this November, including phasing out fossil fuels, advancing a just transition, ensuring protections for forests and biodiversity, and ensuring gender equity in climate policies and programmes.

“The science is clear: fossil fuel emissions are the main driver of global warming. Continuing reliance on these past energy sources is leading to more violent and frequent extreme weather events. COP30 must be the critical turning point in redefining the future of our planet. The COP in Belem cannot become just another wasted opportunity. The world must walk the roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels, ending deforestation, and scaling up climate finance,” said Rosa Galvez, Canadian Senator.

“This is why I joined a group of parliamentarians for a fossil-free future with special emphasis on ending the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in the Amazon territory. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, capture CO2, protect habitats and biodiversity, and progress reconciliation with Indigenous peoples,” noted Galvez.

“Any woman from the Amazon territories can speak about our experiences, our rights, about what we are doing to protect the forest, and how we are tackling climate change. In the Indigenous world, there are no owners of Nature. When we work in our territories on the ground, we continue to take care of the forest. We see poison falling over us, but we do not give up,” said Watatakalu Yawalapiti (Xingu), Elected leader of the Women’s Movement of the Xingu Indigenous Territory (MMTIX), and Political Organiser for the National Association of Indigenous Women Warriors of Ancestry (ANMIGA), Brazil.

“We are showing that our way of life is the alternative for us to be able to survive on this planet, where we have been struggling so much. We have COP coming, and we will show everything we are doing. We don’t have time to wait for the government, so mobilisation here is really in the Indigenous movements that are mobilizing at COP to show our reality to the world,” added Yawalapiti.

“COP30 will mark 20 years since the Kyoto Protocol came into force and 10 years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement. This is preceded by a year recorded as the warmest globally, which is 2024, and the first calendar year where the average global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees is almost poetic,” said Zukiswa White, Project Specialist and Social Justice Consultant (South Africa).

“What does this mean for us? We already know that those responsible for delaying meaningful action to course correct have run out of time. And what is also true is that the climate crisis-deniers have run out of excuses. Amongst these deniers, we must include those who continue to keep women, feminists, Indigenous, and local community leaders out of spaces where we belong. So, in Bonn, Belem, and beyond, we must amplify calls of feminist advocates, Indigenous leaders, and the majority world at large, and call time of death on hiding behind false solutions and dangerous distractions,” submitted White.

“A natural forest is where I was born and where I work today. Congo is the second-largest rainforest after the Amazon rainforest and the Congo contains 60% of all African forests. It is being said that Congo is the future solution for climate change. Since 2013, we have planted half a million trees in traditional ways. We don’t have cars or machines, but we are planting by hand. Right now, we are calling for justice and democracy. Without justice, there is no work we can accomplish. Climate justice is humanitarian justice,” said Neema Namadamu, Founder and Executive Director of Hero Women Rising, and WECAN Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Carbon emissions: CSOs, communities kick against Brazil oil blocks auction

Michael Simire
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Carbon emissions: CSOs, communities kick against Brazil oil blocks auction

On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) will hold the 5th Cycle of the Permanent Concession Offer, an auction of 172 blocks for oil and gas exploration, including areas in the Equatorial Margin such as the mouth of the Amazon River.

Lula da Silva
Lula da Silva, President of Brazil

Civil society organisations, along with Indigenous Peoples and local traditional communities, denounce this setback and demand the immediate suspension of the auction.

The burning of oil and gas from the offered blocks could release more than 11 billion tCO₂e, according to Instituto ClimaInfo. This is more than the agribusiness sector has emitted over the past six years, and 5% of the total emissions humanity can still produce to keep global warming below 1.5°C. Fossil fuels from the 47 areas in the mouth of the Amazon River alone could emit 4.7 billion tCO₂e if the blocks are explored.

The Amazon Basins at the centre of the debate

In addition to the mouth of the Amazon River, the Amazonian territory is home to six other sedimentary basins: Parecis, Solimões, Amazonas, Parnaíba, Barreirinhas, and Pará-Maranhão. The total estimated potential of oil and gas beneath these basins is nearly 60 billion barrels. If confirmed – and exploited – the burning of these fossil fuels could release around 24 billion tCO₂e. That’s nearly half of all global emissions in 2023 (57 billion tons) or the equivalent of all Brazil’s emissions over the past 11 years.

Although the Brazilian government claims it wants to lead the global climate debate – especially by hosting COP30 in Belém – the statements made by the president of Petrobras, Magda Chambriard, the Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira, and President Lula appear to go against the principles of a just transition. While Lula delivers speeches about the “Blue Amazon” and makes formal climate commitments, his administration continues to push for expanding the fossil fuel frontier in one of the planet’s most sensitive and strategic regions for climate balance, according to observers.

This contradiction not only weakens Brazil’s international credibility but also directly violates the rights of Amazonian Peoples, who have historically protected the forest and the planet’s climate. Pushing for oil exploration in areas of high socio-environmental vulnerability – without free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) and without respecting their right to self-determination – perpetuates a model of climate injustice and energy colonialism.

Recently, more than 60 Indigenous leaders from the Oiapoque region publicly opposed Petrobras’ activities in the mouth of the Amazon River, exposing the lack of FPIC as well as threats to their lives, territories, and the future of the Amazon. Last week, authorities and Indigenous leaders from across the Pan-Amazon region – representing all nine countries – along with Indigenous leaders from all biomes in Brazil, issued a political declaration for COP30. Among other demands, they reiterated the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels.

Toya Manchineri, General Coordinator of the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), said: “We know what the solutions are to the multiple crises we face: the full protection of our territories, which are major carbon sinks. For millennia, we have lived in and cared for the Amazon, safeguarding the balance of the climate and of life itself. This crisis is also one of values and leadership. With COP30 approaching, the Lula government must choose: stand with the peoples of the Amazon or continue investing in oil. The time for contradictions is over. As guardians of the forest, we reaffirm our climate authority: THE ANSWER IS US.”

