NGO Harps On Sustainable Practices To Reduce Carbon Emission

 

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), a Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO), in Lagos on Tuesday, tasked companies and governments to adopt sustainable practices to reduce carbon emissions in the country.

The NCF National Executive Council Chairman, Hon. Justice Bukola Adebiyi, made this known at the 22nd Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture held at Victoria Island, Lagos.

The lecture with the theme Carbon Credit: Opportunities and Pitfalls was organised by NCF in partnership with Chevron Nigeria Ltd.

“It is important that we pause and reflect on how we can individually and collectively commit to and make a positive impact and difference to these numerous and interrelated environmental issues.

“We all can by making responsible choices, and adopting sustainable practices; such as reducing our carbon footprint protecting natural habitats and phasing out the use of single-use plastics.

“All these sustainable practices can be made towards safeguarding the earth for future generations,” she said.

Adebiyi who said that environmental problems were numerous and serious, added that it required urgent attention.

She said that forest cover in Nigeria had reduced from 10 to six per cent within the last three decades.

“Species loss remains on the increase as they lose their natural habitat, loss of biodiversity, Greenhouse Gas emissions; which leads to the trapping of heat and leads to global warming.

“Others are climate change, which causes rising sea levels, extreme weather events, land degradation, freshwater shortage and food insecurity.

“Other human activities that affect the environment are industrialization, air pollution, water contamination and pollution, improper waste management, urbanisation to mention a few,” she said.

While talking about the lecture, Adebisi said that it was made possible year after year by Chevron Nigeria Ltd.

The Guest Lecturer, Mr Kevin Juma, Africa Climate Director, The Nature Conservancy, Nairobi, Kenya, said that Carbon Credit is a certificate given for helping in reducing or avoiding emissions.

“It is a one-time certificate that represents emission reduction and avoidance tradable in a marketplace known as the carbon market.

“The opportunities are massive, there are untapped natural resources in this continent.  Twenty per cent of the world’s forests are formed in Africa.

“We have Savannah land that is carrying most of our resources which has reduced due to urbanisation.

“By compensating or encouraging those who participate in carbon credit, we have the chance to make our fertile land more productive,” he said.

He added that there were lots of opportunities in Africa.

“The market is untapped and there are lots of opportunities. Remember Africans don’t rarely participate in a program like this and there is a need for voluntary participants.

“They need to be aware of the opportunities to tap into the global market. However, we need to develop high-quality projects to achieve untapped opportunities,” he said.

When asked how Nigeria can reduce carbon emissions, Juma said that at first, a national evaluation and an examination of the threat level were required.

“Additionally, NGOs can be very helpful in this issue by helping to restore our natural areas and grasslands while also helping to conserve them.

While delivering his lecture, Juma also said that the world must reach net zero by 2050 or earlier to keep global warming not more than 1.5C as called for in the Paris Agreement.

“Emissions need to be reduced by 45 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050,” he said.

The NCF Director General, Dr Joseph Onoja, while speaking with newsmen on the reduction of carbon emission, said that Nigeria had what we called the nationally determined contribution which was a voluntary decision.

“A decision by every country that signed on to the Paris Agreement and one of the ways Nigeria has signed up to reduce those emissions is to look at different sectors.

“The sector in terms of transportation, manufacturing and as well as agricultural sector.

“In fact, when you look at the agricultural sector, instead of cutting down trees to plant, there is what we call agro-forestry where you have to do it together.

“In terms of the transportation sector, you will look at the introduction of the CNG buses instead of continuously using fossil fuel buses,” he said.

He said that these were the ways Nigeria could easily cut down emissions.

“One of the major ways we citizens can perform our responsibilities is to plant trees.

“Apart from planting trees, we need to nurture these trees and the ones that are standing we need to stop cutting them down because it is very important and that lies in our hands,” he said.

Present at the memorial lecture were top brass in the environmental space.