Climate Change Debacle: What Options for Nigeria?
The summit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark may well rank as the largest global gathering in 2009. But the failure by world leaders to agree on the crucial points of the conference diminished its status, ONYEBUCHI EZIGBO, who covered the event, explores the consequences for Nigeria
This Day | 01.06.2010
The Copenhagen climate change conference will no doubt go down in history as one global gathering that generated so much hope and attention from every corner of the earth but was unable to deliver on any of the key issues at stake. Often hailed as one of the world’s most livable cities, Copenhagen held out hopes of a done-deal on climate change. Nicknamed “a city that engenders hope and goodwill”, the city’s green credentials as an environment-friendly city were a big plus which gave everyone attending the conference something to take home.
Before the summit, the burning issue was how to get every country to tie itself to an agreement that would extract the required commitment from developed countries to help reduce the ravaging impact of a distorted environment resulting from industrial activities. The world was expecting something beyond the limited success recorded by the Kyoto Protocol arranged in Japan, which could not get countries like the United States and China to lay down their differences and embrace the global effort.
Characterised by high-stake intrigues, skewed alliances and horse-trading, the Copenhagen talks failed to bring leading countries of the world to accept a legally binding agreement on how to tackle climate change.
Though World leaders rose from the Copenhagen Conference with a political agreement to cooperate in reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, the deal had no binding instrument to ensure its implementation.
The leaders agreed to promises that would provide short-term funding for emission reduction and adaptation in poorer countries totalling USD10 billion annually in the period beginning from 2010 to 2012. In the long term, rich countries also accepted in principle to raise about USD100 billion annually for adaptation and mitigation efforts in developing countries.
Beyond the numerous intrigues and high-stake manoeuvrings that dogged the entire summit, the climate change meeting failed to reach any concrete agreement, a situation that has left many developing countries, including Nigeria, almost at cross-roads as to what to do to be able to safeguard their environment against the torment of climate change.
Among the most difficult hurdles in the way of the climate change agreement was how to achieve adequate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from big polluters like the United States and China. So too was securing commitments from wealthy countries to deliver what could be hundreds of billions of Dollars in financing to poor countries (poor countries argue they are ill equipped to deal with the environmental problem they contributed next to nothing to create).
The Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey summed up his assessment of the final hour of proceedings at the Copenhagen summit, blaming developed countries for thwarting efforts to seal a climate change deal which will benefit poorer nations.
“From the look of things, it appeared the developed countries that do not want to assent to the commitment period of the Kyoto protocol are trying to come up with a one-track approach whereby all the key elements will be compressed into one single track outcome which will not be beneficial to the developing countries.”
Odey however said the summit had succeeded in setting the stage for a financial mechanism, far beyond what is contained in the Kyoto Protocol.
The Minister believes the issue of climate change has become a global one and having come under the umbrella of the African Union (AU) with a common front to back all four building blocks contained in the Kyoto Protocol, Nigeria has every reason to play along with other countries on shared interests and vision. As well, it is on record that majority of the technical experts leading the African team of negotiators are from Nigeria and the country played a key role in articulating the continent's arguments at the meeting.
According to Odey, even without a legally binding agreement, one clear fact is that the conference has made an impact by bringing along to the negotiating table, other nations which did not sign the Kyoto Protocol agreement. “For instance, America did not sign the agreement but today, America has taken a commitment and has kept on the table a 17 per cent emission cut.”
He said the option left is for us to continue to pile pressure on the developed nations, including America, to try as much as possible to make emission cuts even on a short-term target basis to meet the 45 per cent baseline.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Oyo Maduekwe, who headed the Nigerian delegation in the final week of talks, said the conference has provided enough lessons for the country and its people on how to begin to create awareness on the right steps to take in order to position ourselves against the adverse impacts of climatic change.
Maduekwe saw the lessons of the Copenhagen summit as an opportunity that would not be lost on Nigeria, saying the country would “utilise the solidarity, professionalism and excellence shown by our people which have been acknowledged even beyond African circles, to better our economy back home. As Nigerians, we know how to start and this has never been disputed but what we are lacking is finishing.”