Carolina Marçal, project coordinator at Instituto ClimaInfo: “We need a global agreement for the phased elimination of fossil fuels. Until that happens, oil companies should not open any more oil and gas wells. And that must start with the Amazon, a critical region for biodiversity and the global climate. We need climate leadership that goes beyond words, and that won’t happen by opening new fronts of exploration in the Amazon.”

Clara Junger, Brazil campaigns coordinator at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative: “It’s unacceptable for the government to keep expanding oil and gas exploration in Brazil while claiming to support an energy transition. The ANP auction on June 17th, with 172 exploration blocks, directly contradicts the climate commitments of the country, which is still the host of COP30.

“The same government promoting the Amazon COP is pushing for exploration of 47 new blocks in the mouth of the Amazon River, threatening traditional communities and the planet. Data shows that only 0.06% of oil revenues go toward the energy transition. We need a global agreement to phase out oil extraction in a fair and just way. In the meantime, the bare minimum is to stop the expansion.”

Ilan Zugman, director of 350.org Latin America and the Caribbean: “There is no leadership without coherence. There is no just energy transition with more oil. We’re talking about billions of tons of additional greenhouse gases at a time when the entire world must stop burning fossil fuels to reverse the damage we’ve already done. Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities have already said no. Science has said no. And civil society is saying no. This auction must be canceled immediately. Brazil cannot become a symbol of global climate hypocrisy – it must be a model of courage, justice, and respect for life.”

Sila Mesquita, national coordinator of Grupo de Trabalho Amazônico: “The Grupo de Trabalho Amazônico rejects the oil and gas auction scheduled for June 17th, which puts 47 blocks in the Amazon up for offer. This auction poses a direct threat to the Amazon, traditional peoples, and the planet’s climate. Instead of investing in clean energy and protecting the forest, the government insists on fossil fuels and destruction. We oppose this model of development. The Amazon is not for sale. It is alive and it will resist.”

Mauricio Guetta, director of law and public policy at Avaaz: “Brazil needs to show its true face: is it a climate champion that protects the Amazon and its peoples, or just another oil baron with pretty environmental rhetoric while pursuing development at any cost? The auction of new oil blocks in the Amazon must be canceled now – this is an environmental issue and a matter of justice for Indigenous Peoples and the forest.”

Lucas Louback, campaign and advocacy manager at Nossas: “Thousands of people are already saying no to oil exploration in the Foz do Amazonas. And the Brazilian government needs to listen. Just a few months away from hosting COP30, continuing to bet on oil is a glaring contradiction. The Amazon is dangerously close to a tipping point, and clinging to this model pushes Brazil and the world closer to climate collapse. The claim that oil will fund the energy transition doesn’t hold up when less than 1% of the sector’s revenue goes toward it. If the government wants to lead on climate, it must make a real commitment.”

Gisela Hurtado, senior Amazonia campaigner at Stand.earth: “Oil exploration has never brought true development to the Amazon. In several countries across the region, such as Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, it has historically violated the rights of Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities, caused irreversible environmental damage, deepening inequality while enriching only a few. Brazil now has the chance to lead by example by suspending the auction and showing the world at COP30 that it is ready for a just, sustainable, and fossil-free future.”

Suely Araújo, public policy coordinator at Observatório do Clima: “Brazil is missing a historic opportunity to lead the world toward decarbonisation and environmental protection. By looking to the past, the government is making clear its decision to significantly ramp up the country’s oil production. In the midst of a climate crisis, it is creating irreparable cracks in its environmental policy, and demonstrating in practice a form of denialism.

“Not denial of climate change itself – that is an undeniable reality – but denial of the seriousness of the current situation. We cannot accept this decision by the Brazilian government. No to oil exploration in the mouth of the Amazon River and other basins of the Brazilian Equatorial Margin! No to increased oil production in the country!”

One-third of forest lost this century unlikely to grow back naturally – Study

Michael Simire
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One-third of forest lost this century unlikely to grow back naturally – Study

One-third (34%) of all global forest lost between 2001 and 2024 is likely permanent – meaning trees in those areas are unlikely to grow back naturally, according to a new analysis by World Resources Institute (WRI) and Google DeepMind.

Deforestation
Deforestation. Photo credit: telegraph.co.uk

The impact is even more severe in tropical primary rainforests, where a staggering 61% of loss is tied to permanent land use change – a major setback for some of the planet’s most vital ecosystems for biodiversity and carbon storage.

Researchers also warn that while the remaining two-thirds of forest loss is typically linked to “temporary” disturbances like logging or wildfire – it can still have lasting consequences. Forests may take decades to recover. And even when they do, they don’t always return to full health.

The findings, made possible by an advanced AI model and satellite imagery and developed by Global Forest Watch, Land & Carbon Lab and Google DeepMind, offer the most detailed local, regional and global view to date of what’s driving forest loss – and what can be done about it.

“We’ve long known where forests are being lost. Now we better understand why,” said Michelle Sims, Research Associate at WRI. “This knowledge is essential to developing smarter actions at the regional, national and even local level – to protect remaining forests and restore degraded ones”.

The new dataset distinguishes drivers likely to cause permanent loss – such as expansion of agriculture, mining, infrastructure and settlements – which accounted for the 34% (177 million hectares) of global tree cover loss since 2001. Permanent agriculture alone made up 95% of that total. In tropical primary rainforests, drivers of permanent land use change drove an even greater share: 61% of loss (50.7 million hectares) – nearly the size of Thailand.

While the remaining two-thirds of forest loss stems from causes typically viewed as temporary – such as logging, wildfires, natural disturbances or shifting cultivation – recovery is not assured. Forest regeneration depends on how the land is managed afterward, the type of forest and the degree of environmental stress it faces.

