175 NATIONS SIGN PARIS AGREEMENT, 15 RATIFY TREATY

PC: UNEP
In support of the Paris climate agreement adopted by the United Nations last December, 175 countries have signed the Paris Agreement at a ceremony at UN Headquarters.

The ceremony which held the first day the Paris Agreement was opened for signature, marked the initial step to ensure the agreement enters into force.  The agreement will enter into force 30 days after 55 countries accounting for 55 per cent of global emissions deposit their instruments of ratification.

According to United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, “The world will have met the requirement needed for the Paris Agreement to enter into force if all 175 countries that have signed today take the next step at the national level and join the Agreement.”

Fifteen countries submitted their ratifications during the signing ceremony, including small island developing countries that are on the frontlines of climate impacts.

Several countries announced plans to join the agreement in 2016, including Australia, Argentina, Cameroon, Canada, China, France, Mali, Mexico, Philippines, and the United States.  Other countries, including Brazil, the European Union, and the Russian Federation, pledged to swiftly work to complete the necessary steps for joining the agreement.

“I am very pleased to see so much support and political momentum to move the Agreement forward,” said the Secretary-General. “The spirit of multilateralism is strong” – he added.

The Secretary-General stated that participation by so many countries, and the attendance by 55 world leaders, along with leaders from civil society and the private sector, leave no doubt that the world is determined to take climate action.

French President François Hollande, who hosted the Paris climate conference, said his country would take the lead to set a price on carbon.

There was strong business engagement at the Signature Ceremony, and United Nations Global Compact Executive Director Lise Kingo called on companies around the world to set an internal carbon price at a minimum of $100 per metric ton over time.

“The Paris Agreement sends a clear signal that business and investors must put climate at the heart of decision-making,” said Ms. Kingo. “We believe that setting a $100 internal price on carbon is one of the most effective ways to drive climate deep into corporate strategy and investment. While leading companies have taken steps to price carbon, we need to see an ascent in ambition and price across the board.”

PC: UNEP

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said: “Today is a remarkable, record-breaking day in the history of international cooperation on climate change and a sustainable future for billions of people alive today and those to come.”

Figueres added, “The urgency now is to implement the Paris Agreement’s visionary pathways at a speed and scale that can deliver the next crucial steps; namely a swift peaking of global emissions, a climate neutral world in the second half of the century and the building of resilient countries and communities for every man, woman and child.”

The Paris Agreement marked a watershed moment in taking action on climate change.  After years of negotiation, countries agreed to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius, while pursuing efforts to keep temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.

Even as the agreement was adopted, countries recognised that present pledges to reduce emissions were still insufficient to reach these goals.  The Paris Agreement mandates regular meetings every five years, starting in 2018, to review progress, and to consider whether it is necessary to increase ambition.

ACTION AGAINST DESERTIFICATION IN NIGERIA

The Great Green Wall project office in Nigeria has collaborated with United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to organise a Capacity Assessment Workshop on Action Against Desertification (AAD) in Sokoto state, North west Nigeria.

At the opening ceremony, the Director General, National Agency for Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Mr. Goni Ahmed, said that as a framework of action for rural development, the Great Green Wall programme is important to rural families and is designed to improve the sustainability, integration and adaptability for dryland agricultural practices to enhance crop production, livestock and fisheries, promote commercialization and marketing of agricultural products, enhance accessibility of farmers, pastoralists and other land users to agricultural funds, increase security and accessibility to basic resources by affected people especially women among others.

Mr. Ahmed said the NAGGW approach to the rural development will include provision of opportunities for the grass roots to participate fully in the development programmes and getting the beneficiaries to queue into the development process. He reiterated the Agency’s commitment to sharing and exchange of research based knowledge, local knowledge, values and practices, and mechanism for exchange of and dissemination of technological information.

The DG remarked that FAO has been one of Nigeria’s strong partners on the Great Green Wall projects across Africa, noting that similar workshop was organized a year ago by FAO in Niamey, Republic of Niger on Baseline Assessment and Ongoing Monitoring of Agrosilvopastoral System of which five staff of the Agency participated. He also noted participation of women and the youth at the workshop, adding that women are very good managers of natural resources and the youth, vanguard of positive change.

The DG was represented by Mr. Saminu Ado, Head of Afforestation Programme Coordinating Unit (APCU), Kano state.

The FAO Representative, Dr. Louise Sethwaelo stated that FAO's approach will help overcome hunger and poverty, ensure sustainable management of resources, building resilience of local communities and landscapes across the globe. She said capacity development is at the core of FAO's global mandate, stressing that the Organisation supports member countries to build their capacities for better policy formulation and strategy development, implementation of programmes, monitoring and evaluation, including support to communities to ensure sustainable livelihoods.

The Action Against Desertification (AAD) which is a support project to achieve the objectives of the Great Green Wall for Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) project, is a Pan African Programme launched by African Union, with the aim of addressing land degradation and desertification in the Sahara region, boost food security and support communities to adapt to climate change. Dr. Sethwaelo was represented at the event by FAO’s Assistant Representative, Mr. Rabe I. Mani.

