GREEN ECONOMY AS A VIABLE STRATEGY FOR ABATING CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS IN NIGERIAN CITIESEfik paper

GREEN ECONOMY AS A VIABLE STRATEGY FOR ABATING
CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS IN NIGERIAN CITIES
being a position paper at the
TREES ON REATH CONFERENCE, Marc28, 2013.Ogori/
Magongo LGA ,Kogi State
Surveyor Efik
National Coordinator, Climate Change Network Nigeria
Member, National Technical Committee on REDD+ of the
Federal Ministry of Environment
Chair, REDD+ Working Group, CAN-West Africa

10/06/2011 Surveyor Efik, CCN-Nigeria 2
PAPER OUTLINE
Part 1: Defining climate change:
What is climate change; evidence-based scenarios; causes of
climate change; Factors leading to excess emissions of GHGs;
impacts of climate change; scenes of impacts
Part 11: Cities/Local Governments in CC;
Why cities/Local Governments; what LGs/Mayors should do;
strategic actions for climate resilience;
Part 111: Green economy initiative
What is green economy initiative; identifying the green economy
sectors; green economy initiative/job creation; green economy
opportunities/actions
Part 1V: Conclusion
Key steps for Mayors, NiMACC
Illustrations: 9 figures of illustration.
2

WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE?
• “A change of climate which is attributed directly
or indirectly to human activity that alters the
composition of the global atmosphere and
which is in addition to natural climate variability
observed over comparable time periods” (UNFCCC)
• Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
(GHGs) levels in the atmosphere are higher than
at any time in the past 650,000 years. This is
caused by human activities such as the burning
of fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal), destruction of
forests. (UNFCCC)
3

Pix: DARE Kaduna
EVIDENCE-BASED SCENARIOS
4
Abuja Atmosphere, clear & whitish. No industries
Lagos Atmosphere, brownish dust due to industrial
pollution
Biodiversity loss
Ecosystem DestructionPix: UNEP
Figure 1

CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Excess concentration of GHGs in the
Atmosphere caused by human activities
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
• Methane (CH4)
• Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and
• Perflourocarbons (PFCs)
• Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6)
• (UNFCCC)
Due to gas flaring, bush burning, automobiles,
deforestation, industrial activities etc.
5

FOREST DESTRUCTION (DEFORESTATION)
FACTORS INFLUENCING CLIMATE CHANGE
6
Human activities leading
to excess emissions of
greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere
•Deforestation
•Industrial activities
•Wastes
•Transportation (Automobiles)
•Energy supply (Fossil fuel etc.)
Figure 2

IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) concluded that the West
African Sahel and Central Africa will
experience some of the highest temperature
increases than anywhere in the world over
the next few decades; - (IPCC AR4 2007)
• And, that “In all four regions and in all
seasons, the median temperature increase
(in Africa) lies … roughly 1.5 times the global
mean response.” (IPCC WG 1 Projections 2007)
7

SCENES OF IMPACTS
Flooding
Oil Spillage
Sea Level Rise
Desertification
YOBE STATE, NIGERIA
8
Figure 3

CITIES/LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
• Firstly, cities are home to 50% of the
world population (UN-HABITAT 2009) .
• Up to 80% of all energy is consumed in
Cities/Local Governments (ICLEI 2009)
• Urban areas generate about two-thirds of
national CO2 emissions
• Local Governments, especially fast
growing cities in developing countries are
highly vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change.
9

CITIES/LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
• By 2050, it is predicted that two thirds of
humanity will live in cities.
• In urban areas, greenhouse gas emissions are
caused by the generation of energy, through
transportation, industrial activity and the
burning of fossil fuels and biomass in
households.
• Industry is responsible for 43% of global CO2
emissions from fossil fuel combustion. (UNEP
2010)
10

