Climate Change: CSO urges FG to invest in renewable energy

The Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) has tasked Nigerian authorities on the need to double investment in renewal energy over the next two decades to combat the negative impact caused by global warming in the country.

The Executive Director, GIFSEP, David Terungwa who gave the advice in Abuja during the presentation of 2018 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned the federal government on the risks of global warming increase above 1.5°C.

Quoting the IPCC report, Terungwa stressed the disastrous consequences of what two centigrade increase will have in the world.

To avert the recurrent flood disasters in Nigeria which are attributable to climate change, the group suggested measures to be taken while blaming the occurrence on government poor planning.

He said, “The world needs to halve global emissions by 2030 and to reach global net zero CO2 emissions latest by 2050.

“At the moment with current NDC we are globally on a track to double emissions by 2030. Following reductions in global primary energy use are needed until 2030: Oil use: -50%, Coal use: -67% and Gas use: -33%”.

“This has become the moment of truth when the question of whether we limit warming to 1.5°C has become a political choice. The road ahead will be challenging, but eventually easier than the one we’re currently on. We can still achieve the Paris goals through transformational change and immediate action.

“We are already experiencing massive climate impacts with just one degree of warming; every tenth of degree more will worsen those problems, putting the survival of many countries and people at risk.

A temperature increase above 1.5°C catapults us further into the danger zone, with unpredictable impacts and, most likely, irreversible damage to our climate.

“To meet 1.5°C we globally need net zero CO2 emissions latest by 2050 and have to halve current emission levels by 2030. Coal needs to go down by two thirds until 2030.

With current targets (NDC), the World would double emissions by 2030. The goal to stabilise warming below 2°C would require almost the same actions, but with a higher probability to achieve the goal (80%).

“Nigeria needs to increase its ambition to reduce CO2 emissions significantly and to radically shift away from fossil fuels like coal. By 2050 the whole electricity supply has to be decarbonized/ based on renewable energy. The earlier we start the easier”

GIFSEP boss said that the report was relevant to Nigeria because of her fossil fuel dependent.

He said that Nigeria like other developing countries is vulnerable to its impacts, particularly in respect of drought, flooding and food security, as well as impacts on health, human settlements, and infrastructure and ecosystem services.

“This year alone, we experienced flooding and serious security issues all can be attributed to climate change and poor planning.

Investment in renewable energy would have to double over the next two decades, whereas investment in fossil fuels would have to decline by 25% over the same period”.