Climate Change: Leaders implored to end effects

This was stated during the sixth Lagos State summit on climate change held recently in Lagos tagged “Exploring Business Opportunities in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Lagos State in Focus.” A total of 24 speakers presented papers on various issues arising from climate change.The Lead Speaker, David Cadman, President of Local Governments for Sustainability and member […]

This was stated during the sixth Lagos State summit on climate change held recently in Lagos tagged “Exploring Business Opportunities in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Lagos State in Focus.”
 A total of 24 speakers presented papers on various issues arising from climate change.
The Lead Speaker, David Cadman, President of Local Governments for Sustainability and member of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change, observed that two-third of the world stood at a risk of devastating consequences of environmental changes such as global warming and possible rise in water level.
Cadman informed the gathering that the current 7 billion world population would soon raise to 10 billion. In his analysis, Europe and America would have a billion populations each, while Asia and Africa would share the remaining eight billion in the ratio of 5:3 stressing that Africa and Asia would determine the sustainability of the plan of action.
He suggested a paradigm shift in energy generation from generating sets to Bio-gas, Wind, Solar and Geo-Thermal while efforts should also be stepped up in massive tree planting.
In his own goodwill message, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, Peter Carter, commended the efforts of Lagos in leading the crusade on environmental protection.
Carter pledged the commitment of Britain to collaborate with Nigeria to lead Africa in addressing the threat of climate change ranging from desertification, flood, soil erosion among others.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Babatunde Fashola said the Climate Change Summit became an avenue for annual convergence of ideas and solutions.
According to him, each of the summits since the first one in 2009, distinguished resource persons and participants have put their prolific skills and knowledge at the state’s disposal and the government has not been afraid to test their ideas.
He said: “The commitment and seriousness with which we have addressed issues of climate change and the threat to our environment have helped us stay abreast of the hazards of nature.
“Even though we are two meters below sea level, even though we are a city-state of many small islands, even though the threat of coastal erosion from the Atlantic is real, by sheer hard work, innovation and a can-do spirit we have kept Lagos flood free and safe.
“From the first summit when we accepted the inconvenient truth and dimensioned the enormity of the problem, at a time when others thought we were alarmist, to subsequent submits where we resolved to mitigate and adapt, we have run with our solutions and they have worked.”
He said the Eko Atlantic City project and the Great Wall of Lagos, spanning 7 kilometres is a mitigation and adaptation strategy that has helped to protect Victoria Island, returned businesses to the waterfront and create jobs and other economic opportunities.
He added: “The Lagos Independent Power Project, Akute Independent Power Project and the Alausa Independent Power Project which have helped to provide steady and gas fired energy are mitigation strategies that have resulted in the decommissioning of hundreds of diesel fired generators and reduce carbon emissions.
“In Alausa alone, 141 generators of various sizes are to be de-commissioned. The shoreline protection project of 12 groins out of which (6) six are almost completed are helping to slow down erosion of Atlantic coastline and protect homes in Goshen Beach Estate and will ultimately restore and protect land lost to the sea up to Alpha Beach.”
Fashola also said the state was looking at how to get professionals to assist in identifying owners of ocean-going vessels that are being abandoned on Lagos shoreline, adding “we intend to pursue claims against such owners for ecological damage.”
Beyond these, he stressed that opportunities are emerging across the world for insurance business to secure the risk of damage to public assets against events of nature that were once thought to be excluded risks.
Continuing, he said: “These are but modest examples of the possibilities we see for a new economy, driven by innovation and a spirit that will not surrender to the attack of nature. This is why this year’s theme is ‘Exploring Business Opportunities in Climate Change and Adaptation’ with Lagos State in focus, because we see enormous opportunities for business and jobs.”