The conversation with Seyifunmi Adebote, (Host of the Climate Talk Podcast) on Climate Policy: Navigating the Path to a Greener Future, focused on the responsibility of Nigeria’s leaders and youth in adopting Climate Policies and taking the necessary actions to implement them. The following are highlights from the interactive session.
Policies are the foundation on which many economies are built. It is crucial to involve young people in designing policies, especially for a greener future.
Regarding climate policy in Nigeria, the Net-Zero target is still set for 2070 in the law, but 2060 in many political declarations. This means that by 2060 or 2070, we should have developed technologies that can effectively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve this, we need to adopt the National Determined Contribution (NDC) policy, which helps us measure our current emissions and identify ways to reduce them.
The National Determined Contribution (NDC) is the basic method for checking Nigeria’s emissions in seven different categories, including Agriculture and Land Use, Energy, Oil and Gas, Waste, and Water. The NDC policy is the basis for calculating Nigeria’s emissions and determining what actions need to be taken. It is important that young people are part of the review of the NDC policy.
Policies are the foundation of climate action, and it is up to us as a nation to build upon it. Policies set us on a trajectory and a defined direction, but we often experience a lot of policy changes due to different administrations in Nigeria and a lack of continuity with established policies. It is crucial to appreciate the role of policies and ensure that everyone understands the policies in place. Policies are essential as they serve as a roadmap, and there should be coherence among the different people involved in driving the policies.
After COP 28, Nigeria needs to share its decisions on climate change with young people, stakeholders, private sectors, and leaders to ensure everyone is on the same page.
The government needs to establish an umbrella body or a unified framework to engage young people when it comes to climate change. This will push for young people’s inclusion in climate change and provide a clear case for their involvement.
Young people must understand climate change and their role in it. We need to build our competence in understanding climate change, conferences, and international agreements so that our leaders and the government can recommend young people. Unless we consistently build our capacity, our ability to function in such conferences will be doubted.
Click the link below to tweet about the X (formerly Twitter) space conversation on Climate Policy.
https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1nAKEajjvnyKL