The Federal Government on Monday reiterated its commitment to ensuring that Climate Change Act and other environmental policies were implemented in the country.
The Minister of Environment, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, stated this while speaking at an event organised to mark the World Environment Day
Environment Day is celebrated globally on June 5, annually since 1972.
The Day is led by the UN Environment Programme and is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach.
Abdullahi, who highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the climate change impact and other environmental challenges, said that the efforts were to promote a cleaner and healthier environment.
He said that the ministry was focusing on ensuring that Nigerians live in a sustainable and harmony with nature.
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According to him, Nigeria submitted her Nationally Determined Contributions in 2021 which were reviewed before the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 at Glasgow in November.
“Between the last six months, we have the Climate Change Act, which is indeed bringing a legal policy framework that will allow us to tackle the climate change challenges.
“We also have the energy transition programme which we are working with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Power to see how we can reduce our emissions.
“It is also important that the whole world is now looking toward what can be done to address the challenges.
“Just last March, the UN Environment Assembly, met in Nairobi, to share best practices for environmental sustainability which Nigeria attended,’’ he said.
The minister said that the meeting aimed to create momentum for governments to build on and catalyse impact on multilateral environmental efforts.
“As well as to protect and restore the natural world on which the economies and societies depend.’’
He said that the effort was to address the impact of climate change and other related environmental issues.
Abdullahi called on all stakeholders and Nigerians as well to support the government`s effort to restore and protect the environment.
“We should join hands and be committed to reducing our damage to the environment because we have an obligation to ourselves and our future generation.
“So, every one of us has a role to play in trying to improve our environment,’’ he said.
The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs. Emmanuelle Blatmann, urged stakeholders and Nigerians to act together toward addressing environmental challenges in an integrated manner without any further delay.
Blatmann said that France country had placed issues such as climate change, renewable energy, and protection of biodiversity as the main priorities of its foreign policy.
“France is playing its full part in this effort within the international community and is deploying comprehensive diplomacy to respond to the urgency of climate environmental crisis in Nigeria.
“The French Embassy, the French Development Agency, and their partners including the ministry are working hard to support the initiatives aiming at reducing the impact of climate change in Nigeria,’’ she said.
The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Amb. Samuela Isopi, said that the EU was in the front burner in addressing the impact of climate change to ensure the environment was protected.
“Climate change affects directly the life of our citizens, the EU has set a very ambitious goal to ensure that this issue is addressed.
“We are engaging the partners around the world to speed up the implementation of the environmental policies.
“The EU is also calling on other developed countries to show their collective commitment to mobilise the private sectors in ensuring a healthy and cleaner environment,’’ she said.
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