Following the Copenhagen Accord, it has become clear that Nigeria must put adaptation activities at the top of its climate change priorities. This has never been more urgent as we continue to experience the devastating effects of climate change at a rapid pace in several parts of the country.
Nigeria has lost a considerable portion of land mass to the ever encroaching Sahara desert, many villages in the eastern part of the country have been lost to gully erosion and sea level rise continuously threatens investments and livelihood in the coastal areas. Most importantly, the implications of several international policy measures threaten the very existence of our oil dependent economy.
Nigeria had high expectations for the talks in Copenhagen. Her demand and campaign revolved around deep emission cuts on the part of the developed countries, establishment of large and easily accessible fund for adaptation in developing countries, enhancing the capacity of Nigerians to adapt to the impact of climate change and transferring relevant technologies to aid adaptation and mitigation efforts. The Accord is a far cry from our expectations and from those of most developing countries. The commitments made by developed countries on emission cuts and the funding pledged for adaptation and mitigation in developing countries are neither adequate nor legally-binding – a key to the success of any international agreement.
Perhaps most importantly, the Accord does not outline how the world’s developed and developing countries will keep the global temperature from exceeding 2degrees Celsius. What it does, however, is recognize the urgency to facilitate adaptation activities of the most vulnerable groups of the world via international support.
The Accord did deliver a funding commitment, pledged by developed countries, to be delivered in two phases. But, the commitment is still plagued by a number of issues. First, it remains unclear whether the 30 billion USD pledged over the next three years will actually be governed by the UN or if they would end up in the World Bank, the latter of which has historically proven difficult to access. Secondly, the Accord states that “it should be operational immediately”. However, it is not completely out of context to imagine that only countries that indicate consent to the accord and have adequate national preparations in place can benefit from the fund.
It is therefore an imperative for Nigeria to look inward in managing the disastrous consequences of climate change. The quality of climate change governance will determine our success or failure. Nigeria urgently needs to step up efforts to finalise the National Adaptation Plan and Strategy of Action as well as complete the Second National Communication to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change.
These documents have been long overdue and require political support.
In the final analysis, our response to the challenges of climate change will be as good as the institutions we put in place. There is an urgent need to promptly harmonize the Climate Change Commission Bill that has already been passed by both Houses of the National Assembly.
The finalisation and passage of the Clean Energy Bill will begin to harness the abundant renewable energy resources of our country and build our resilience against the overdependence on one source of energy. These actions will not only guide and coordinate in-country activities on climate change, it will also position us to attract adaptation funding from the Copenhagen Accord.
