Nigeria INDC for Presidency approval, targets emissions cut in half by 2030

Nigeria is aiming to peak its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions around 2030 through the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) and plans a new target to reduce its carbon intensity by 50 per cent of 2005 levels. About $4.5 billion benefits are being anticipated under the proposed INDC.

WITH about two months left for negotiators and world leaders to negotiate the next global agreement to limit carbon pollution, the Federal Government has moved to finalized its new action plan to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and proposing to reduce carbon emissions by at least 50 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030.
   
In the new action plan contained in the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCS) being fine-tuned by the Federal Ministry of Environment (FMENV), Nigeria is also considering 30 per cent energy efficiency in industries, homes, businesses and vehicles, and increased use of natural gas in generators and renewable energy.
   
Other measures being considered include stopping gas flaring, capture of gas, setting standard for appliances, generators, buildings and climate smart agriculture, all is expected to lead to $4.5 billion benefits to the country. The document would be submitted to the Presidency for approval this week, ahead of its submission deadline.
   
The INDC comes well in advance of a new universal climate change agreement, which will be reached at the UN climate conference in Paris, in December this year.  More than 35 parties to the UNFCCC have formally submitted their INDCs, including nine African countries out of the 192 countries that are member of the convention.
       
All countries have been asked to present an emissions reduction proposal, which would ultimately be included in a new international climate agreement in December 2015. Additional proposals have been announced, but not formally submitted, for example by China, Chile and the Dominican Republic. 
   
The Lima Call for Action encouraged countries “in a position to do so” to submit their INDCs by March 31, 2015. A second implicit submission deadline is October 1, 2015, after which submissions are still reallowed but will not be included in the UNFCCC’s synthesis report, which will be made available to Parties in time for the COP 21 in Paris, December 2015. 
   
Countries have agreed that there will be no backtracking in these national climate plans, meaning that the level of ambition to reduce emissions will increase over time. The Paris agreement will come into effect in 2020, empowering all countries to act to prevent average global temperatures rising above 2 degrees Celsius and to reap the many opportunities that arise from a necessary global transformation to clean and sustainable development.
     
In order to comply with the Conference of Parties (COP), Nigeria’s INDC was subjected to stakeholders consultation and validation at a workshop organised by the Department of Climate Change of the ministry last week in Abuja. The European Union through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting preparation of Nigeria INDC.
   
The Permanent Secretary, FMENV, Mrs. Nana Fatima Mede who opened the workshop disclosed that the ministry engaged the services of a reputable consultant, Messrs Ricardo Energy and Environment to prepare the document in July. The firm comprises national and international experts such as Prof. Emmanuel Oladipo, James Okeuhie, Hans JH Verolme and Iain Morrow.
     
Mede, represented by the director, Department of Climate Change, Dr. Samuel Adejuwon said the objectives of the workshop include to consult the national stakeholders for the purpose of validating Nigeria’s INDCS, to update stakeholders in Nigeria’s INDc process, consult with stakeholders and experts to ensure necessary clarifications and inputs.
   
It was also meant to ensure Nigeria’s INDC has been prepared in line with international best practices, consider Nigeria’s INDC in terms of fairness and ambition I light of its national circumstances and recommend Nigeria’s INDC to the Presidency for further scrutiny and approval before primal submission to the UNFCCC.    
       
While tasking the stakeholders on providing required input to the INDC towards ensuring Nigeria attains economic growth and environmental sustainability action, she noted that the draft report has been peer reviewed in order to assess the implication of implementing the contents of Nigeria’s INDC in the country’s socio-economic development both now and in future.
     
The UNFCCC has been ratified by all 192-member nations of the UN. However, due to the inadequacy of the Convention to sufficiently tackle climate change, the Kyoto Protocol (KP), a complementary instrument to the UNFCCC was established in 1997 in response to recognition that the commitments contained within the Convention were inadequate and required reinforcement. 
   
The KP, which entered into force in 2005, facilitates the implementation of the UNFCCC objective by setting legally enforceable emissions reductions targets for countries. The text reiterates the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities by applying binding targets to Annex I countries alone.