“One of the reasons we are unable to finish well is that we do many of the marathon races for development as if they are sprint. I think we ought to know that we are more in a marathon. So, as we proceed, we should know that the finish line is important and may be more important than the take off. We need to go home and use the experiences gained at the conference to drive the implementation of the federal government's Vision 20:2020 and the 7-Point Agenda.”
Maduekwe said the country fully endorsed the African position and those of G77 and China. He said what is at stake is of such historic proportion that COP15 cannot afford to fall apart into camps since all of humanity share a common future.
“We know who the big polluters are and have not forgotten the old adage that he who pollutes must pay. We believe there is enough blame to go around. No country is without responsibility. Copenhagen represents an opportunity for collective atonement. This is the only approach that can prevent what is a crisis from becoming a catastrophe”, he said.
One good thing though is that the Minister agrees on the enormity of the problem at hand and disclosed that the country is fully aware of the huge responsibility to address the incidence of carbon emissions through gas flaring in the oil sector, adding that much of the gas is associated with oil drilling. Maduekwe said Nigeria is addressing the issue through aggressive implementation of an ambitious gas master plan within the enabling framework of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
"Nigeria stands ready to work with those partners within the public and private sectors that are willing to invest in this promising sector. We have chosen the facilities of the market in dealing with the challenge of climate crisis by putting a price on carbon arising from gas flaring. Such a market approach will shift emphasis away from investment in high carbon content assets and activities in Nigeria to a green economy over time. Indeed, a bill for an Act of National Assembly in 2010 to end gas flaring has undergone third reading", he said.
The Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Senator Annie Okonkwo said the most important aftermath of the Copenhagen conference is that the world is now more aware of what is happening as regards the problem posed by climate change.
He said the issue of climate change has been recognised as a global problem that must be tackled globally. However, in terms of impact and severity, Okonkwo said the situation varies from place to place, just like the capacities to deal with the phenomenon.
“Nigeria currently faces serious challenges in the area of desertification, flooding and erosion which the government is grappling with. The National assembly is very much aware of what the situation is, and had passed a Bill for the establishment of a Climate Change Commission.”
“Our hope is that it would later metamorphose into a full fledged Ministry. We are looking at a scenario where we would have a Minister for Climate Change because we feel there is a lot to do to tackle climate change with regards to funding and capacity development to be able to deal with the challenges we have on ground.”
Most developing countries and other concerned environmentalist groups have described the outcome of the climate deal as far short of expectations. One of such environmentalist groups from Nigeria, the Nigeria Climate Action Network (NigeriaCAN) decried the failure of world leaders to arrive at a binding mechanism to address the negative impact of climate change.
NigeriaCAN said it had campaigned for an ambitious treaty that would reduce carbon emissions to levels that will ease the already existing impacts of climate change on poor countries. Their believe is that such a treaty must be legally binding and fair. But disappointment came their way just like others who shared similar views. The Copenhagen Accord is not ambitious, legally binding or fair to countries like Nigeria that need financial help and technical assistance to deal with climate change.
The Coordinator of NigeriaCAN, Mr. Ewah Eleri, who sounded very passionate about the environmental situation in Nigeria, said the establishment of the National Climate Change Commission Nigeria could however act as a buffer force against the current climate crisis.
“We have lost a third of our land mass to the Sahara Dessert. Gully erosion has sacked many villages in the South East, while rising sea level continues to threaten investments in Lagos. As our economy remains dependent on oil, international policy measures threaten the lifeblood of the Nigerian economy. We must act now”, he said.
According to Eleri, the Copenhagen Accord should be a wake up call for our leaders to do something to strengthen the climate change governance by urgently establishing a National Climate Change Commission.
He stressed that this is the time for the leadership of the National Assembly to show more commitment by promptly harmonising the climate change commission bills that have already been passed and also support and pass the Clean Energy Bill currently under discussion.
NigeriaCAN wants our leaders to urgently develop a comprehensive Climate Change Action Plan for Nigeria. This must come alongside a National Adaptation Plan of Action. We must also build transparency and accountability safeguards in our climate change policy frameworks. Without these measures, Nigeria will not be an attractive destination for funds flowing from the Copenhagen Accord. And the fund is probably the most viable option for Nigeria in the fight against climate change.
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