Forum seek collective actions on climate justice

The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and other partners under the aegis of National Council on Climate Change Secretariate (NCCS) have called for collective actions on improving climate justice, especially for the negatively impacted communities and individuals alike. This is contained in the communiqué of the one-day event on National Dialogue on Just Transition (NDJT) with the […]

The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and other partners under the aegis of National Council on Climate Change Secretariate (NCCS) have called for collective actions on improving climate justice, especially for the negatively impacted communities and individuals alike.

This is contained in the communiqué of the one-day event on National Dialogue on Just Transition (NDJT) with the theme: ‘A fair, Just, Transparent and Accountable Transition Process for Climate Action in Nigeria’.

It was organised by AAN under the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA II) project, and funded by ActionAid Denmark and Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), focused on accountable governance, climate justice and humanitarian response for youth in crises.

The SPA II Nigeria aligns its efforts with global climate action initiatives and is currently being implemented in five states including FCT, Enugu, Anambra, Borno and Lagos.

“Observations over the years has shown that coordination and harmonization of advocacy actions by actors in the climate space at regional events from Nigeria has been less effective, thus limiting effective advocacy and engagements initiatives that yield the results and change we want to see.

“Leveraging diverse perspectives from actors in the climate Space becomes necessary for a collaborative effort to build and coordinate the power within to challenge the powers that be through joint organizing to address climate issues for implementation of policies that enable the change,” the communique said.

Participants noted that people do not like tax increases, despite that taxes are necessary to fund development, apart from issues raised pertaining tax holidays and incentives, which can lead to loss of government revenue.

“Gas flaring penalties should be increased to discourage waste and encourage investment in gas for domestic use. General challenges across energy/oil and gas, waste, agriculture, water, industry/ transport must be addressed,” it said.

It urged companies to strategize on adopting energy-efficiency measures and promoting environmental sustainability practices, apart from the need for stiffer penalties due to frequent pipelines vandalization that leads to loss of lives and property among other recommendations.

Speaking earlier, the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, represented by the Director People and Culture of AAN, Dr. Funmi Olukeye, noted that Nigeria relies heavily on fossil fuels and wood fuels for economic growth, which also contributes significantly to the production of greenhouse gases in Africa, facilitating climate change and its effects on the continent and globally.

“Thus, for Nigeria, Just Transition refers to a carefully managed and equitable shift away from fossil fuel dependence towards a more sustainable and diversified economy that ensures social, economic, and environmental justice for all stakeholders involved.

He noted that over time, advocacy efforts by Nigerian climate actors at regional events to an extent have been devoid of effective coordination, limiting their impact, thus the need to drive meaningful change by harness diverse perspectives and foster collaboration among stakeholders.