The Federal Government is advancing a strategy to actualise net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by 2060.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Hassan Musa, disclosed this during an inaugural speech of a steering committee for elaboration of Nigeria’s long Term Low Emissions Development Strategy.
Musa, represented by the Director, Human Resources Management, Lawrence Adigwe, said the committee was inaugurated to build on the initial long-term vision 2050.
He said: “During COP26 in Glasgow, President Muhammadu Buhari announced a new long-term commitment of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060.
“Towards this end, Mr President signed a new climate bill that creates five-year emission budgets, to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions between 2050 and 2070 into law.
“To realise these initiatives, the Federal Government will now build on the initial long-term vision (LTV 2050), and the subsequent long-term commitment by the President to develop a full Long Term Strategy.”
Musa emphasised that Long-term strategies provide a pathway to a whole-of-society transformation and a vital link between shorter-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and the long-term objectives of the Paris Agreement.
He said the Long term strategies offer many other benefits which include guiding countries to avoid costly investments in high-emissions technologies, supporting just and equitable transitions.
He added that the benefit would also promote technological innovation, planning for new sustainable infrastructure in light of future climate risks, and sending early and predictable signals to investors about envisaged long-term societal changes.
There is however, a growing recognition that affordable, scalable solutions are available now; solutions that will enable us all to leapfrog to cleaner, more resilient societies and economies hence turning the challenges of climate change into opportunities.
Devastating effects
Speaking on the devastating effects of global warming, Musa noted that climate change is a reality that has come to stay, and is having disproportionate negative impacts around the globe.
“It has severally been said that climate change has long gone beyond being perceived as merely an environmental issue but has been scientifically proven and understood as a political, economic and social issue.
“There is however, a growing recognition that affordable, scalable solutions are available now. The solution that will enable us all to leapfrog to cleaner, more resilient societies and economies hence turning the challenges of climate change into opportunities”, he said.
Musa urged the committee to seek efficiency that would ensure synergy between the LT-LEDS, the Energy Transition Plan with the NDC.
He said such efforts would help to ensure buy-ins and ownership by key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) as well as non-governmental stakeholders of the final strategy.
“It is essential, if our long-term strategies will be influential in guiding short, medium, and long-term planning.”
Earlier, the Executive Director, 2050 Pathways Platform, Richard Baron, said the platform was created by some countries including Nigeria, to foster Long-term plans on climate actions and would continue to support the project.
“We see the long-term strategy as one of the major processes, it’s not about the document but about the process the country put in place, to actually start its journey towards its development.
“There has to be a signal from the heads of state or a high level decision that it is important to consider the decision of long-term development,” Baron said. (NAN)