Great Green Wall Initiative as an integrated action related to issues affecting people's livelihoods in the sahara and sahel, has one of its goals to address the menace of degradation and desertification in the region by engaging the rural communities.

The AAD intervention is being implemented in Nigeria to cover two main very populated basins - the Sokoto basin with one site in Basanta/Tangaza community of the state and the Chad basin in Jeke community of Jigawa sate and Maluri community in Bauchi state.

In attendance at the workshop are representatives from NAGGW (Nigeria), FAO (Ethiopia and Rome), FAO (Nigeria), NOA, WIA, BUK, State Ministries of Environment, Water Resources, Animal Resources, Animal Livestock, NAGGW Niger, NGO's and community members from the GGW corridor.

FLOATING GARDENS HELP LIFT BANGLADESHIS OUT OF POVERTY AND STAVE OFF WORST IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE 

UNEP-UNDP partnership is building resilience to climate change in one of the world's most vulnerable countries

PC: UNEP.

With its low elevation and fierce tropical storms, Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change.

Changing rainfall patterns, melting glaciers in the Himalayas, more floods and storms, and rising sea levels all threaten to have devastating impacts on Bangladesh, especially among the poorest communities in the country.

More than 31 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line and depends directly on natural resources for their livelihood. The impacts of climate change are already being felt in some of the country's poorest areas.

Abdul Mazid, who lives in the flood-prone Sunamgonj district of the country, says the region has witnessed a severe drop in fish stocks recently. "Our parents could catch fish in two or three hours, now we need at least three days to get the same amount of fish."

To boost resilience to the damaging effects of climate change, the Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI) - a joint programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – is providing supports to 28 government projects in Bangladesh.

The projects are to help reverse environmental degradation while creating job opportunities for some of the poorest people in the country.

One of the key achievements of PEI in Bangladesh has been the introduction of new government procedures for projects that need public funds to get off the ground.

Thanks to the new requirements, ministries asking for money to fund projects must now state what percentage of poor people will benefit, what impact the project will have on natural resources and how resilient to climate change any new infrastructure will be.

"More projects are coming up that reflect an awareness of climate change impacts on development, as well as environmental sustainability and poverty alleviation," said Ms Nurun Nahar, a planning expert in Bangladesh.

In the flood-prone district of Sunamgonj, the PEI project has helped boost the livelihoods of 100,000 households by increasing fish stocks and improving agricultural management.

Experts from PEI helped to improve the district's water management system, introduce crops that are resistant to climate change and increase the number of floating gardens and fish cages. Environmentally-friendly roads that are resistant to natural disasters while improving access to local markets, education and sanitation have been built. "The forest swamp is a source of food for fish and we can earn a lot of money selling the leaves. Poor people of this area now can get fish," says Abdul Mazid.

UNEP/Kech

UNEP LAUNCHES ENVIRONMENT AND TRADE HUB

Participants: From left: Mark Eddo, moderator; Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya; Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, CEO of ICTSD; Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; Gregory Domingo, Trade Minister of the Philippines; Fred Agah, WTO Deputy Director General. -

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched an Environment and Trade Hub, the initiative which will assist countries to use sustainable trade as a vehicle for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Participants: From left: Mark Eddo, moderator; Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya; Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, CEO of ICTSD; Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; Gregory Domingo, Trade Minister of the Philippines; Fred Agah, WTO Deputy Director General. -  

 UNEP Executive Director Mr. Achim Steiner said, "UNEP is already working directly with many governments and other stakeholders to implement an inclusive green economy in countries across all continents.

According to him, ‘the Hub holds enormous potential to build on this experience and help unlock the true capabilities of developing countries, using trade as a motor for sustainable development and environmental protection, and benefiting every single one of us."

The Hub was formally launched at an event on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi. UNEP co-hosted the plenary session entitled "Trade and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda" with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) at the opening of ICTSD's Trade and Development Symposium.

Trade is a key means of implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable trade can impact positively on goals across the board, in areas such as food security and sustainable agriculture, sustainable management of water and sanitation, access to modern energy, and mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Many countries are unable to make effective use of international markets, gain access to sustainable global value chains to equitably grow their economies, and attract overseas investment to build modern, sustainable industries and contribute to global value chains. African countries, for example, account for less than 2 per cent of international trade.

The Hub aims to enhance the capacity of countries to design and implement trade policies that foster environmental sustainability and human well-being; to assist countries in the realization of trade opportunities arising from a transition to greener economies; to strengthen the sustainability aspects of cross-border trade and investment agreements in negotiations; and to realize a shift of trade practices and trends to more sustainable pathways.

NIGERIA URGED TO PRODUCE AND DEVELOP SUSTAINABLY.

The Federal Ministry of Environment in Nigeria and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation have been in the business of promoting safe and healthy environment for Nigerians through projects and programs evolved to tackle the various environmental challenges witnessed in the country.