“Just because trees grow back doesn’t mean forests return to their original state,” said Radost Stanimirova, Research Associate at WRI. “They might store less carbon, have fewer species or be more vulnerable to future damage. And climate change is making many natural events like fires and pest outbreaks more intense and frequent, which makes it harder for forests to recover.”

Drivers of tree cover loss vary around the globe

In tropical areas like Latin America and Southeast Asia, permanent agriculture is the dominant driver, responsible for 73% and 66% of loss, respectively. In temperate and boreal regions such as Russia and North America, wildfires – often triggered by lightning or human activity – and logging are the primary drivers. In Europe, 91% of tree cover loss is due to timber harvesting, much of it within managed forests where regrowth is planned.

Some drivers have an outsized impact in specific regions, even if they’re minor globally – driven by local land use, economic activity and governance. For instance, mining and energy drive less than 1% of global tree cover loss but caused 28% in Peru’s Madre de Dios region. In Colorado, climate-driven bark beetle outbreaks accounted for 27% of tree loss over two decades, even though natural disturbances like pests, storms, and floods make up just 1.4% of global loss. These are just two examples – many more exist around the world, each shaped by distinct local dynamics.

What this means for people, nature and climate

Permanent forest loss has serious and far-reaching consequences: reduced carbon storage, accelerated biodiversity loss and heightened risks to water and food security – all at a time when the planet is already facing a deepening climate and ecological crisis. Even temporary losses can be dangerous; depending on how forests recover, they may still lead to long-term ecosystem degradation and a decline in the critical services forests provide.

What needs to happen now

The new data marks a significant advance for forest policy, addressing a crucial gap in global efforts to halt deforestation by 2030. By pinpointing the underlying causes of forest loss in different places, it enables policymakers, companies and communities around the world to design more targeted, effective solutions to tackle deforestation.

Researchers at WRI outline a set of urgent, evidence-based recommendations tailored to the specific drivers of forest loss. Among other priorities, they call for stronger Indigenous and local land rights, designing policies that reflect local farming and land use realities, improving how forests are managed and monitored and ensuring infrastructure and agricultural expansion are guided by strong environmental planning.

For example, enforcing laws like the EU Deforestation Regulation and supporting smallholder farmers with sustainable alternatives are key to tackling agriculture-driven loss. Meanwhile, reducing wildfire risk demands ecosystem-specific fire management and early warning systems.  

Ambitious NDCs 3.0: Africa’s pathway to sustainable development

Michael Simire
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Ambitious NDCs 3.0: Africa’s pathway to sustainable development

By virtue of the ratification of the Paris Accord on Climate Change, Parties to the agreement are mandated by the provisions of Article 4 paragraph 2, to submit and implement national climate change commitments popularly known as Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs. These NDCs are to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by Parties every five years and must remain progressive and aligned to meeting the Paris goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius. The progressive nature of the NDCs mean that every Party’s succeeding NDCs cannot be lower in ambition to its preceding one.

Nnaemeka Oruh
Nnaemeka Oruh

In line with these stipulations, two cycles of NDCs were due by 2020 (extended to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Many have said that the first NDCs, known as the INDCs (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions), submitted between 2015 to 2016 were largely perfunctory for many developing countries. This extended by some measures to the second iteration of NDCs (NDCs 2.0) with developing countries often engaging consultants to develop them with little or no consultations with stakeholders.

As efforts towards the submission of the third iteration of NDCs (NDCs 3.0) began, several developments are influencing the trajectory of the process. The most important one is the first Global Stocktake which accorded Parties the opportunity to x-ray their commitments, implementation status, and holistically evaluate what has worked, what has not worked, and self-appraise on whether those commitments and their implementations are aligned with the 1.5 degrees mission.

Secondly, the Sixth Synthesis Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released in 2023, and the 2023 Emissions Gap Report re-affirmed that current ambitions are way off-target. Specifically, the Emissions Gap Report showed that implementing the unconditional NDCs and the conditional NDCs will keep the world on track for 2.9°C and 2.5°C respectively – a huge deviation from the Paris goal of 1.5 degrees.

But how does this concern Africa?

Many have off-handedly said that Africa has bigger problems than climate change, and gone on to mention hunger, lack of access to energy, insecurity, “natural disasters”, as more pressing problems facing the continent. A common quip in Nigeria is: “Na climate change we go chop?” Which loosely translates to whether climate change would tackle the hunger in the land. Yet, a careful examination of these “core African problems” reveals an intersection between them and climate change, and more importantly, points to how leveraging climate action can equally address these long-standing problems collectively.

At the risk of being too simplistic, there are ways through which climate action can address the many “core problems” of Africa. For instance, sustainable agricultural practices, one which recognises the changing climate, can largely contribute to addressing food insecurity and hunger. Building her energy access on renewables is an important pathway to erase decades of continued lack of energy access, leveraging on new technologies, bourgeoning investment opportunities on renewables, and natural resources available.

The current spate of disasters in the continent, including flooding, drought, desertification, etc., can be addressed by mainstreaming disaster preparedness into climate and development plans at every level of governance. These actions, which can be built into the next NDCs reflect a critical intersection between robust NDCs 3.0 and Africa’s developmental priorities and needs. This, incidentally was not the case with other iterations of NDCs.

Previous NDCs submitted by African countries have been riddled with several deficiencies. Overall, these deficiencies speak to weak climate governance structures and political will; limited consultation with stakeholders which has led to skewed submissions without the people’s buy-in; lack of implementation finance; insufficient incorporation of adaptation strategies; misalignment with national development agenda, among other issues. Addressing these in NDCs 3.0 will be important.

Indeed, NDCs 3.0 offer an interesting and unique opportunity in Africa’s journey towards sustainable growth while genuinely addressing myriads of problems that are stalling progress. Africa must therefore treat its NDCs 3.0 as not just a climate plan, but a full development plan, a business and investment plan, and a visionary framework towards attaining Africa’s Agenda 2063.

