Lagos targets 60Mt greenhouse gas emissions cut by 2050

To establish green gas registry

Lagos State Government has planned to achieve about 60 million tonnes (Mt) reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHGs) emission by 2050 through the establishment of green gas registry to curtail air pollution and gas emission.

Currently, the state emits over 24 million tonnes of GHGs, resulting in $24 billion damages, going by the World Bank estimated $1,000 cost in damages per tonne.

General Manager of Lagos State Environment Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr Tunde Ajayi, who spoke during a stakeholders’ engagement session on the implementation of GHGs Registry for Lagos State in Ikeja, noted the alarming rate of emission of GHGs and the devastating effects on the air quality in the state, which, he said, had serious implication on the public health and economy downturn.

Ajayi, who was represented by the Director, Environmental Sustainability (E-Waste and Plastic Solutions in LASEPA), Dayo Adebayo, stressed that the Lagos State might emit 74 million tonnes of greenhouse gas by 2050 if not curtailed, which amounted to loss of $74 billion damages to the state.

He said that in line with the administration’s commitment to health and environment, LASEPA, with the responsibility of protecting and safeguarding the environment, wishes to inform the public about the importance of GHG reporting and the role of the registry in combating climate change

In his remarks, Managing Director of TPHG Technologies Limited, the consultant handling the project, Dr Mofoluso Fagbeja, said the state could achieve more than 19 per cent reduction in carbon emissions if all hands are on deck.

Fagbeja, therefore, called for collaboration among stakeholders in the implementation of the environmental management plans set out in the greenhouse gas emissions scheme that the state government is working on, as well as seize the opportunity in trading carbon emissions.

According to him, the process will help the state to set different caps for carbon emissions across different sectors and also give people opportunities to invest in green technology to bring down greenhouse gas emissions.