Recently the two staunch stakeholders partnered to sensitize Nigerians on Extended Producer Responsibility (CPR) in the Electronic and Manufacturing Industry.

The event which held at The British Residency in Lagos assessed progress on the implementation of CPR in Nigeria.

Participants at the event among other things identified sound and comprehensive National E-waste Management Strategy as key to the elimination of the adverse environmental, social and economic effects of electronic waste in Nigeria. According to them, attention should be channeled towards good and sustainable collection system, strengthening of dismantling facilities, establishment of recycling standards as well as the right financing mechanisms in the handling of e-waste in Nigeria.

The Nigerian government speaking through Theodore Nwaokwe, the Deputy Director and Chemical Waste and Business Management Expert in the Ministry of Environment, said that it had put various initiatives in place to check influx of hazardous chemicals to Nigeria.                               

Theodore Nwaokwe

The Country Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO and Regional Director for West Africa a.i, Dr. David Tommy in his speech, urged Nigeria to device a way of managing electronic wastes as it pursues a safe environment for citizens and other stakeholders operating in its domain.

Dr. Tommy said the importance of producing and developing sustainably by Nigeria lies in the consideration of its enormous population and the waste and pollution generated by the population.

Dr. David Tommy

Ms Beverly Okoye (second right)

Representing the British High Commission at the event, Beverly Okoye affirmed Britain’s commitment to the sustainable development of Nigeria. Miss Okoye said the Commission was particularly interested in the event because it promotes dialogue between governments and industries; the two giant stakeholders in the making of legislations and societal development.

THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY: VERITABLE TOOL TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

Another issue raised at the event, is the incontrovertible role of the media  to aid awareness creation on climate change and environmental issues.

Nkechinyere Itodo was contracted to speak on 'The Role of Media on Environmental Protection'. Among other things presented, Nkechinyere said that the media is expected to inform, educate and even provide entertainment on environmental issues . Of particular interest, she noted is the role that the entertainment industry in conjunction with the media can play in this day and time on awareness-creation of climate change/environmental issues. According to her, primarily the media is expected to design programs that attract viewers of all class and age in an entertainment format that will at the same time, pass the needed information to everyone in the society. However, she said that the media alone cannot attain this without the cooperation of the entertainers themselves.

Nkedhinyere Itodo

Therefore, the entertainment industry in Nigeria should partner with the environment journalists in creating awareness about climate change and its effects on the environment. Omotola Jalade Ekhinde, Genevieve Nnaji, Tuface Idibia, Wiz kid, Davido and other great entertainers in Nigeria, she said should show interest in environmental protection, to enrich environmentally-based reports and documentations of entertainment programmes.

One can imagine what will happen if these prominent artistes begin to include environmentally-inspired lyrics in their songs or scripts! Michael Jackson’s Earth song, she recalls became a rallying point for environmentalists on the global arena, for instance. Everyone related to that song and the message it gave. 

NIGERIA POISED TO FULFILL MULTILATERAL TREATIES ON ENVIRONMENT.

The Nigerian government reaffirmed its commitment to fulfill all her obligations in multilateral environment treaties, especially with regards to climate change.

Following the outcome of the just concluded climate change conference in Paris, the federal government said gas flaring by oil companies operating in the country will be totally eradicated by 2030 and that it has commenced actions to achieve that objective.

The Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, said her team has embarked on nationwide tour to inspect high risk sites in order to ascertain areas where the outcome of the Paris conference can be applied as part of the efforts to address environmental issues as well as mitigate climate change impacts on the Nigerian soil.

>>>>How is climate change or gas flaring affecting lives in your area? Let's hear it!>>>

France partners stakeholders on Climate Change and the experience of Nigeria.

France partners stakeholders on Climate Change and the experience of Nigeria.

Panelists

In an effort to promote awareness on Climate Change, Pollution and Energy issues in Nigeria, French Embassy organized a round table to share media experiences on challenges of reporting climate change issues in the country. Part of the issues discussed include

Ø    Climate change is real and it is happening. Only those with the right information about these changes and their impacts on human lives understand the importance of all the actions provided to check the menace of the climate change. There is therefore the need to create A New paradigm in these Issues - a more vigoruous inter-face between the media and Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria should be entrenched to boost campaign on climate issues.

Panelists

Environment Journalists should explore other media channels separate from the traditional media channels, eg social media to inform and educate Nigerians about climate change. This is because it has been observed that the social media trend is tilted towards politics and social issues (society gossips). Climate change should be promoted on these platforms too.

Audience at the event

The media should highlight climate change-related matters as developmental issues in their reporting and analysis. Just like we have Polio, AIDS, Malaria, etc. Nigeria media organizations and practitioners should have more features, articles and documentaries on climate change commissioned to inform, educate and even entertain the people. Example, beach outings; one can use beach outings to highlight climate change – we can no longer play on the beaches for instance, because of the rise in water levels. What led to the rise? Climate change.  These are what people are doing to fight climate change.