Interestingly, current global financial sector policies favour environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations with the threat of defunding and loss of businesses for companies that do not align with sustainable plans. This must be explored to build an economy which would address the continent’s lingering developmental challenges and position the continent on the path of sustainable growth and development.

It will thus be pertinent that in developing NDCs 3.0, pertinent questions are asked and the following taken into consideration by African countries:

  1. ensure that political ownership of the NDCs is engendered across government – national and local, and across different Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
  2. align the NDCs with the national and local development priorities of the respective countries. This will help ensure that implementation is taken seriously.
  3. decentralise the implementation process across various strata of government, and even the private sector.
  4. structure the NDCs to optimise public finance as a means of unlocking international support and private sector confidence and investments.
  5. back the entire process with strong legal frameworks, policies, and legislative oversight.  

While these recommendations are not exhaustive, they can serve as important guides to action for African countries. This is vital as Africa must approach NDCs 3.0 as its future strategic plan for sustainable development.

As the world gathers in Berlin for the Global NDC Conference, African participants must be vicariously aware of the importance of the next set of NDCs to Africa’s future and thus approach conversations there and at home with the singleness of purpose that this needs and a clear understanding that this could be a historic time for the continent.

By Nnaemeka Oruh, Senior Policy Analyst (Climate Change) at the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP). He is on X (formerly Twitter) as @_Oruhnc

AGN chair emphasises importance of Africa’s unity in global negotiations

Michael Simire
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AGN chair emphasises importance of Africa’s unity in global negotiations

The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) Chair, Dr. Richard Muyungi, has emphasised the importance and power of Africa’s unity in global negotiations.

Dr. Richard Muyungi
African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) Chair, Dr. Richard Muyungi

Speaking at the opening of the AGN Preparatory Plenary Meeting ahead of the 62nd session of the UN Climate Change Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) in Bonn, Germany, Dr. Muyungi said power was a crucial element of climate negotiations.

“Florian Weiler lists three factors that determine power in UNFCCC negotiations: the size of a country’s economy, its international prestige, and levels of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity,” he said.

“When compared to the continent, individual AGN member states score very low on all these factors. Therefore, the AGN concept seeks to overcome this constraint through; providing a coordinated African response; reducing the likelihood of contradictory and competing bargaining positions; and discouraging incentives being offered to individual African states by external powers, which could undermine unity and cohesion. It is thus important that we continue leveraging on this power of unity as Africa,” he added.

Dr. Muyungi further noted that, through power of unity, AGN has been instrumental in representation and coordination by speaking with one voice, allowing the continent to exert more influence in the negotiation process.

“Over the years, the AGN has been pivotal in addressing Africa’s vulnerability and highlighting the importance of climate finance, adaptation, capacity building and overall climate action, by balancing individual country priorities on the one hand and demonstrating cohesion as a negotiating group on the other,” he added.

As a technical arm reporting to the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and ultimately to the Committee of African Heads of state on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), the AGN remains a key instrument for Africa’s participation in climate negotiations and other related processes.

“The second key pillar of the AGN position in the UNFCCC negotiations is the location of adaptation as the principal regional response to climate change. In fact, in the context of the impacts of drought, desertification, floods, and the need for adaptation, Africa was, at one stage, the only region that was explicitly referred to in the UNFCCC documents. The consistency of the AGN in advancing this position has undoubtably contributed to the prominence of adaptation in UNFCCC negotiations.

“This prominence of adaptation is reflected by (1) direct linkages that now exist between climate finance and adaptation, including recognition of the need for equal division of climate finance for adaptation and for mitigation; (2) the implications for adaptation responses owing to the failure in achieving the global mitigation goal, (3) the link between the global temperature goal and adaptation, (4) a shift in the framing of adaptation from a local issue to a global

responsibility, (5) the inclusion of the adaptation component in the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by almost all developing countries, (6) the establishment of the global goal on adaptation by the Paris Agreement; and (7) the inclusion of adaptation in the global stock take of the Paris Agreement,” explained Dr. Muyungi.

Priorities at SB62 session

At the Bonn Climate Talks, the group has prioritised Adaptation, Finance, Just Transition, Mitigation, Clean Cooking and Mission 300.

Clean cooking and energy access are two important initiatives aimed at addressing Africa’s energy poverty and overall contribution to the continent’s sustainable development agenda.

“Africa’s energy poverty is well documented; it is for this reason that our leaders under the auspices of the African Union, endorsed and declared Mission 300 and Clean Cooking initiatives as flagship programmes to transform the continent from its current state of energy poverty. We need to find a way of ensuring this agenda is embraced by all of us.

“As we are aware, our energy poverty impacts several social-economic sectors such as health, agriculture, manufacturing, and even adaptation to climate change impacts. We must therefore not shy away from highlighting and embedding into negotiations, key initiatives that we are undertaking as a continent for sustainable development and in support of global climate action,” highlighted Dr. Muyungi.

Mission 300 is a joint initiative by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030, while the Clean Cooking Project aims to transform the clean cooking sector by enhancing private sector participation and increasing access to affordable clean cooking solutions, particularly in underserved areas.

The two initiatives, spearheaded by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, were in February 2025, endorsed and declared as African union flagship programmes on clean energy access.

“At our Strategic meeting in Zanzibar in April, we resolved to ensure these two important initiatives are embedded in the Just Transition and Mitigation work programmes, as guided by our Heads of State guidance in February,” added the AGN Chair.

In addition, other priorities being discussed include:

  • Finalising Africa’s approach towards the new round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0), ensuring they are ambitious, equitable, and supported by adequate means of implementation;
  • Securing clarity and operationalisation of the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance, building upon AU and CAHOSCC relevant guiding decisions and the “Baku to Belém Roadmap to $1.3 trillion by 2035”;
  • Ensuring decisive progress on adaptation, including the adoption of robust indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation, and tangible progress on National Adaptation Plans;
  • Defending Africa’s equity-centred positions in the evolving global climate governance, particularly in loss and damage, technology transfer, just transition work programmes, and transparency frameworks; and
  • Reaffirming that Africa’s natural wealth presents a transformative opportunity to drive global climate change mitigation while catalysing inclusive, sustainable economic growth across the continent, with particular attention to how Africa’s natural wealth could enable Africa to leapfrog into a low-carbon future while contributing meaningfully to global emissions reductions.

