Power Punch The Role of International Corporations in Combating Climate Change in Africa by Doose Iortyom January 30, 2024 Published by Doose Iortyom The global energy market has long been characterized by the commanding influence of developed nations, wielding substantial control over market dynamics, global decisions, and financial injections. This dominance has perpetuated a landscape where the developed countries dictate the trajectory of the energy sector, leaving developing nations, particularly those in Africa, grappling with pressing energy security challenges. This power asymmetry emphasizes the urgent need for international collaboration to address the impending consequences of climate change on these developing economies heavily reliant on oil production. Africa in Focus It is no longer news that oil-rich nations in Africa must manage their economies; however, this growth driven by natural resources must be considered for their environmental and climate impact. These countries have traditionally been dependent on fossil fuels, and their share of greenhouse gas emissions has increased over the years, even though Africa currently emits less than 5% of the global emissions. Diversification of their economies to become sustainable energy sources has emerged as a requirement for long-term resilience as set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. International cooperation can make this transition process easier through knowledge supplies, technological transfer and funding. While there have been several corporations and meetings to facilitate funding, there is still more to be done by the developed countries, especially in their pledge, as the annual pledged climate finance fund for developed countries has never been met since its establishment. During the Nigerian President’s address at the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement in Kampala, Uganda, Ahmed Bola Tinubu emphasized the proactive stance of developing nations in addressing climate-related challenges with courage and ambition. President Tinubu spoke on the importance for developed countries to expeditiously fulfil their commitment to providing $1 trillion in climate finance. This financial support is essential to meet their pledged annual commitment of $100 billion for climate finance to assist developing countries in their sustainable development efforts. Source: OECD (2023), Climate Finance Provided and Mobilised by Developed Countries in 2013-2021. Also, cooperation among nations entails the transfer of knowledge and advancement in research and development. Learning from best practices and developing innovative solutions can help developing countries move faster in dealing with the challenges of energy security and those related to climate change. For example, clean energy technologies can be transferred through collaborative efforts; these include progress in renewable energy, energy storage and energy efficiency. Capacity-building programs can enable local systems to utilize these emerging technologies, developing a long-lasting energy grid. International coordination of policies is crucial for ensuring an enabling environment that supports sustainable development. This entails linking economic growth strategies with climate change mitigation objectives. Coordinated efforts can promote the adoption of green policies and regulations. International cooperation also has an effective positive effect beyond environmentally related concerns when it comes to developing countries, especially in Africa. Focusing on energy security and climate change in an integrated approach allows African countries to undergo transformations in many fields. The relationship between energy security, economic growth and climate change requires international cooperation that will offer practical solutions to meet the challenges of Africa, especially the oil producing countries. Through the utilization of shared resources, knowledge and finances, the world can promote sustainable development and build a resilient world where the fight against climate change is inseparable from the pursuit of economic prosperity for all. January 30, 2024 0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Power Punch COP28: OFF TRACK TO MEET CLIMATE GOALS by Omiesam Ibanibo December 20, 2023 Published by Omiesam Ibanibo The recently concluded Conference of Parties (COP28) was significant for many reasons. One crucial reason is the global stocktake (GST). The global stocktake reveals the collective progress of member states and other stakeholders toward meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. This stocktake informs countries and investors on the world’s climate action trajectory, identifying the gaps and collaborative areas; this is why COP28 was primarily significant. Who oversees the GST? The Conference of the Parties (the CMA) is the governing body overseeing the implementation of the Paris Agreement and comprises representatives of the countries’ signatories. The technical aspect of the work is carried out by two subsidiary bodies (SBs), the SB for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the SB for Implementation (SBI). The former is responsible for the data collation and technical components of the GST, while the latter assists in the final implementation phase. What does the GST reveal? The Paris Agreement designed the GST to start in 2023 and occur every 5 years. The stocktake process takes two years to conclude and comprises data gathering technical and political phases. The respective phases involve the information collection, technical assessment and consideration of outputs at COP sessions, where the implications of the findings are presented to the Parties. Upon the GST conclusion, a two-year process to 2025 would commence, during which countries must update their Nationally Determined Contributions. The stocktake is benchmarked against the below-listed Paris Agreement goals under Article 2: Drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to keep global warming below 2°C and ideally 1.5°C Build resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate impacts Secure finance and support for low-carbon and climate-resilient development. The first GST synthesis report revealed 17 key findings and concluded that nations are off-track to meeting global emissions targets. Some of these findings are: 1. Global emissions are not in line with modelled global mitigation pathways consistent with the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal, and the window to raise ambition is rapidly narrowing. 2. More ambition in action and support is needed to implement domestic mitigation measures and set more ambitious targets in NDCs to realize existing and emerging opportunities across contexts to reduce global GHG emissions. 3. Economic diversification is a crucial strategy to address the impacts of response measures with various options that can applied in different contexts. 