The Federal Government is advancing a strategy to actualize net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Hassan Musa, who was represented by the Director Human Resources Management, Lawrence Adigwe, disclosed this during an inaugural speech of a steering committee for the elaboration of Nigeria’s long Term Low Emissions Development Strategy.
Musa said that the committee was inaugurated for the elaboration of Nigeria’s long-term low emissions development strategy to build on the initial long-term vision of 2050.
“During COP26 in Glasgow, President Muhammadu Buhari announced a new long-term commitment of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) 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 realize 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,” he said.
Musa emphasized 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 that the Long term strategies offer many other benefits which include guiding countries to avoid costly investments in high-emissions technologies and 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.
Speaking on the devastating effect of global warming, Musa said that climate change was a reality that has come to stay and has its 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 synergies between the LT-LEDs, and the Energy Transition Plan with the NDC.
He said that the effort would help to ensure buy-in 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”. he said.
Earlier, the Executive Director, 2050 Pathways Platform, Richard Baron, said the platform was created by some countries including Nigeria, to foster Long-terms plans on climate actions.
Baron said that the platform would continue to work with Nigeria 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 considered the decision of the long-term development,” Baron said.
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