Nigeria can benefit substantially from biodiversity treaty – Alo

Michael Simire
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Nigeria can benefit substantially from biodiversity treaty – Alo

Nigeria stands a great chance to benefit substantially from the ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty formally titled the “Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction” hence its participation in the negotiations since 2002 up until June 16, 2023, before its adoption.

Biodiversity treaty
L-R: Dr. Alexander Akhighe (African Clean-Up Initiative), Emeritus Professor Babajide Alo (Guest Lecturer), Dr. Patience Obatola (Director NIOMR), Dr. Akanbi Williams (Director, IOI-Nigeria), Dr. Taiwo Adewole (National Country Coordinator, Eco-Cyclo Plastics)

Emeritus Prof. Babajide Alo, Nigeria’s lead negotiator for the BBNJ, who made this known while delivering a lecture in Lagos on Wednesday, June 11, during the 2025 World Oceans Day celebrations organised by the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) and International Ocean Institute-Nigeria Centre (IOI-Nigeria), said: “Right now, we are benefiting from our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which is where our most oil and gas reserves are named after. But we do know scientifically that, beyond those areas, there’s even more oil and gas than what we have within our national control. So, if this treaty comes into place, then it gives us access, officially and legally to those areas that are vast.”

In a lecture titled: “Wonders Without Borders: Sustaining the Ocean Through Global Agreements”, the Emeritus Professor noted: “BBNJ Treaty sometimes called the High Seas Treaty in the sense that the oceans cover 70% of the world. And so far, historically, we have control over 220 nautical shorelines. That’s where we can create, equally, as a size for us. But that only covers like 25% of the 70% of the oceans, but right now, the world has dovetailed into considering the remainder portions of the high seas of the oceans.

“The oceans, as we know, is the sustainer of human life. And those areas have been uncontrolled, what we call the high seas. The high seas are those areas beyond national jurisdiction which are those areas within 220 nautical miles of our shoreline. Now, we are now thinking of those vast areas that are beyond our national jurisdiction.

“Not only that, but we also know that those areas are loaded with diverse biological diversity, plants and animals of all types, which right now we cannot have access to. We do not have the technical capacity, but we do not have the legal authority to go in there. Lots and lots of pharmaceuticals, for example, medicaments and all that, come from marine genetic resources from those areas.

“Right now, we do not have access to it. We need to have the capacity to access those areas. Because right now, we don’t have the capacity. We do not have the ships that can get to those areas. We don’t even have the scientific capability to access the marine genetic resources. Once this treaty comes into place, Nigeria and other countries becomes a beneficiary of some of these treaties.”

Prof. Alo, who admitted that currently the BBNJ Treaty is yet to be ratified, is hopeful that it will soon be ratified by the rest of the world and therefore, it will become an instrument which every nation of the world will benefit from.

“The BBNJ Treaty documents just got into place in 2020, Nigeria signed it in 2024. The next step now is to have Nigeria ratify that treaty and, good enough, Nigeria’s leadership has found value in ratifying it, so work has started. Once ratified, we can confirm that both in the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Economy have all started working on getting Nigeria to ratify. We’re even hoping to certainly achieve that before the end of the year,” he submitted.

Dr. Taiwo Adewole, National Country Coordinator of Eco-Cyclo Plastics, who spoke on Plastic Pollution: Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) and Circular Economy, talked about every party being responsible for every plastics that is being produced.

He said: “Producers of such materials must take a role, it’s not the government or the consumer alone, everybody must have a role to play in ensuring that those plastics does not end up in the ocean.”

According to him, “we have about 5 billion bottles being produced annually and, out of these, only 30% has been collected, which means the remaining 70%, if they are not in the ocean, they are blocking the drainage, they are in the dumpsites and landfills. So that is why the extended producer responsibility, making it mandatory for every producer, make sure you cover back those plastic.”

In his goodwill message, Dr. Roland D. Kayanja, the Director, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC-Abuja), while congratulating NIOMR and IOI-Nigeria for setting a day aside to mark the event, said: “As we commemorate Oceans Day 2025, the ocean is facing a crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, which threatens marine ecosystems, economies, human health and communities around the world, there is need for urgent and transformative action to protect and restore ocean health, which is a very important component of our Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

According to him, “the Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 14, which addresses the issue of life underwater to conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. And under that goal, all stakeholders must strive to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution, to manage and protect marine ecosystems, to minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, to regulate fishing and avoid overfishing, to conserve at least 10% the coastal marine area, to implement the international law and enhance sustainable use and conservation of the oceans, and also to increase scientific knowledge and develop research capacity to improve ocean health.”

In her remarks, Dr Antonella Vassallo from IOI-Malta Headquarters, represented by Dr. Patience Obatola, Director NIOMR, stated that the lecture titled “Wonders Without Borders Sustaining the Ocean through Global Agreement” is tied to human-natural biodiversity in shaping the new ocean system with the end-game agreement.

She said the legal binding international agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. As a coastal city, Nigeria must continue to lead and engage in global frameworks that protect the high seas and ensure equitable access to their resources.

“Coincidentally, there is an ongoing United Nations Ocean Conference in Nile, France where many issues related to the ocean are being discussed at the global level” she stressed.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Akanbi Williams, Director, IOI-Nigeria, opined that the 2025 World Ocean’s Day reminds us that the ocean power systems in general are excellent, and it’s not just a source of living and inspiration, but a life support system that sustains us all. From food and livelihoods to climate revolution and biodiversity, the ocean of capabilities is survival, yet it faces mounting threats that demand urgent and united action.

