Stakeholders have called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and relevant agencies to take urgent steps toward addressing the challenges and dangers posed by the effect of climate change in the country.
The stakeholders made the call at a two-day workshop organised by the Attorney General Alliance Africa (AGA-Africa) Programme, in collaboration with the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in Abuja.
In his remarks, the Director General of NIALS, Prof Muhammed Ladan, who identified the oil and gas, mining, and automobile industries as the major drivers of climate change in the country urged the federal government including all regulatory agencies to ensure that companies in the industries comply with laid down corporate responsibility activities in line with the Paris Agreement, 2015 and the national laws.
Ladan noted that the law mandates that all MDAs have desk officers on climate change and that the private sector, especially those in the oil and gas, coal, mining, and automobile industries, provide information about their efforts towards ensuring that their operations, products, and services are in line with the climate goal of reducing carbon emissions.
The DG urged participants to coordinate their efforts, particularly in the area of climate justice, citing the intergovernmental panel report that warned against exceeding the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius in order to prevent future global warming that causes climate change.
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On his party, the Director General of NESREA, Prof Aliyu Jauro, noted that the agency was working with other regulators to reduce carbon emissions in the country, adding that in some instances, companies have been sealed up until they complied with climate laws.
Jauro added that the agency was working with the judiciary to get their understanding and cooperation to get a speedy trial of offenders, thereby serving as a deterrent to others.
He also called on participants to come up with concrete solutions on how the country can achieve climate justice.
Speaking on behalf of AGA-Africa, Ebelechukwu Enedah of PUNUKA Associates and Solicitors, noted that the workshop was aimed at creating awareness about climate change issues and also creating synergy with the different organizations and agencies that are working in the area.
Enedah urged the participants to work responsibly towards ensuring a safe and clean environment for future generations as it is part of their fundamental human rights.
Story was adapted from The Eagle Online