WHY CITIES/LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
• Urbanization affects climate change, resulting in
severe impacts to our cities and livelihoods.
• The severest burden will be borne by the urban
poor in the City/Local Government slums.
• Climate change actions by African LGs/Cities need
to be expanded and capacities strengthened.
• City initiatives need to be integrated in national
action plans and global reporting.
• The voice of African Mayors in climate change
policy debates must be raised urgently.
11

• In cities of the developing
world, one out of every
three people lives in a
slum, making them
particularly vulnerable to
the health and
environmental risks posed
by climate change (C40 2009).
• Mayors and Local
Governments are the
governance level closest to
citizens (critical when it
comes to practical climate
actions).
12
RURAL URBAN
63% 37%
RURAL URBAN
53% 47%
RURAL URBAN
40% 60%
Figure 4: Global Population Rural/Urban
1970
2000
2030
Source: UN-Habitat

• The emissions from transport and vehicles are rising
at rate of 2.5% each year and contribute not only to
CO2 emissions but also to local and regional pollution
problems.
• Electrical energy for public lighting and electricity
consumption by households, industry and commerce
are another source of emissions.
• Finally, the reduction of a city’s ability to reabsorb
CO2 through sufficient green space is another
element of concern, as well as poor waste
management systems that releases CFC’s and gases
such as methane
13

WHAT LOCAL GOVTS / MAYORS
SHOULD DO
14

ADAPTATION
• Energy efficiency in local government facilities,
e.g.street lighting and water pumps
• Foresighted transport and infrastructure planning
• Compact and dense urban patterns to reduce
travel distances and infrastructure networks
• Promote energy efficient building materials
• Landfill methane recovery
• Protect forests and watersheds (Biodiversity)
• Behavioural/Lifestyles change
15

MITIGATION
• Plant trees, plant trees and plant trees
• Operate a low-carbon economy
• Reduce dependence on fossil fuel based energy
• Promote the use of renewable energy
• Finance: Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
• Expand and Conserve the forest (REDD+)
• Stop deforestation
• reduce dependence on fuelwood energy
• Stop gas flaring
16

STRATEGIC ACTIONS FOR ABATING
CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS
REDUCE greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) immediately and
significantly. Measure and report on annual reductions of
greenhouse gas emissions and constantly work to increase
reductions such that by 2050 GHG emissions will be reduced
worldwide by 60% from 1990 levels and by 80% from 1990
levels in industrialized countries.
IMPLEMENT sub-national, national and international
frameworks that are complementary to LGs function by
providing resources, authority and sufficient mandate to carry
forward these roles and responsibilities.
BUILD a sustainable energy economy through energy savings
and the application of new and existing renewable and high
efficiency technologies, to reduce dependence on fossil and
nuclear fuels and aim for lowest-carbon options.
17

• EXECUTE climate change adaptation and
preparedness measures through local government
planning, development and operational mechanisms
• ADVOCATE that every national delegation
participating in the UNFCCC negotiations include local
government chairperson and some designated
representation to ensure that local climate priorities
and actions are included in future negotiations.
• PERSISTENTLY CALL for national governments to join
the international community to undertake binding
carbon limits to rapidly and significantly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions in the short-term and by at
least 60% worldwide below 1990 levels by 2050.
18

• Sustainable urban planning (for mitigation and adaptation
activities
• Renewable energy and energy efficiency (local regulations,
architectural designs etc) Investments in renewable energy
would earn carbon/revenue to the Local Government.
• Sustainable transport ( walking, bicycles, improving public
transport)
• Public procurement of sustainable goods and services (for
climate neutral activities)
• Local actions for biodiversity (to improve protection forests and
watersheds)
• Change citizen’s behavior activities.
• Improve the resilience of local communities (Planting of tress
and investment in biodiesel production for energy, transport,
cottage industries and businesses)
19

GREEN ECONOMY INITIATIVE
Source: UNEP. Planning for cities in the transition towards a Green Economy, March 2009.
20
Figure 7

