‘Unsustainable consumption, cause of environmental challenges’

Ishaku made the observation in a keynote address he delivered at the National Environmental standard Regulation and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) 7th Annual National stakeholders’ forum titled “Sustainable Consumption and Production: The Environmental Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Perspective.”According to the minister, “our environment is at a cross-road and we are at a tipping point. Many of […]

Ishaku made the observation in a keynote address he delivered at the National Environmental standard Regulation and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) 7th Annual National stakeholders’ forum titled “Sustainable Consumption and Production: The Environmental Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Perspective.”
According to the minister, “our environment is at a cross-road and we are at a tipping point. Many of our emerging environmental problems are as a result of our unsustainable consumption and production patterns at national, regional and global levels.”
The purpose of the 7th Annual National stakeholders’ forum which also featured the launch of NESREA 2013-2016 Corporate Strategic Plan (CSP), according to Ishaku was to create an avenue for constructive deliberation and analysis of issues related to sustainable consumption and production, particularly in the area of environmental compliance monitoring and enforcement.
“The forum will provide a unique opportunity for in-depth assessment and evaluation of the key drivers of sustainable consumption and production, and how these can benefit humanity and the environment,” he added.   
Earlier in his remark, the Chairman NESREA Governing Council, Huzi Ishaku Mshelia, said: “The world is facing social crisis and there was serious resource depletion. The issue of water, energy and genetic resources has become very critical and therefore we are facing eminent danger.”
“The world and the international global regime has decided to respond by trying to put some measures in place and to do resource efficiency management to control the way the natural capital are used.”
He added that to attain this resource efficient management, good policies, regulation, good governance and values are needed while  good legal  frameworks, strong institutions in terms of capacity of human, expertise and technical ability is also required.
He urged the participants to use things sustainably so that they can leave these resources to the generation that is coming behind them.
In her address, the Director General, NESREA, Dr. (Mrs.) Benebo Ngeri, said the theme for the forum was borne out of the need and desire to address the growing environmental problems arising from consumption and production in Nigeria.
She called for a concerted effort from all stakeholders in deliberating on the topic in order to achieve the aim enhancing the ability to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth’s ecosystems and other needs.