FG to Fast-track Green Energy Devt Policy

The Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, has said that the Federal Government is fast- tracking the implementation of sound policies to promote the development of green energy projects.

This is in a bid to arrest the dangers and threat posed by climate change to the country. Odey, who spoke on the renewed drive by government during a meeting with a delegation of the Green Energy Society of Nigerian (GESON) over the weekend, said as part of efforts to give vent to its renewable energy policy, the ministry had approved the execution of the Global Bio-Fuel Project as a candidate for the UNFCCC Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

He said the project, which will help produce environment-friendly fuel for our automobiles, will, apart from boosting the country’s energy supply capacity, wattract huge resources in carbon credits from the global funds meant to tackle climate change.

The Minister said the policies geared towards reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are two-fold and are focused on adaptation  and mitigation initiatives .
A recent assessment study made public by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) puts Nigeria’s carbon emission to about 100m metric tonnes annually.

Odey  said government is developing some adaptation strategies to address the inevitable outcome of climate change, while mitigation plans were also being adopted to prevent the avoidable havoc it is likely to engender.

 “All vulnerable sectors are being identified and specific adaptation strategies being developed for them. One of such policies is the comprehensive energy reform program to harness our gas resources. We have also set up a national technical committee on Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in order to promote conservation and sustainable management of our Forest” , he said. He told members of GESON that government is counting on useful collaboration with them as well as other private sector groups to
scale up efforts to promote the use of renewable energy in the country. “The administration is therefore proud of the activities of this society.  I want to specially acknowledge that one of the projects being pursued by the Executive Vice President of this society, Otunba Felix Obada, the Global Bio-Fuel Project, which has been approved by the Ministry as a candidate for the UNFCCC Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), is in the process of being registered as one of our CDM projects in Nigeria”, he said .
Odey noted that with such determination exhibited by the society to help  implement  green energy projects, Nigeria will be able to reduce its carbon footprints significantly in the nearest future.

He called on private sector  groups to come and collaborate  with the Federal Government on its policies especially that of the National Afforestation Program which is to ensure sustainable use of our forests. The Vice President of GESON, Otunba Felix Obada while explaining the increasing the danger posed by uncontrolled green house gas emission
into the atmosphere, said Climate Change is affecting 15% - 25% of the eleven states in the Northern part of the country with more than 15
million people already displaced. He also said Climate Change has also shrunk lake Chad to about 15% of its original size, while states in the northern part of Nigeria have
lost 380hectres of farmland to desertification. Providing further details on the carbon emission situation in the country, Obada said 50% of green house gas emitted into the atmosphere
in the country are from gas flaring from our oil production facilities.

According to him, a graphic representation will show that gas flare contributes 40%-50%, Transport sector – 18%, Household generators – 17%, Industrial sector – 15% and deforestation – 8% and others 2%. “This has posed several challenges with significant ecological, social, economic and political impacts on human development. Some of these effects are beginning to have adverse consequences in form of shortage of water, flooding, intensification of wildfires and human security in general”, he said. Obada said the growing need for energy globally has been blamed as one of the key factors that aggravate greenhouse gas emission, adding that this has prompted the campaign for a fundamental shift to renewable or green energy in order to reduce the anthropogenic causes of climate change.

Earlier, Ekiti State Governor. Segun Oni whe led the GESON delegation on the visit said lot of people are scared of the impact Climate Change is having on the lives of the people. He cited the flooding in Pakistan which he said is giving a lot of concern to the people all over the world.

“There is need for the country to get serious on the issue ofrenewable energy which can help in reducing the impact of Climate Change. We must join hands with the rest of the world to combat theimpact of Climate Change, he said.”