WHAT IS GREEN ECONOMY
• A Green Economy is characterized by substantially increased
investments in economic sectors that build on and enhance
the earth’s natural capital or reduce ecological scarcities and
environmental risks.
• These investments are driven by or supported by national
policy reforms and the development of international policy
and market infrastructure. (UNEP 2009)
“Among the most significant implications of the shift to a
greener economy is its potential to mitigate climate change
and assist countries in coping with its growing impacts”
– Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary-General.
21

GREEN ECONMY SECTORS
Eleven Sectors Include:
• Renewable Energy,
• Low-carbon Transport,
• Energy Efficient Buildings,
• Clean Technologies/Manufacturing,
• Improved Waste Management,
• Improved Freshwater Provision,
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Forest Management/Biodiversity conservation and
Ecosystem Mgt.
• Sustainable Fisheries
• Tourism
• Sustainable Cities (Ecocities or Ecopolis or Green cities)
22

GREEN ECONOMY INITIATIVE /
JOB CREATION
•As the name implies cooking
with the save 80 saves 80% of
the wood consumption
compared to the traditional
open fire place.
•The save 80 needs just about
250g of wood to prepare a
delicious pot of jollof rice that
can feed 15 people.
•With its interior parts being
made of stainless steel, a
guarantee of 10 years is given
to every stove
SAVE-80 STOVE
23
Figure 8

GREEN ECONOMY INITIATIVE /
JOB CREATION
•A combined usage of the
save 80 and the wonder box is
recommended to further save
fuel used on the save 80.
•The wonder box is a heat
retaining box which can be
used to cook via retained heat
and keep the contents at a
high temperature for many
hours.
•Cooking with the wonder
box is simple and needs no
surveillance
WONDER BOX
24
Figure 9

OTHER GREEN ECONOMY
INITIATIVES/JOB CREATION
• Converting waste to energy
• Generating biodiesel from Jathropha plant
• Generating biodiesel from waste groundnut
oil
• Generating biofuels from agricultural produce
• Wind energy
• Solar energy
25

Green Economy Actions for Building Resilient Cities
The following suffice as some key city resilient actions to be taken by Mayors/Local
Government Authorities:
Key Principles/Policies
National policy: frameworks for enabling green-growth urban development
Urban/city/local government policy: integrated green-growth urban planning as
key organizing principle
Green savings: reducing waste, recycling materials and cutting costs
Green Economy: new businesses and jobs by environmental protection and
restoration
Green Talent: investing in technical, entrepreneurial and workforce skills
Energy Sufficiency
Use the 2000 watt society concept as an operative policy principle
Modify building codes to make resource efficient building practice the norm
Ensure the use of composted, city-derived bio-waste for bioenergy production

Solar City’ Development
Mandate solar city development as national policy priority
Prioritize feed-in legislation for renewable energy systems, allowing owners to sell electricity
at advantageous rates
Support renewable energy as an important new manufacturing industry
Create enabling policies for renewable energy development in the urban hinterland
Water Security
Balance urban, agricultural and commercial uses of water, and their relative social, economic
and environmental benefits
Waterproof cities by encouraging water efficiency and rainwater collection in households
and businesses
Make waste water recycling and storm water use a central plank of water policy
Implementing zero waste
Develop new enterprises for processing organic wastes into soil enhancing materials
Make sewage reprocessing and nutrient capture a central plank of waste management
Implement policies for the cost-effective reprocessing of all technical wastes
Use zero waste policy to create new green businesses and jobs

Green Business
Boost the creation of green business by effective use of government procurement
Encourage resource efficiency in all businesses
Create ‘green incubators’ across the city
Make environmental resilience the basis for new businesses and jobs
A culture of restorative urbanization
Utilize both global networks and local expertise in developing restorative urbanization
Ensure that it is addressed in the education system, and through meetings and events
Encourage imaginative reporting on urban restoration measures by the media
Produce regular reports on implementation of eco-restoration policies and practices
Ensure that all citizens take a stake in restorative development.
Thus, the application of the services and actions of green economy as elucidated in this paper,
would indeed, transform the World cities from, according to World Future Council,
“Petropolis to Ecopolis” and save the World’s three billion prospective victims of climate
change impacts that are currently inhabiting the cities, especially in the fast-growing ones
of the developing countries.

