Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called for more effective engagements in the international community to develop a better understanding of the challenges involved in the attainment of Net Zero emissions.
Net Zero entails the removal of emissions, such as those from aviation or manufacturing.
The vice president said that such engagements were envisaged under The Paris Agreement regarding Climate Change expectations and commitments.
A statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by Laolu Akande, the spokesman of the vice president, quotes Osinbajo as making the call when he received the British Member of Parliament and Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) President-Designate, Mr Alok Sharma, who is on a visit to Nigeria.
“Our concern is what happens to oil and gas emissions like ours (Nigeria) in the transition period” leading to the Net Zero Emissions target.”
He said that Nigeria was already moving towards the conversion of vehicles to cleaner gas – Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and also converting to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking.
The vice president added that under the ongoing Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), the Federal Government would install five million solar systems across the country.
He said such move was in further demonstration of the country’s commitment to renewable energy and opening up of even deeper opportunities in that space.
Osinbajo, however, cited international pressures being mounted against financing of gas projects in African countries with economies that were still largely powered by oil and gas.
“We need to work out how to mitigate the challenges of the transition. These are existential issues for us.
” We still can’t use solar to power industries due to the base load (limits) so we still need to usegas. So, there are issues as we go towards fulfilling our obligations to the Paris Agreement.
“We like to see a great deal more engagements in the transition period as we pay attention to the targets.
“Some of the most important issues for many African countries is that we still have to make sure our economies are functioning well, especially with the effects of the pandemic,” he said.
In his remarks, Sharma, who is also UK’s Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said that developed countries needed to step up financing commitments to provide 100 billion dollars annually as part of the agreement.
He offered to take the message back.
Sharma urged Nigeria to be flexible in the forthcoming negotiations ahead of the COP26 billed for November.
“We have to set up a pathway strategy for the transition.
“we are looking for your support and flexibility for dialogue and negotiations,” he said.
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, Environment Minister, Muhammad Mahmood and Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor also attended the meeting.
On the British side with Sharma were the High Commissioner of the UK, in Nigeria, Ms. Catriona Laing, among others.
At the signing of the Paris Agreement in Dec. 2015, world leaders agreed to tackle climate change with a commitment to make finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.
The UK was named the President of the 26th UN COP26 which is set to be held in November.
NAN
