COP29 – Enhancing ambition and enabling action

This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference otherwise known as Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC or more commonly branded as COP29 is being held at Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11 – 22, 2024. It is a platform for key stakeholders to shape climate policies, including those on adaptation, mitigation, financing, and all related sectors […]

This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference otherwise known as Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC or more commonly branded as COP29 is being held at Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11 – 22, 2024. It is a platform for key stakeholders to shape climate policies, including those on adaptation, mitigation, financing, and all related sectors focused on health, energy, food and agriculture, gender, youth, etc.

Nigeria’s plenteous delegation to the Climate Change Conference (COP 28) at United Arab Emirates last year almost robbed us of the value of the conference to the country. Many feel that was simply a show of fiscal immodesty and irresponsible leadership at various levels of government. We had a delegation of 1,411 parties up from a party of 169 that participated at Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh – COP27

Modest participation at COP29 will offer us great opportunities given the recent climate disasters Nigeria has faced — such as severe flooding, desertification, and high temperatures. Our country has a compelling need to focus on securing concrete outcomes from the COP29 conference with the objectives that will centre on climate resilience, financial support for adaptation, and technological partnerships.

At COP29 we need to garner for significant financial support to adapt to and mitigate climate impacts. This includes funding for infrastructure projects to manage flooding, drought, and desertification. Nigeria should advocate for a fair share of global climate finance, especially as the world’s wealthier nations hold a large responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions. We should lobby for more accessible, transparent, and concessional financing to support adaptation strategies. A specific goal could be gaining access to the Loss and Damage Fund, established to help vulnerable nations deal with climate-induced economic and environmental losses.

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We should be pushed full with higher ambitions even though we are making strides in renewable energy, focusing on solar, wind, and hydroelectric power as part of a just transition from fossil fuels. At COP29, Nigeria should seek partnerships and investments to expand our renewable energy capacity, particularly to increase access in rural and underserved areas. Presenting successful pilot projects in these sectors could help us attract foreign investments and technical support to help the country to meet our commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Adaptation to climate change will be critical for Nigeria, given our high vulnerability to climate impacts. At COP29, we should seek partnerships with international organisations and advanced nations to gain technology and expertise for better climate forecasting, water management, and agricultural resilience. For example, programmes aimed at sustainable farming practices and drought-resistant crops will be crucial, as well as those of improved early-warning systems to better prepare us for natural disasters like floods.

We should look forward to the critical role that finance must play as climate finance and debt relief are increasingly intertwined as developing nations face unsustainable debt levels, compounded by the need to finance climate adaptation and mitigation. Nigeria should advocate for a global framework that links debt relief to climate action, freeing up resources to invest in sustainable infrastructure. This approach would alleviate fiscal pressures and enable the government to prioritise environmental resilience projects without escalating debt burdens.

As part of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Nigeria has pledged to cut methane emissions by 60% by 2031, a goal that aligns with global efforts to limit methane as a potent greenhouse gas. COP29 presents an opportunity to form partnerships and attract investment for technologies that reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, one of Nigeria’s largest industries. Collaboration on methane monitoring and mitigation techniques could help us achieve our emission goals more effectively.

As a major player in West Africa, Nigeria could use COP29 to champion a regional approach to climate challenges, especially as climate-related issues often extend across borders, such as migration due to resource scarcity. Collaborating on regional climate resilience plans with neighbouring countries could strengthen our leadership position and foster cooperative solutions to shared challenges. Furthermore, as one of Africa’s most populous and influential countries, we could help advocate for equitable climate policies that address the needs of developing nations.

With climate disasters worsening, we should actively engage in discussions on the Loss and Damage mechanism, advocating for robust financial support from developed countries. Securing commitments to operationalise the fund created at COP27 to ensure that Nigeria has resources to address immediate and long-term damage from climate-related disasters.

COP29 will offer Nigeria much to learn from other countries. For example, the host country Azerbaijan will launch the Green Investment Rule Book with finance taxonomies as standards agreed by more than 100 countries to simplify the process of issuing green loans by central banks.

Nigeria’s strategy will be crucial to significantly advance our climate goals; we should leverage COP29 to secure financial, technological, and collaborative support to meet our climate goals, while advocating for broader global action on equitable climate finance and adaptation by emphasizing the importance of grant-based funding and equitable climate finance to address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on developing nations. The multifaceted approach would help us not only to address immediate climate impacts but also support long-term sustainable development.

It will therefore be imperative for us to build partnerships with other countries and international organisations that can help address gaps in funding, technology, and expertise. This collaboration will be vital for protecting Nigeria’s rich biodiversity and supporting green job creation.

 

Ahmad resides at FMA2, off Yaya (Petel) Abubakar Road, Fadamar Mada, Bauchi

Email: [email protected]