Environmentalists have said that if Nigeria was to successfully address climate change and build a structure for sustainable growth, those in charge of planning and implementing the Climate Change Act (CCA 2021) must swing into action and execute some of the law’s most extreme provisions.
A lawmaker, representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Samuel Onuigbo said with the growing global demand for sustainable development, the Climate Change Act must be operationalised for it to help the country manage and secure the environment.
He said, “We would have a solid foundation in terms of achieving sustainable growth if we follow the provisions of the Act, which are nearly all-inclusive, to ensure a sustainable and healthy environment for all.
“Nigeria can achieve its 20 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, as stated in the Nationally Determined Contributions, if the council carefully adheres to the text provided in the law by effectively coordinating its activities and making sure that the Ministries of Environment, Budget, and National Planning cooperate to enact an aggressive carbon regime for the nation.”
In reaction to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warnings, he urged Nigeria to focus on the IPCC report’s chart, which highlights solar, wind, forest conservation, energy efficiency, and methane reduction as key solutions, to boost the country’s confidence in tackling the environmental crisis.
Onuigbo advised Nigeria to ensure that it joins forces with other African nations to negotiate as a single bloc if the country wants to achieve its desired result at this year’s United Nations climate change conference (COP28), which will be held in the United Arab Emirates.
He further asked the country to take lessons from the UAE, whose economy was likewise dependent on fossil fuels but had been able to invest over $100bn in renewable energy as a reaction to the climate controversy.
Meanwhile, an environmentalist, Michael Simire, said it was the first time in history Nigeria was having such a legislation that focused on addressing the climate change phenomenon in the country.
He said, “It is a far-reaching blueprint that demands inputs from numerous sectors towards tackling climate change and ensuring a decarbonised economy and exploring inherent potentials and opportunities in climate change.