The event is also part of a broader effort to raise awareness of the ongoing National Ocean and United Nations Ocean Conference taking place in Nice-France.

Highpoints of the event was a Cultural Dance Performance from Makoko – a coastal community in Lagos State.

Dignitaries that graced the occasion include Dr Alexander Akhigbe of African Cleanup Initiative, Bolanle Olumekor, Prof. Eugene Ituah, and Dr. Olapoju Oluwabukola, among others.

The 2025 World Ocean Day celebrated with the theme, “Wonders: Sustaining What Sustains Us,” underscores the essential yet fragile relationship between humanity and the ocean. 

By Ajibola Adedoye

Natural Justice empowers female lawyers, students for climate change litigation in Nigeria

Michael Simire
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Natural Justice empowers female lawyers, students for climate change litigation in Nigeria

A pioneering training workshop on climate change litigation with a focus on equipping female lawyers and female law students from public universities to engage in climate justice advocacy held in Lagos on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

Natural Justice
Participants at the Natural Justice training workshop on climate change litigation

Organised by Natural Justice, the session was themed: “Climate Change Litigation in Nigeria: Prepping Female Lawyers for Climate Justice in Nigeria”.

Michael Karikpo, the country manager of Natural Justice, stated that the training aims to build the legal capacity needed to confront entrenched policies, outdated laws, and government inaction that continue to worsen the climate crisis.

He added that the workshop arrives at a critical moment for the global community, which is facing multiple climate related emergencies. 

“Despite the Paris Agreement and various national climate laws and energy transition plans, the pace of implementation in Nigeria has been notably sluggish across all tiers of government.

“Meanwhile, legal action in other jurisdictions has become an important tool for citizens to compel governments, corporations, and individuals to accelerate climate accountability and drive meaningful change.

“However, Nigeria continues to witness a lack of climate focused litigation. Experts attribute this to limited knowledge among legal practitioners about climate litigation, as well as a broader lack of appreciation for the urgency, complexity, and evolving nature of climate-related legal cases.

“This inaugural workshop is designed to address these gaps, with an emphasis on including women due to their heightened vulnerability to climate change impacts and existing gender disparities in the legal field,” Karikpo stated.

Karikpo highlighted the importance of climate change preparedness in Nigeria and the urgent need for legal mechanisms to hold duty bearers, including governments and corporations accountable. 

He stressed that ad hoc charitable responses after disasters are insufficient and called for structured use of available resources to support public awareness, infrastructure development, and environmental protection.

Karikpo also criticised the misuse of public climate funds, such as the Ecological Fund, which he said is often diverted for political or security related expenditures.

He further called attention to the Climate Change Act’s new Climate Change Fund, urging that it be applied directly to adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Additionally, he raised concerns about the judiciary’s readiness to handle environmental cases, citing a lack of judges and lawyers familiar with global climate issues. Nonetheless, he noted that the Supreme Court has affirmed that any citizen concerned about an environmental issue has the right to seek judicial redress.

Sulaimon Arigbabu, the Executive Secretary of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA) Resource Centre, emphasised that Africa bears the least responsibility for global climate change yet suffers some of its worst consequences including drought, desertification, and coastal flooding. He noted that the continent’s weak infrastructure severely limits its ability to recover from climate disasters.

Arigbabu underscored the critical connection between science and climate litigation. He urged lawyers, particularly women, to consult scientific experts and bring them into court as witnesses.

“I mean, it’s not different from lawyers trying to prove that mining, for instance, has affected, has impacted the community, or that what company is doing somewhere has caused water pollution or what have you. What is required is, even if the litigation is about technology, is about AI, first, the lawyers themselves and the communities who are putting the case, we need to understand. And in understanding, they need to learn. And in learning, they need to consult with those who have the knowledge. So that’s why it’s important that first they’re able to know what the realities are.”

He encouraged collaboration with universities and institutions to educate both lawyers and the judiciary on the scientific basis of environmental issues.

According to Arigbabu, Nigerian lawyers must be prepared to demonstrate legal obligations that have been unmet or wrongfully fulfilled in order to establish liability.

Associate Research Professor of Law, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, NIALS, Dr. Izuoma Adindu, stressed the vital role of women in climate advocacy.

She pointed out that although women are disproportionately affected by climate change, they remain underrepresented in Nigeria’s legal profession, which continues to be male dominated. 

“The climate change world in the legal profession is gradually being dominated by men. And while we suffer more, there is need for us to reconsider the areas we have prioritised. There is need for us to prioritise the climate change litigation issue, especially female lawyers that are fully engaged in litigation.”

Dr. Adindu called for increased efforts to build legal capacity among female lawyers and law students, especially in public interest litigation. She also advocated for incorporating global trends and gender-sensitive reforms into Nigerian climate law and policy.

“As female lawyers, there is need to build our capacity in this area. There is need for us to engage in public interest litigation. There is need for us to have a redirection and focus on what is globally trending, especially in other jurisdictions. Check it, women are the ones bringing actions to court on climate change matters.”

“But in this part of the world, especially in Nigeria, we seem not to consider it very important. There is need for us to rise up to the challenge, and the time is now. And what do you think the policies of ethnicism must be put in place to ensure that women will embrace this ideology that you are proposing? The first thing to do is what we are doing here right now, capacity building. Building the capacity of female lawyers.”  

Furthermore, she emphasised the need for a platform such as Natural Justice that allows female lawyers to network, share knowledge, and strengthen their contributions to climate justice.

“While we are aware that a lot of work is being done in that aspect, but we can see that the work is not really on gender focus. There is need for us to focus on gender, as we are doing right here, and we are pushing Nigeria Justice for giving us this platform to interact, to build the capacity of female lawyers in Nigeria.”                    

