Nigeria has taken the first steps to move away from toxic, mercury-laden lighting to one that is non-toxic and energy efficient, against the backdrop of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
Stakeholders gathered in Lagos for the Inception Workshop on the Minimum Energy Performance (MEPS) and Labelling for Lighting in Nigeria to discuss ways to switch from mercury-containing Compact and Linear Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs & LFLs) to safer Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Lightbulbs.
The initiative is being promoted by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in collaboration with the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria) on behalf of CLASP, USA.
Launched in 2013, the Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. Nigeria ratified the Minamata Convention in 2018.
However, Minamata includes exemptions for mercury-based fluorescent lighting products.
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Speaking during the meeting, Dr Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of SRADev said that the rapid development and increasing accessibility and affordability of mercury-free LED lighting make the exemption unnecessary.
“Eliminating exemptions for fluorescent lighting products at the next Conference of Parties (COP5) in 2023 would lead to a global phase-out by 2025 and accelerate a transition to LED lighting,” he said, adding that this is being pushed by the Clean Lighting Coalition Campaign, a coalition of governments that agree to eliminate the exemption for mercury-based lighting under the Minamata Convention.
Described as the most efficient light source on the market as they offer people, businesses and governments long-term cost-savings, LED retrofit bulbs are said to be easily available in lighting markets around the world, providing users with an improved lighting experience.
Adogame said: “African countries are all importers of fluorescent lighting; therefore, a phase-out of fluorescent lighting will have no negative socio-economic impacts on the local economies,”. “Luckily, Africa is moving strongly in the direction of LED lighting technology, and phasing out fluorescent lamps will help eliminate mercury and save energy cost-effectively”.
Speaking further, he said “significant production already taking place in Africa, and many other businesses establishing and expanding themselves in linear and general service lamps as well as light fittings and luminaires.”
In a presentation titled “MEPS and Labeling for Lighting Products in Nigeria”, Colin Taylor, Senior Manager, Climate, CLASP, spoke on the potential benefits of Lighting MEPS for Nigeria.
According to him, this entails energy savings and fluorescent phase-out in 2025 (2025-50), financial savings of up to $2.47 billion, compact fluorescent lamp sales avoided and CFL phase-out in 2024 (cumulative, 2024-2050), linear fluorescent lamp sales avoided LFL phase-out in 2025 (cumulative, 2025-2050), and 300 kilograms of Mercury in fluorescent lamps avoided (CFL and LFL phased out, cumulative 2024-2050).
He recalled how the African region (36 countries, now 38) submitted an Amendment on Lighting, with the intention to amend the fluorescent lamp exemptions to phase-out: Integrally ballasted CFLs by the end of 2024, Linear fluorescent lamps by the end of 2025, and CCFL and EEFL by the end of 2024.
“From March 21 to 25, 2022, Parties met in Bali, Indonesia at COP4 to discuss this and other proposed Amendments to the Convention,” he said, describing the project as an opportunity to accelerate phase-out of mercury lighting, as well as achieve public health, environmental and economic benefits for Nigeria.
This story was adapted from EnviroNews.
