Climate change: Everyone has a role to play, says minister

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

As environment stakeholders continue to intensify efforts on achieving a better environment for good living, the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, has assured that the Climate Change Act will bring about a cleaner, greener lifestyle when implemented.

This is as he ,said everyone has a key role to play in trying to improve environment.

Abdullahi who stated this at the opening ceremony of this year’s commemoration of World Environment Day in Abuja, maintained that the climate change Act has a lot to do with a better lifestyle of the people.

Represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Hassan Musa, the minister said Nigeria is committed to actions that support living sustainably in harmony with nature.

He noted that the country has achieved alot in a short while with regard to actions against climate change, while urging relevant stakeholders to join hands with government for a cleaner environment.

The minister revealed that Nigeria submitted her National Determined Contribution (NDC) last year which was reviewed before the Cop 26 at Glasgow, and have the Climate Change Act, which would allow the country to tackle the climate change challenges.

 “We also have the energy transition program which we’re working with Federal Ministry of petroleum and power to see how we can reduce our emissions into the climate” he added.

In his remark, the European Union(EU)  Ambassador to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States, Samuela Isopi, warned that micro plastic particles may outnumber fish in the Seas across the globe by the year 2050.

Isopi said that already there are as many as 51 trillion micro plastic particles in the seas, stating that the number is 500,000 times more than the stars in the galaxy.

According to her, micro plastics are now part of the world food chain since marine animals injest them, hence they have been found in our drinks, beer, water, honey, among other daily edibles.

“Plastics are everywhere, they are cheap, they are convenient, they are light. Our addiction to plastics is leading to serious consequences, especially single use plastics which we use only for a few minutes, but which can last for hundreds of years in our environment. By 2050 there could be more plastics than fish in the sea.

“There are as many as 51 trillion micro plastic particles in the seas than is 500,000 times more than the stars in our galaxy. Micro plastics have been found in our drinks, beer, water, honey, and since marine animals injest them, they are now part of our food chain. And therefore they can impact our health in ways that we might not be aware of today” she said.

Isopi said that the danger posed by plastic particles in the everyday lives of the world’s inhabitants, informed the coming together of EU, the French Ambassy, the Federal Ministry of Environment, and other development partners, and launched a symbolic clean up of the Jabi Lake weekend.

The EU Ambassador expressed hope that the symbolic clean up would be followed by concrete steps, stressing that the EU is committed to supporting the  action in every way possible to ensure maximum success.

In her remarks, French Ambassador to Nigeria,Emmanuelle Blatmann, the, said that France is deploying a comprehensive diplomacy to respond to the urgency of climate environmental crisis in Nigeria,

According to Blatmann, the French Embassy, the French Development Agency, AFD and their partners including the Ministry of Federal Ministry of Environment are working hard to spread these convictions and support to support initiatives of the civil society aiming to reducing the impact of climate change in Nigeria.

“This year for instance, we are supporting the Center for Renewable Energy and action on climate change and also different foundations or associations that are working on, you know, training in climate smart farming practices or solar water irrigation systems. And also nursery tree nursery beds for instance. In Sokoto state” she said.