Since the adoption of a global agreement on the reduction of climate change, popularly called ‘Paris Agreement’ at the 21st annual session of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in December 2015 in Paris, France. Negotiators have been struggling with the aim of setting in a motion with a sound framework of rules and operating procedures of the ‘Paris Rulebook’ to meet the December 2018 deadline.
The document of the agreement represented a consensus of the representatives of 196 parties. While the objective was an agreement to set a goal of limiting global warming to ‘well below 2°C’ Celsius compared to pre-industrial level and the reduction of the greenhouse gas emission, among others. The draft presented by the panellists on national climate contributions are called ‘Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)’.
Interestingly for Nigeria, these guidelines are essential to drive a fair and effective procedures that will support all countries towards achieving zero-carbon and climate resilient transformation in the coming decades. But there are concerns on how the country has fared in the implementation of the NDCs, as December 2018 deadline approaches, where parties will finalise the implementation guidelines, which will hold in Katowice, Poland between December 2 and 14.
Findings have shown that Nigeria is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emission by 20 per cent unconditionally and 45 per cent with international support and has developed a Sectoral Action Plan (SAP) for the implementation of the NDCs in the key priority sectors of Energy, Oil and Gas, Agriculture and Land use, Power and Transport.
While presenting a paper on Nigeria’s progress report on climate change goal under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the NDCs, the Minister of Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin, disclosed that the ambition under Climate Change Accord would cost Nigeria an estimated $142 billion, to meet the 2030 target. He said: “NDCs is a binding agreement, which spelt out the actions a country intends to take to address climate change — both in terms of adaptation and mitigation – when it ratifies the Paris Agreement. It is estimated that Nigeria will require around $142 billion, translating to about $10 billion per annum to meet her NDC target by 2030.”
“Having recognised that
climate change presented one of the greatest challenges of the world today. There is a collaboration between Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Finance on how to pull together institutional strategies necessary to achieve what would be Nigeria and Africa’s first sovereign green bond and the world’s third.”
Jibril stressed further that Nigeria was partnering with the Lake Chad basin countries to address the challenges of drying up of the lake, which would have adverse consequences on the people and the ecosystem. Also, efforts are ongoing to fast track the clean-up of the Ogoniland in the Niger Delta region, which has become an environmental threat to the country for years. President Muhammadu Buhari, with this approval, has taken a remarkable step towards achieving the implementation.
Consequently, to ensure that Nigeria get a good bargain, the concerned authority should raise team of negotiators that will study, understand, clarify and streamline available options. Discussions must begin on how to identify compromised options and those which have the potential to win support. Translating the options into legal language that can be used for a COP decision.
Once options have been clarified and streamlined, they will need to be translated into language setting out specific, final, modalities, procedures and guidelines. Once the options have been translated into legal language, they need to be compiled, organised and presented in a manner that best facilitates final negotiations in good faith.
Also, at the just-concluded 2018 Pre-Conference of Parties Dialogue (PRE-COP24) organised by the Centre for Agriculture and Climate Change (CACC) and the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) ahead of the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) in Katowice, Poland.
The event themed: ‘NDCs Implementation by nations: Nigeria’s progress’, was organised to enable stakeholders, private sector and civil society to discuss and understand the position of Nigeria’s ratification and implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
A climate expert, Dr Feyi Oni of the University of Lagos, called for the private sector’s participation with a warning that climate issue is everybody’s business.”
He said: “There should be public orientation and awareness on the dangers of pollution, greenhouse emission and waste disposal system at the grassroots and communities, as well as working on sustainable development and action plans with integrated efforts to activate, implement and monitor compliances in order to meet the set goal and actualise and environmental friendly atmosphere.”
Also, a GCF Africa Observer, Mrs Titi Akosa, maintained that the implementation of the Pre-COP24 is important. She said: “Nigeria should raise negotiators that will bargain and protect her interest at the conference, taking into consideration the Paris Rule Book, which stipulates December 2018 deadline for parties to operationalise the climate accord. We should work towards having the capacity to access the GFC?
“We should establish a “Climate Finance Plan’ that will cater to emergencies as well as encourage pilot projects from communities and individuals that would be presented at the proposed ‘Eco Innovation Fair” aimed at generating support and ideas that will help in tackling climate change in Nigeria.”
Instructively, Nigerians should be conversant with information dissemination, advocacy and waste disposal and present our challenges to the world in a more serious way. We should focus on renewable and sustainable energy, the reduction of carbon pollution, and prepare for the consequences of global warming.
Nigerians must also be educated on the dangers of climate change. The inclusion of the climate change subject into our educational curriculum will also help in raise awareness and build capacity.”
It is hoped that Nigeria will get the necessary attention and favourable bargaining at the conference towards ensuring a better environment.