ADVANTAGES OF GREEN ECONOMY INITIATIVES
• Revive the world economy, create new and
decent jobs, and protect the vulnerable
• Reduce carbon dependency, ecosystem
degradation, and water scarcity - 1% of GDP in
green sectors over two years
• Eliminate persistent poverty by 2015…achieve
the MDGs
• Seed a process of transformative change by
rebalancing financial and economic capital,
human capital and natural capital
Source: “Rethinking the Economic Recovery: A Global Green New Deal”, UNEP, Feb 2009
30

CONCLUSION
KEY STEPS FOR MAYORS
• Local Authorities to be part of national delegations in
UNFCCC process
• Report on city achievements as part of UNFCCC reports:
sub-national policies and measures
• Key in and support programmes for cities: UN-HABITAT,
UNEP, UNDP, UNITAR, World Bank, ICLEI, etc
• African Climate Change Centre in Addis Ababa (UNEP
GC25), WMCCCC, AMCCCC South Africa,
• Direct involvement of large cities – sustainable
development packages (post Kyoto)
• Establish National Alliance of Mayors on Climate Change;
e.g. Nigerian Mayors Alliance on Climate Change
(NiMACC), co-facilitated by CCN-Nigeria
31

STATEMENT OF FACT
“Our green economy mantra is
called pro-growth, pro-job,
pro-poor, pro-environment
and of course, pro-business”.
– Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia
28

REFERENCES1. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), www.unfccc.int
2. IPCC, Contribution of Working Group I to the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, Chapter 11, Regional
Climate Projections 2007, page 866-867
3. UNEP 2010. Green Economy Report: A Preview, May 2010. www.unep.org/greeneconomy
4. UNEP 2009, Annual Report – Seizing the Green Opportunity. www.unep.org
5. UNEP 2010. Moustapha Kamal Gueye: Planning for Cities in the Transition towards a Green
Economy; UNEP/UN-HABITAT Training Event 5th World Urban Forum, 24 March 2010, Rio de
Janeiro
6. UN-Habitat 2009, Climate Change and African Cities, UN-Habitat, Kenya. Cecilia Ngenga.
7. OECD 2010, Cities and Climate Change, OECD Publishing,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/ISBN: 9789264063662-en.
8. Herbert Girardet/World Future Council 2010. “Regenerative Cities”. A publication of Commission
on Cities and Climate Change of the World Future Council and HafenCity University, Hamburg,
October 2010. www.worldfuturecouncil.org
9. WWF, Living Planet Report 2010, wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/
…/living_planet_report/2010_lpr/
10. ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability. Local Government Roadmap 2010.
www.iclei.org/climate-roadmap.
11. United Cities and Local Government (UCLG), 2010
12. C40 Climate Leadership Group 2009, http://www.c40cities.org/climatechange.jsp
13. CCN-Nigeria, Gender and Climate Change Disaster: A Perspective on Nigeria’s Preparedness, Paper
presented at the Gender Caucus Workshop preparatory to COP15, organized by Heinrich Boll
Stiftung, November 2009
14. Climate Change Network Nigeria (CCN-Nigeria), Nigerian Climate Change Perspectives: Focus on
Niger Delta; position paper presented at the side event of the People’s Climate Action in
Copenhagen, Denmark during COP15 (7 -18 December 2009)
15. DARE, Ahmed Yahaya: Renewable Energy and the Challenges of Desertification, 2008.
33

THANK YOU
34

GREEN ECONOMY AS A VIABLE STRATEGY FOR ABATING CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS IN NIGERIAN CITIESEfik paper

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