Seplat Energy, one of Nigeria’s leading energy suppliers has launched the “Tree4Life” programme as part of its commitment to tackle the increasing wave of deforestation and address the effects of climate change.
Speaking during the launch of the initiative in Abuja, outgoing board chairman of Seplat, Ambrosie Orjiako said that reforestation would go a long way in reducing carbon dioxide in the air, prevent erosion as well as contribute to food security.
“There is complete deforestation that is happening with the provision of energy in our environment,” he was quoted as saying. “The more deforestation not only are we encouraging climate change infestation, but you are also emitting more carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere”.
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He maintained that the company had sincemade a deliberate decision that ESG (environmental, social, and governance) is a major component in doing business.
“It is not only by carbon dioxide emission that the environment is degraded, if you plant trees you are saving the environment from erosion. When you provide food security, it is critical in an environment,” he said. “So, if you plant trees that produce food, you are contributing to food security as well.”
Also speaking during the launch, Minister of state for petroleum resources, Timipre Sylvasaid that Nigeria needs to focus on gas for clean energy.
“The PIA will enable a lot of gas projects but it behoves on operators in the industry to also take advantage of the opportunity provided by the PIA to deepen the gas business in Nigeria,” he said.
He explained that to achieve this, the government had declared the year 2021 to the year 2030 as the decade of gas, adding that it was already creating a roadmap towards the goal.
Story was adapted from the cable.
