|
Contact us: Climate Change Unit, Federal Ministry of Environment
email: |
|
Bangkok Climate Change Talks 2008
Three months after the landmark agreement on a road map towards strengthened international action on climate change reached in Bali, Indonesia, the latest round of negotiations shifted to the neighbouring country of Thailand and its capital, Bangkok. The talks took place between March 31 and April 4, 2008 at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) |
|
The Problem of Deforestation Degradation and Global Warming National Tree planting has become a rallying point for Government’s commendable actions towards reforestation and checking desertification and forest degradation through unsustainable forest exploitation in Nigeria. However, with the implication of global warming linkage to green house gases, there is urgent need to factor in a programmatic activity for sequestration of carbon, through massive offset of carbon footprints, through planting of economic trees, by citizens, corporate organizations and countries. This is in line with the proposal to establish the first ever International Green Hall of Fame (IGHF) and the International Climate Change Center (ICCC) in Nigeria. The programme, which has been endorsed by Mr. President, is hereby presented as a joint programme with the Forestry Department for co-financing/support at the initial stage, but is planned to be self sustaining, as we incorporate the “CARBON OFFSETT” initiative through the IGHF programme. The initiative consists of working in close collaboration with the Ministries of Culture and Tourism, National Parks Service, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) National Orientation Agency (NOA), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Non Governmental Organization, led by African Environmental Action Network(EANet-Africa), Global Tree Planters, the Development Partners, led by Japan International Cooperation Agency under “COOL EARTH PARTNERSHIP”. The initial programme is to be flagged off at the designated site of IGHF, where the United Nations Secretary General will lay the foundation stone, at a ceremony where the entire members of the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, Security Services, Captains of Industries and international Invitees, such as Prince of Wales, King of Sweden, Al Gore, and etc, will all plant their own trees for carbon offset, and will be encouraged to continue to do the same at designated tourism sites all over Nigeria. |
|
MASSIVE TREE PLANTING PROGRAM The National Carbon Footprint Offset Programme is a joint collaborative project of the Special Climate Change Unit and the Department of Forestry in the Federal Ministry of Environment |
|
Recognising Nigeria vulnerabilities and the need to develop adaptation strategies to cope with the impacts, some of the activities of the Unit thus far include the following: Prepared and submitted the Nigeria’s First National Communication under the UNFCCC which requires Parties to update it with information regarding greenhouse gas emission, mitigating options, vulnerability assessments and concrete adaptation measures to the impacts of climate change. Also information on other issues, such as institutional framework for research and systematic observations, scenario development and national efforts at integrating climate change into the Nigeria sustainable development are to form major contents of the National Communication. Executed the Self Assessment Exercise (SAE) Project which identified gaps and further areas of studies in the First National Communication. The main outcome of the SAE was a proposal for the preparation of the Nigeria 2nd National Communication. Prepared and obtained GEF approval of funding for the preparation of the Second National Communication; Participating among 14 Anglo-and Franco phone countries in the Regional Project to enhance capacity for greenhouse gases inventory in West and Central Africa; Signed an MOU with Italian government in the area of climate change with particular reference to CDM implementation in Nigeria; Participating in the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol processes especially in further negotiations towards elaborating issues of implementation within the Convention and the Protocol. Representing Africa on the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (EB-CDM) based in Bonn, Germany. Representing Nigeria on the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE) on National Communications from non annex 1 Parties to the Convention. With the capacity of the Unit strengthened financially and with adequate human resources, the Special Climate Change Unit is to engage in: Annual inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and assessment of mitigation options; Assessment of vulnerability and adaptation to the impacts of climate change; Undertake studies and researches, through consultancies, in the science of climate and climate change. Management of data base for inventory, vulnerability and adaptation assessments; Education and public awareness programme; Development of information sharing systems through establishment of a national climate change website; and implementation of Clean |
|
Development Mechanism; although Nigeria has been a good team player in national and international activities to meets its obligations, there are quite a number of sectors and activities, which are yet to be covered by past and current activities. In addition, a number of barriers have militated against the full implementation of the UNFCCC programmes in Nigeria. Some of these include: Inadequate institutional framework to support the coordination and implementation of national programmes Non availability of an articulate climate change policy. Lack of an articulated national action plan and programmes towards effective response to climate change obligations. Low level of public awareness in respect of the causes and impacts of climate change on ecosystems, human health and welfare and economy. Inability of different stakeholders to integrate climate change issues into national development planning. Poor/inadequate funding of activities towards to implementation of UNFCCC programmes. Poor/inadequate infrastructure for research, data collection and sharing. Low level of human capacity development in many areas of climate change analyses.
RE-POSITIONING STRATEGIES ENVISAGED In order to overcome the barriers listed above and to cater for expansion of activities that will be involved in future implementation of the Convention and its Protocol, some re-positioning strategies have been identified. Some of these include: Strengthening of the existing institutional framework i.e. the Special Climate Change Unit; to ensure effective coordination of climate change activities/programmes. Development of a climate change policy to provide the basis for articulation of national programmes and activities. Provision of sustainable funding through budget allocation; Provision of improved infrastructure for research, data collection and sharing. Improved human capacity development in all areas of climate change analyses. Development of the framework for integration of climate change into national planning and development programmes.
|
Climate Change
That climate change is already happening, is unequivocal and this change can now be firmly attributed to human activity. Warming during the past 100 years was 0.74oC, with most of the warming occurring in the past 50 years. The warming for the next 20 years is projected to be 0.2oC per decade. The world faces an average temperature rise of around 3°C this century if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at their current pace and are allowed to double from their pre-industrial level. Continued greenhouse gas emissions at or above current rates would cause further warming and induce many changes in the global climate system during the 21st century that would very likely be larger than those observed during the 20th century. |
|
Activities of the Special Climate Change Unit |
|
Mr. John Odey was formerly the Federal Minister of Information and Communications is a graduate of the University of Calabar, Nigeria where he has a degree in Finance and Banking. Before his appointment as the Nigerian Minister of Information and Communications, he served as the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party and prior to that he was the Commissioner for Agriculture in the Cross River State. Mr. John Odey worked in several private firms including serving as the pioneer General Manager of a regional Newspaper, the South-South Express. |
|
Mr. John Ogar Odey the Minister for Environment.
|
|
Fact sheet: Copenhagen : Why is a deal so important?
Climate change is one of the most fundamental challenges ever to confront humanity. Its impacts are already showing and will intensify over time if left unchecked. There is overwhelming scientific evidence, as shown in the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), that climate change will threaten economic growth and long-term prosperity, as well as the very survival of the most vulnerable populations. IPCC projections indicate that if emissions continue to rise at their current pace and are allowed to double from their pre-industrial level, the world will face an average temperature rise of around 3°C this century. Serious impacts are associated with this scenario, including sea-level rise, shifts in growing seasons, and an increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as storms, floods and droughts. The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December this year offers a historical opportunity to step up international action on climate change. A Copenhagen deal is essential to the global transition into green economic growth, and, most urgently, to help the world, especially the most vulnerable, adapt to impacts that are now inevitable.
Why must the world act as one?
Dealing decisively with climate change is key to ensuring sustainable development, poverty eradication and for safeguarding economic growth. Science indicates that inaction will be more costly than acting now. Economic development needs to be moved onto a low-emissions and climate-resilient path. Stringent emission reductions are required to keep global temperature increases and corresponding climate change impacts as low as possible. A move towards a low-emissions society clearly requires a reorientation of global economic growth patterns. This necessitates innovative changes in the short and medium-term in technology in all sectors of the economy. Excerpts from UNFCCC documents |