From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured world leaders attending the ongoing 22nd Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco, that Nigeria will be one of the world’s best examples of how reducing emissions can benefit the environment and economy.
Buhari said Nigeria plans to reduce emissions by 20 per cent by 2030, with the intention of raising the target to 45 per cent. He said all was now set for the launch of a strategic plan for the implementation of the country’s own Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC).
“In Nigeria, we are launching a strategic plan for the implementation of our INDC and we have equally embraced the issuance of green bonds as an innovative means and alternative way of raising climate finance both locally and internationally. We cannot afford to wait until 2020, as we’re already making far reaching changes to all sectors of our economy including through substantially increasing the use of climate smart agriculture; diversification of our energy mix through renewable and efficient gas power; creating a more efficient, cleaner and lower-carbon oil and gas sector especially through a gas to energy programme and initiating the implementation of the clean-up of the Ogoniland in the Niger Delta region,” he said.
President Buhari also stated Nigeria’s ambitious but achievable commitment to “green growth”.
“We have reflected our determination for green growth in my country’s ambitious INDC. We have also announced our plans to reduce emissions by 20 per cent by the year 2030, with the intention of raising this target to 45 per cent, with the support of the international community. This is one of Africa’s most ambitious INDC – covering all emissions from all parts of the economy,” he said.
The President had while signing the Paris agreement at the COP 21 last year committed Nigeria to reducing “Green House Gas Emissions unconditionally by 20 per cent and conditionally by 45 per cent” in line with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently ratified the Paris agreement for onward transmission to the National Assembly.
The Paris Agreement, which came into full force on November 4, 2016 seeks to, among other things, strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. A total of 110 member countries have so far ratified the agreement.