By Kathy Kyari

AviList unites world’s bird species by providing common language for conservationists

Michael Simire
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AviList unites world’s bird species by providing common language for conservationists

For the first time ever, conservationists have a unified global checklist of the species of bird found on Earth, thanks to the publication of AviList.

Bird species
Bird species

AviList – a brand-new, unified global checklist of bird species and taxonomy – was published on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Containing 11,131 species, 19,879 subspecies, 2,376 genera, 252 families and 46 orders, this new checklist brings together global thinking on what constitutes a species and shakes up our understanding of the avian world.

Dr Stuart Butchart, Chief Scientist at BirdLife International, said: “The development and adoption of a single unified global taxonomic list for birds will benefit conservation, removing the current confusion and uncertainty resulting from the existence of multiple lists. It will make it easier for birders, scientists, policymakers and conservationists to share information, use and link different online platforms, and share a common understanding of avian distribution, ecology and conservation priorities.”

Until now, ornithologists and birders have used a selection of global checklists, each with its own reasoning on what constitutes a specific species of bird. AviList’s unified view has taken four years of work by the Working Group on Avian Checklists, containing representatives from BirdLife International, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the American Ornithologists Society, the International Ornithologists’ Union, and Avibase. The new checklist will replace the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and Clements lists and will be updated annually.

Dr Paul Donald, BirdLife’s representative on AviList, said: “With hundreds of differences between the various checklists to resolve, each of them requiring the team to pull together and consider all the evidence, the process took almost four years. The process allowed us to develop a whole new perspective on the world’s birds, and AviList should become the standard reference on global avian diversity for decades to come.”

With our conservation work around the globe protecting the most vulnerable species and keeping common birds common, BirdLife International will transition from our current list to AviList over the next few years. This ensures we continue helping populations thrive and the IUCN Red List up-to-speed with the very latest status updates. Once fully aligned, the benefits for sustainable taxonomic work, global authority and clarity on conservation priorities are immense – and BirdLife’s DataZone, the IUCN Red List, Cornell Lab’s eBird and Birds of the World will all be directly compatible.

Marshall Iliff, an AviList team member and eBird project leader at the Cornell Lab, said: “In trying to protect birds at a global scale, it is important to ensure that everyone is talking the same language and the data match.”

The launch of AviList has been described as a huge milestone in the world of avian science. The new checklist is published freely at https://www.avilist.org/. and can be downloaded in full for free. It can be downloaded in full or as a “short version” containing just the most essential fields, in both .xlsx and .csv. formats.

Climate activists release report on Africa’s emerging nuclear energy trajectory

Michael Simire
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Climate activists release report on Africa’s emerging nuclear energy trajectory

Twelve civil society organisations from across the African continent as well as Europe and Russia have released a disturbing report on the growing number of African nations considering nuclear energy as part of their overall energy mix.

Nuclear energy
Africa sees nuclear power as answer to its continent-wide electrification challenges

The report, titled “The alarming rise of false climate solutions in Africa – the nuclear energy misadventure”, was released ahead of the Bonn Climate Conference SB62 which commences on June 16 in Germany.

It details the nuclear power plans of Angola, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda, all countries that have made announcements concerning new nuclear power plants. South Africa has the continent’s only operating nuclear power plant, commissioned in 1984 during the apartheid government.

“The alarming rise of false climate solutions in Africa ― the nuclear energy misadventure” was prepared by campaigners as a collective advocacy report with a number of recommendations that reflect the breadth of their shared concerns about the development of nuclear energy across the continent. The groups are unanimous in their demand for a nuclear free Africa, safe from the dangers of nuclear energy and instead building a future powered by clean, affordable solutions.

“The demand for a Just Transition to a post-carbon economy means it must be green, sustainable and socially inclusive. This comprehensive report lays out the case for why the nuclear energy option is not compatible with these demands. It shows how the nuclear energy lobby undermines and obstructs the need for net zero to be achieved by 100% clean sustainable renewable energy,” writes Makoma Lekalakala, Goldman Prize recipient for Africa 2018, in her foreword.

“The alarming rise of false climate solutions in Africa: the nuclear energy misadventure” gives details on the extent of plans and announcements to roll out nuclear power plants across the African continent. It explores the numerous reasons why this is not the answer to the continent’s effort to reduce emissions – the urgency of the climate crisis means nuclear energy is too slow to deliver; it is harmful to human health and the environment; and unlike renewables not suited to solving the present problems of energy poverty.

The report makes the case that the continent is becoming both a potential testing ground and, in particular, a battleground for conflicting geopolitical influences that are also playing out in the field of nuclear technology exports, or rather the prospect of such exports. At the same time, the nuclear energy lobby’s extensive, well-funded and global PR effort, including at UNFCCC climate meetings is also documented in the report.

Instead, the report authors call for an end to plans and announcements to spend billions on building new nuclear power plants. Three quarters of Africa’s climate finance needs are not met and more than half of existing climate finance is in debt instruments. The focus on nuclear energy will severely crowd out already precious and inadequate climate finance for climate mitigation, adaption and renewable energy generation projects.

The climate emergency has thrown a lifeline to the nuclear power industry. This report makes clear that Africa’s energy needs do not require nuclear power. The way forward clearly lies in funding clean, safe renewable energy sources, of which the continent has an abundance.

Philip Jakpor, Executive Director Renevyln Development Initiative (RDI), said: “Nuclear plans are a ‘misadventure’. Nigeria is not ready to host nuclear plants because we don’t have the capacity to manage it. We’ve had longstanding difficulties with oil and gas infrastructure where pipelines are frequently the target of sabotage, theft or terrorism, causing enormous environmental damage in the Niger Delta.

“A nuclear power station would inevitably become a ‘target of terrorists’. Security at a nuclear power station would need to be akin to a “military base” probably protected by another country such as Russia.”

Alberta Kpeleku, Executive Director 360 Human Rights, said: “From environmental disasters to health risks and economic concerns, it’s time for Ghana to reject nuclear power plants. There are far too many risks. Nuclear accidents, radioactive waste, health risks, security threats, nuclear proliferation, terrorism.

