Climate change: Lagos seeks more action than talk as Kyoto Protocol expires 15.02.2011
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With less than a year to the expiration of the Kyoto protocol and the failure of the international communities to agree on a successor to the protocol, the Lagos State government has called for more action than mere talking to conscientiously find sustainable approaches to address the climatic errors.
Governor of the state, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), stated this at the opening session of the three-day third climate change summit organised by the state government in Lagos. He said we must recognise what had been working and what had not.
According to him, several international conferences and meetings have taken place in the last two to three years including the one in Cancun Mexico last December, and it is imperative that governments begin to implement the recommendation packages of those meetings.
The governor said that we need to think globally and act locally as credible indications show that the current predictions on climate change actually underestimate the potential calamity that could befall the world.
He noted that as reported in the media late last year, one-fifth of the world’s plants are at risk of extinction as scientists have admonished. He said many of these plants were victims of habitat loss, characterised by clearing of forests for industries, residential areas and commercial activities.
He said: “What we desperately need as global citizens is to retool our efforts and reinvent our strategies towards achieving the desired result. Ensuring environmental sustainability is a task that should be achieved before 2015 as entrenched in the Millennium Development Goals packages as the seventh goal.
“In my own candid opinion, we seem to talk more than we act. As the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012, it is urgently expedient that we begin to identify our shortcomings, locate our strength and conscientiously find sustainable approaches to addressing climatic errors.”
Fashola said that the state in the last one year had achieved commendable landmarks in line with the resolutions of the summit. He added that the government had intensified efforts on awareness campaign, collaborated with many NGO’s such as the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Human and Environment Development Agency (HEDA), UNIDO, UNDP amongst others to identify potent groups who can help drive the message to the grassroots.
He explained that the motive of the state government leading role in addressing climate change crisis was not far-fetched from its topography that is highly prone to some of the vagaries of climate change especially flooding and coastal erosion.
“Other parts of the nation are equally being ravaged by desertification and flooding which are capable of displacing people thereby increasing the population of Lagos State unprecedentedly. Everyone must pick up the gauntlet and act in respective capacities,” Fashola said.
In what appears to be his valedictory message, Commissioner of the Environment in the state, Dr. Muiz Banire, said experts hinted in the 2009 edition of the summit that the whole of Victoria Island could be submerged by flood in the next 90 years.
According to him, the magnitude of such loss in terms of lives, properties and the overall economy can only be imagined.
“This is why we must act as fast as possible exploring all possible means to stop the rot in the environment. One of such means is advocacy, and that is why we are here today. What we are here to tell one another is not new, it is just that we have been rather passive. It is our responsibilities to effectively and passionately preserve the planetary properties. That is the only way we can protect and preserve biodiversity. The response of this generation to the current errors in the global environment will be judged by posterity. The future generation will not forgive us if we refuse to act,” he said.
The environment Commissioner added that it was no longer news that African countries contribute less to the discharge of Green House gases into the atmosphere, but ironically suffer the most. He said that it was worrisome that African countries lack capacity to respond to climate change disasters. “The ugly and imbalanced scenario justifies Lagos foregrounding in responding to climate change challenge through awareness, while unravelling the best mitigation and adaptation strategies,” he added.
In a goodwill message to the Lagos State government, Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr Asishana Okauru, commended the state government for pioneering the climate change initiative and advocacy, creating a veritable platform of ideas for all stakeholders in the country.
He said that from the Lagos State government’s initiative, the NGFS would be organising an International Climate Change Conference this year, which would attract stakeholders and resource persons from all over the world.
According to him the goal is to develop capacity, stimulate awareness, develop national solutions and foster international collaboration and synergy amongst all players in the climate change arena.
“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, conscious of the significance of this issue and the need to institutionalise the management of climate change, agreed to create a separate agency/department for climate change matters in each state.
“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum secretariat, conscious of the desire to create effective awareness, has decided to host annual climate change competitions amongst the states. The competition evaluation criteria would focus on climate change awareness, waste management, flooding adaption, policy/legal framework, capacity building, storm water management/erosion control, tree planting and desertification control programmes,” he said.
Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Robin Gwynm, noted that Nigeria needs to raise forward-looking leaders that will harness the opportunities in clean development mechanism, renewable or clean energy, climate-related financing, research and development..
“Is there a next generation of policy officials, entrepreneurs and investor out there, that can harness such opportunities and help Nigeria join the transition to the low carbon global economy of the future, while managing its current economic and energy needs,” he said.
The three-day summit with the theme: “Charting a road map for combating climate change in Nigeria”, had in attendance, international speakers, participants, policy makers, climate change experts and other members of the public.
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