UK Envoy Worried over Carbon Emissions in Nigeria

Says Climate Change will drop Nigeria’s GDP to 30 per cent by 2050

United Kingdom High Commission to Nigeria has expressed concerns over the influence of carbon emissions in Nigeria due to climate change impact.

Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Harriet Thompson during the event to commemorate World Environment Day (WED), organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment in Abuja advised the country to strive and protect the environment to achieve sustainable development.

The 2017 WED was themed, “Connecting with nature.” She noted that even though the country is endowed with good vegetation and human resources, “there are challenges about getting right-security, transport access, and facilities and protecting the nature will be key to sustaining it. As a tourist attraction -no one will want to come and see a decayed broken landscape.”

While quoting the 2011 Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), Thompson said the country could lose Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of between 6 per cent and 30 per cent by 2050 due to climate change. She further estimated the loss to an amount between $100 to 460 billion.

“Agriculture and farming, which are the key focus for economic development in Nigeria, give daily opportunity to connect with nature. Nigeria’s focus on rebuilding its agricultural capacity growth would help to provide more employment and earning opportunities .“For 2017, theme could not have come to at a better time than this-

“For 2017, the theme could not have come at a better time than this, time to rethink just how much time spend ‘in nature’, how much nature nourishes ‎us daily and throughout our lives.

“Around the globe, billions are fed by nature itself, from the dependence on natural water to the fertile soils in the grounds in which our food are grown. Everyone and everything eat from the surplus of the ground.Unfortunately, those down the food chain are the first to suffer when ecosystems are threatened, from climate change, loss of biodiversity and policies,” Thompson added.

“Unfortunately, those down the food chain are the first to suffer when ecosystems are threatened, from climate change, loss of biodiversity and policies,” Thompson added.

She restated commitment of the UK government to tackling global climate change and the Paris Agreement ‘as strong as ever’.

According to her, UK government would continue to play a leading role internationally and also in delivering her commitments to create a safer and more prosperous future for all.

In his remark, the Environment Minister, Ibrahim Jibril admitted that the rural dweller that largely depends on nature for their livelihood are most hit by climate change impacts.

He added that most times they are affected by pollution, and over-exploitation of the natural resources.“Even in the face of many environmental challenges that are confronting our dear country Nigeria; from desertification in the north to coastal erosion in the South East and

“Even in the face of many environmental challenges that are confronting our dear country Nigeria; from desertification in the north, to coastal erosion in the South East and south- west and decades of Oil Pollution in the Niger Delta – We are reminded that when we come together as one people, collectively we can resolve to protect our environment and the resources we are blessed with,” he said.

Earlier, Resident Coordinator, Mr. Edward Kallon‎, said the collaboration with Federal government had resulted into the signing of the Paris Agreement and its ratification by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the UNDP Nigeria had commenced work with the ministry to develop the third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

According to him, this will assist in controlling emissions and the building of information and knowledge regarding national sources of the Green House Gasses (GHGs)‎, and the impacts of climate change on sustainable social and economic development.