“The devastating effects of nuclear accidents do not affect the present generation alone but also generations yet unborn. Alternatives and solutions for nuclear energy include renewable energy sources—solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal—which should be prioritised.“

Phyllis Omido, Kenya, Laureate of the Alternative Nobel Prize, Goldman Prize recipient for Africa 2015, Centre for Justice, Governance and Environmental Action, said: “As part of Kenya’s anti-nuclear movement, we stand in solidarity with the newly born Ghana AntiNuclear Movement led by 360 and SYND. We believe in African solutions to African problems. Nuclear energy translates to energy slavery for African people for generations to come. Renewable energy is freedom for our people and freedom for our planet.”

Sam Mucunguzi, Executive Director Uganda Environment Action Now, said: “Uganda’s energy needs are certainly valid, with half the population not accessing power, the inaccessibility is not caused by lack of generated power as the country has excess power of more than 1000 MW. The government has set a goal of achieving an electricity access rate of more than 99% by 2030 and aims to attain it through nuclear power generation by 2031.

“This is a very ambitious goal and not attainable with a timeframe set for generating nuclear energy estimated to be more than ten years. Besides, the finances for only 1000MW is a quarter of Uganda’s national budget. The highly indebted Uganda must review its plans for Nuclear energy before mortgaging the country to western world and Chinese money financiers. Uganda is currently mining oil and gas amidst many environmental, social and economic disruptions, adding on Nuclear development will be disastrous. We can attain our energy needs via cleaner options like solar, wind and Hydro.”

Francesca de Gasparis, Executive Director, The Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute, said: “Nuclear energy is not needed or wanted as an energy source in Africa. When we compare nuclear power to other energy choices on the table in the 21st century, in terms of all meaningful factors – cost, safety, construction time, and waste – there is no rationale for nuclear power.”

Vladimir Slivyak, Co-Chair, Russian Environmental Group Ecodefense, Laureate of the Alternative Nobel Prize, said: “Nuclear power is expensive, slow, and dangerous. It is vulnerable to both climate change and war. The growing effects of climate change, such as floods, hurricanes, droughts, heatwaves, or storms, pose great risks to nuclear safety. Wars increase the risk of military attacks, as seen at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

“Nuclear power in today’s unstable world creates additional risks of radiation disasters. It also creates the risk of nuclear proliferation, as every civilian nuclear plant produces materials that can be used to make a nuclear explosive device or dirty bomb. Renewable energy is safe and cheap and must be the first choice in Africa, where its potential is enormous.”

Nigeria seeks collaboration for ocean protection

Michael Simire
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0
Nigeria seeks collaboration for ocean protection

The Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and the International Ocean Institute (IOI)-Nigeria have urged global cooperation and local innovation to protect marine ecosystem and promote sustainable ocean governance.

Prof. Abiodun Sule
Executive Director, Nigeria Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Prof. Abiodun Sule

They said this at the event to mark the World Ocean Day with the theme: “Wonders: Sustaining What Sustains Us,” at NIOMR headquarters on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director, Nigeria Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Prof. Abiodun Sule, stressed the need for global cooperation for sustainable ocean.

Represented by the Director of Research, Dr Obatola Parcey, Sule emphasised the essential role of the ocean in supporting life on earth.

According to him, the earth depends completely on the ocean for oxygen production and climate regulation to food security, economic livelihoods, and cultural identity.

“The World Ocean Day is more than a symbolic observance. It is a day for reflection, recommitment, and renewed action to protect the very foundation of our planet’s life systems.

“Nigeria’s dependence on marine and coastal ecosystems for fisheries, transport, tourism, and local livelihoods makes it mandatory for marine conservation to remain a national priority,” he said.

Sule praised the decade-long partnership between NIOMR and the IOI-Nigeria Centre.

He said their collaborative efforts had enhanced ocean literacy, fostered stakeholder engagement, and promoted research-based policy dialogue in Nigeria.

“Together, we have bridged science, policy, and community action in pursuit of sustainable ocean governance,” he added.

The Director, International Ocean Institute, Mr. Akanbi Williams, said the 2025 World Ocean Day celebration highlights the ocean’s vital role and what it has given us as a nation and community.

“We will explore the importance of international cooperation in protecting marine biodiversity, discuss innovative solutions to plastic pollution, and showcase the rich cultural heritage of our coastal communities.

“Let’s work together to safeguard the ocean’s future,” he said.

He called for a stronger international cooperation to protect marine biodiversity and promote sustainable ocean governance.

Also speaking, an environmental expert, Prof. Babajide Alo, in a keynote lecture titled: “Wonders Without Borders: Sustaining the Ocean Through Global Agreements,” examined the role of international treaties, particularly the new Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction.

“This landmark treaty, negotiated under the United Nations, represents a significant step forward in the protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond any single country’s territorial waters and regions that make up nearly half the planet’s surface.

“The agreement aims to close existing legal gaps by establishing mechanisms for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity.

“It includes the regulation of activities such as marine genetic resource exploitation, environmental impact assessments, and the establishment of marine protected areas on the high seas.

“By fostering greater international cooperation, transparency, and equitable benefit-sharing, the agreement is seen as a vital tool in advancing ocean sustainability and ensuring that the global commons are safeguarded for future generations,” he said

Aloa noted that the ocean smelled fresher when he was a child.

“The fish were plenty, and you didn’t need to sail far to see coral gardens dancing under the sun. But times change and not always for the better.

“These days, the sea is tired. We’ve taken too much and given too little. Folks forgot the ocean is not just a big blue pantry. It’s a living, breathing world of its own.

“That’s why it’s so important we treat it right. We have to manage what we take, protect the life beneath the waves, and fish like we mean to come back tomorrow and not strip it bare like there’s no future,” he said.

By Olaitan Idris

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