4. Capacity-building is foundational to achieving broad-ranging and sustained climate action and requires practical country-led and needs-based cooperation to ensure capacities are enhanced and retained over time at all levels. 5. Making financial flows – international and domestic, public and private – consistent with a pathway toward low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development entails creating opportunities to unlock trillions of dollars and shift investments to climate action across scales. As a result of these findings, the COP28 summit concluded with a signed deal to transition away from oil, gas and coal. What does Nigeria need? These findings are certainly not favourable to Nigeria and developing countries. The Nigerian Energy Transition Plan (ETP) posits gas as its transition fuel, with national leaders such as the director of Nigeria’s National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) expressing his displeasure with the signed deal. The advent of this closed deal to move away from oil, gas, and coal muddles the trajectory of Nigeria’s ETP. Consequently, Nigeria must re-evaluate investment strategies and actively diversify its revenue sources, particularly its foreign exchange earnings, as oil accounts for 95%. Thus, while action is proceeding, much more is needed now on all fronts. The nation’s leaders must advance the political will to implement carbon mitigation and abatement strategies and ease global warming. December 20, 2023 0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Power Punch Actions Towards a Healthier Planet by Doose Iortyom May 8, 2023 Published by Doose Iortyom Newton’s third law of motion states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” The actions of humans have ridiculed and diminished the planet over centuries. The consequences now affect us, evident through the deteriorating climate and other biological processes. Therefore, there is an urgency to shed more light on actions towards a healthier planet. Scientists worldwide on the intergovernmental panel on climate change have shared that climate models predict the Earth’s global average temperature will rise an additional 4° C (7.2° F) during the 21st Century if greenhouse gas levels continue to rise at present levels. In tackling climate change, several governments have come together under the Paris Agreement to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). In addition, the United Nations has also called for climate action through its sustainable development goal Thirteen (13). Despite these efforts, the task is to turn these commitments into real and meaningful action, and achieving this will require the participation of every citizen. This is because our lifestyles have a profound impact on our planet. Statistics have shown that household consumption accounts for around two-thirds of global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions which occur through the energy sources we use, the food we eat, the items we buy, our transportation choices, and our waste management methods, amongst others. Hence, we must seek ways to contribute to a healthier planet. The ways to reduce our carbon footprint are feasible but not immediate; however, they add up and make a significant impact in time. For example, reducing car dependency through cycling and walking contributes to reducing GHG emissions in the air. Likewise, opting for public transportation also contributes to plummeting the number of vehicles on the road and reducing the gases emitted and, consequently, air pollution. Planting trees to augment the high deforestation rate due to furniture, charcoal, and paper production is also a much-needed action in the fight against the planet’s depletion. Another way to contribute to a healthier planet is through proper waste management. Irresponsible waste management results in litter and affects our environment causing air and sea pollution. Despite waste being an inevitable byproduct of human life, it can be managed through recycling and reusing waste items that are not recyclable. For instance, plastics like water bottles can be transformed into other useful items, thereby reducing the waste that ends in landfills. Also, minimising energy usage by switching off lights and appliances not used around the home helps preserve energy and reduce footprints. Conversely, opting for cleaner energy sources, like solar, and adopting clean cooking solutions, like liquefied natural gas and biogas, has the potential to reduce emissions. Unfortunately, very few people in Nigeria know about climate change, its effects, and how they, as citizens, can contribute to reducing global carbon footprints. According to Statista, as of 2020, more than six (6) Nigerians out of ten (10) had never heard about climate change. These statistics highlight an awareness gap and a considerable need for everyone to lend their voices to these causes. Speaking up can be done by starting conversations around climate action on social media platforms or by enlightening those within our reach in meaningful climate discussions and actions towards reducing their carbon footprints. Finally, the Nigerian government should prioritise creating more awareness programs on actions towards combating climate change whilst providing enlightenment on those initiatives already in place to catalyse impact and buy-in, as people are better positioned to make sustainable and less harmful environmental choices when informed. May 8, 2023 0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Power Punch The Need for Improved Climate Change Literacy by Aisi Atiti January 13, 2023 Published by Aisi Atiti Globally, climate change has affected individuals, communities and nations in various harmful ways. A result of these numerous effects has been the move towards climate action by world leaders, organisations and development agencies. However, climate change literacy among populations must be considered for this movement to be effectively implemented. For Nigeria to develop and implement policies and initiatives that support global climate action goals, there is a need for improved climate change literacy. According to the United Nations (UN), climate change is the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns that may occur naturally through variations in the solar cycle. However, since the 1800s, anthropogenic activities have significantly contributed to climate change. Some of these activities, primarily burning fossil fuels, lead to releasing greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat and cause global warming, leading to flooding, droughts, famine, etc. The aforementioned effects of climate change are evident in the world today. According to the UN, global surface temperature has increased faster since 1970 than in any other 50-year period in the last 2000 years. In addition, temperatures are expected to rise by as much as 4.4℃ by the end of the century. Although global, the effects of climate change tend to affect the most