The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and the Ford Foundation will sponsor a delegation of the Nigeria Climate Justice Alliance (NCJA) to the upcoming 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).
The conference will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), between Nov. 30 and Dec. 12, 2023.
This is part of efforts to strengthen the voices of civil society organizations (CSOs) on climate justice in Nigeria.
The Director-General (DG) of the NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, said in a statement that seven members of the Alliance have been selected to attend the COP28.
Onoja recalled that the NCJA was launched in Abuja in July 2023, with the objective of strengthening and raising CSOs’ voices on climate justice in Nigeria through delivering climate actions that benefit the most vulnerable groups in a just and equitable manner.
He said at COP28, members of the Alliance would have the opportunity to meet with world leaders and delegates from around 192 countries that are parties to the Convention as well as hundreds of observation organizations and international governmental organizations.
According to him, COP28 will create an opportunity for their local voices to be heard at a global stage in Dubai where leaders can be held accountable for their national commitments and ask for more ambitious climate commitments.
The DG said that the NCF, as the secretariat of the NCJA, would coordinate, mobilize, support, and provide guidance for the delegation throughout their participation in the conference.
He explained that the NCJA delegation would also attend side events, bilateral meetings, and mentorship meetings while championing climate justice campaigns and ensuring that nature is prioritized in the climate negotiations.
“For some of the beneficiaries, it will be their first COP experience and they will be excited for this life-changing experience.
“This year, COP28 will deliver the final global stock taking (GST) after the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015 to assess the impact of the world’s climate actions.
“This will provide the opportunity to track how the world is keeping global average temperatures within the limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius and the call on world leaders to ramp up ambitious commitment.”
Participants are also eager to see the finalization of the development of the framework of the Loss and Damage Fund, established in Sham El-Sheikh, Egypt,” Onoja said.
He added that as the world anticipates a greater COP28 outcome, it is expected that climate negotiators will adopt multilateralism, unite, and act for a better planet.