vulnerable populations more than others. Most of these populations are found in the global south. According to the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), about 80 per cent of the world’s population lives in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, where farming households are disproportionately poor. Hence, situations such as flooding and drought lead to displacements and affect livelihoods and general well-being. Being in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria is not exempt from these climate change effects. However, for the country’s climate action efforts to be successful, there is a need for improved climate change literacy. According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Africa has an average national climate change literacy rate of 37 per cent. This is a significantly low value compared to continents like Europe and North America, where average national climate change literacy rates are estimated to be over 80 per cent. Although, in African countries, more considerable variations exist at sub-national levels, with the average range between the highest and lowest rates being about 33 per cent. In Nigeria, the climate change literacy rate ranges from 5 per cent in Kano to 71 per cent in Kwara. Also, climate change literacy in the country is determined by factors such as education and poverty. Gender, which is a major determinant of who gets access to education in some parts of the country, plays a huge role in climate change awareness. In Africa, at the country level, it is estimated that climate change literacy rates are 12.8 per cent lower for women than men. There is a considerable need for improved climate change literacy in Nigeria, especially as the country aims to meet its decarbonisation goals and implement its Energy Transition Plan (ETP). In addition, climate change literacy will help boost education, urbanisation, gender equality and sustainable economic development. Furthermore, improved climate change awareness will help the country contribute its quota to global climate action efforts while helping low-income communities and marginalised groups become less vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Enlightenment is the bedrock of any global action. As such, efforts towards climate action by any country should not be restricted to the development of initiatives without the populace’s basic understanding of why these policies should be implemented. With the global community, especially vulnerable populations, currently experiencing the effects of climate change, individuals must understand how climate action can help through improved climate change literacy. January 13, 2023 0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Power Punch Building Resilience to the Impacts of Climate Change by Doose Iortyom December 2, 2022 Published by Doose Iortyom Climate change is a harmful environmental phenomenon that is causing enormous concern across the world. These concerns are backed by the evident rise in temperatures and sea levels, including natural disasters. However anthropogenic activities largely contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which increase global temperatures. This therefore means that the global community needs to find ways of building resilience to the impacts of climate change. The United State Agency for International Development (USAID) defines a greenhouse gas emission as a gas released into the atmosphere that traps heat and contributes to climate change. The main types of GHG emissions are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. According to Our World in Data, 37.12 billion in annual carbon emissions are projected to accelerate in the coming years. The advent of civilization and industrialization led to an increase in activities such as burning fossil fuels for energy, mining and deforestation. These activities, thereby, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. The scientific consensus is that these actions interrupt the carbon cycle and contribute to long-term increases in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, resulting in heat waves, heat strokes, displacement of people resulting from floods, etc. Building resilience to the impacts of climate change implies proactive, sustainable and robust actions taken towards mitigating the risks that this phenomenon poses. Countries like the United States and Sweden have taken steps towards building resilience against climate change. The United States encourages climate action participation among its states through the advancement of the Paris Agreement which commits most of the world’s governments to address climate change. These United States climate action policies include: establishing goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prompting the state of California to set a target to reach carbon neutrality by 2045. Other approaches are signed legislation that ramp up renewable energy and accelerate policies for zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). In 2017, Sweden adopted a new climate policy framework. The framework consists of a climate Act, climate targets and a climate policy council for building resilience towards climate change. Sweden hopes to achieve net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2045. This framework is an effort by the country to comply with the Paris agreement. Sweden also has a Climate Policy Council established as an interdisciplinary expert body tasked with providing independent assessments of national climate targets. The council consists of members with high scientific competence in the fields of climate, climate policy, economics, social and behavioural sciences. Nigeria is not immune to the ravages of climate change. Floods, droughts, and heat waves are among the list of numerous fallouts experienced. More so, climate change impacts the economy negatively and pushes the nation off the track of growth and development; hence, why it is important that the government takes steps to build resilience to the impacts of climate change in the country. Nigeria hopes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060. The government took a step towards achieving this goal by launching the Energy Transition Plan (ETP) in August. However, the nationwide implementation of the ETP could be challenging without a tier-by-tier adoption. That is, the ETP needs to be implemented across federal, state and local governments. Without adequate implementation of the ETP and other frameworks, the country cannot meet its targets. In building resilience to the impacts of climate change, citizens should first be sensitized about the effects of climate change and their role in being a part of the solution. In addition, the government should channel more resources towards research to find decarbonization strategies that align with the country’s resources and projected economic growth. December 2, 2022 0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
