1. JUST GREEN IT
By Tunde Saduwa
As it is an undeniable fact that to achieve a wholesome reduction of greenhouse gases penetration into our atmosphere
requires the collective goodwill and policy direction of all nations that make up our globe. With commitment of 150
countries established at the first international conference of the United Nations on Environment and Development,
otherwise termed – Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992; to confront headlong, the problem of
greenhouse gases by signing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); nineteen years
down the line, Clean Development Mechanism(CDM) projects defining milestone achievements in this regard should be
common place in all these nations.
What is the outlook like, what are the parameters/priority areas that ought to receive undivided attention? With
reference to the European Environment Agency (EEA), such priority areas should include:
Green Economy
· Renewable energy (including hydropower, biofuels and biomass)
· Energy efficiency
· Mobility (air quality, emissions and noise)
· Industry (emissions and waste)
· Innovation
· Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
· Strategic Impact Assessment (SIA)
· Governance (including institutional agreements and multilateral environmental agreements)
· Environmental Performance Reviews
· Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
· Environmental Reporting
· Mining
Resource Efficiency
· Use of natural capital(including forestry, agriculture, urbanization linked to the use and degradation of land, soil,
water and biodiversity)
· Water efficiency in industrial, rural and urban areas
· Life-cycle analysis
· Environmental Accounting
· Sustaining consumption and production patterns
· Tourism
Commitment to toe the line of sustainable living and economic policy via seeking new economic frontiers of green
economic initiatives has been expressed by several nations. In the case of Indonesia, a fast growing Asian nation and
member of the G20 group of developing nations has come up with a target known as the “7/26” target: emissions
reduction of 26 percent below the conventional practice, while maintaining economic growth at 7 percent per year.
These figures, in addition to the goal of poverty reduction to below 11 percent, unemployment reduction to below 14
percent, sum up Indonesia’s pro-growth, pro-job and pro-green development targets.

2. In Nigeria, the case of Delta State, one of the oil rich states of the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria is quite astonishing. In
the sense that apart from being a host to a number of oil exploring companies, the state like others within this region is
plagued by environmental pollution from oil spill and gas flare, poverty and youth restiveness; while the region
unarguably boast of generating 90 percent of the nations revenue in the form of proceeds from oil exports. For some
years now, Delta state and her neighbours have been clamouring for greater control of resource revenue generated
within these region; that sort of makes it sound out of tune for such a state to be a frontrunner in embracing green
economy initiative.
According to the posting on the official website of the office of the governor of the state, Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan that
ending gas flare, restoring the rives and renewing land devastated by oil pollution to enable the people return to their
traditional occupation are the core reasons for the government interest in the green economy initiative that promotes
developing new economic source by encouraging sustainable and green industries, green energy source(solar & wind),
agriculture and eco-compliance waste management. “To actualize these, the state has been consulting widely with stake
holders – government agencies, environmental impact analysis experts, oil exploring and production firms, and green
economy technology/solution providers … one of our outstanding successes in our partnership with the state of
California and ex-Governor Schwarzeneggar is the commitment we received from Chevron to end gas flare by the end of
the year in the state” maintained Paul Odili of the office of the governor on green economy initiative. Other initiatives
according to him were the state partnership with General Electric to explore environmental resilient projects based on
renewable energy options and International Energy Agency (IEA) to conduct analysis on low carbon and energy mix
portfolio. When further asked about the capacity of the initiatives to generate needed employment and reduction of
poverty level, Mr. Odili explained that as a result of deploring renewable energy and adoption of eco-friendly
technology, new skill levels will be required in which the state is already formulating strategies in the form of manpower
training of rural folks. In such ventures as solar panel engineering with support from India, and sustainable business
growth for micro-businesses enabled by alternative energy options not dependent on fossil fuel. He recounts that, till
date over 10,000 stands of solar street lights have been installed in various towns and villages in Delta State, while over
23 motorised borehole/water reticulation projects in 23 communities in the state had been converted to solar-powered
systems.
Of course, good initiatives do not drive themselves. Worst still when backlog of environmental disasters dot the
landscape of such a nation due to neglect and mal-administration of ecological management funds, such is the
unfortunate case of Nigeria. The emergency intervention fund, otherwise called ecological fund as administered in
Nigeria is drawn from the ecological discount allocation managed under the auspices of the President of the nation. Is
strictly meant for intervention in times of ecological disasters in the country; the fate of this intervention fund as
revealed by the National Assembly of Nigeria has been one of misappropriation – diversion of funds to issues other than
environment and poorly executed intervention projects. The probe of the activities of the office managing the funds and
executive arms of government in the nation over the disbursement, and execution of projects meant to resolve the
hitherto ecological challenges is ongoing to unravel over N200 billion misappropriations since 1999. Beside that, is the
intended review of the Act of Law establishing the Ecological Fund in order to strengthen it by the Legislators; and to
expedite passage of pending environmental bills into law and the revocation of regressive laws. This development
should actually be good news to protagonists of green economic, since advocacy for such cannot firmly hold without
present environmental misfortunes overturned and decisely dealt with.
Elsewhere in Africa, there have been couples of policy evaluations in this direction. With nations such as Ethiopia
committing to projects that will ensure a carbon-free economy by 2015. Kenya moving towards green economy with
wind and geothermal power production projects, large solar water heating initiatives in South Africa; promotion of
energy efficient light bulbs in Senegal and municipal waste composting project in Uganda. According to UNEP
spokesman - Nick Nuttal, the latest figure of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects range from renewable

3. energy to tree planting; which are at validation and requesting registration totals 122, and worth a total of Euros 212
million a year. It is stated that about 80 percent of these projects are in Sub-Sahara Africa; with 28 underway or planned
in South Africa, while Egypt and Morocco have 13 and 10 projects respectively.
In overview, for a Green Economy Initiative to be successful, all hands must be on deck. A public-private driver and
commitment is necessary to galvanize the needed resources, as well as sustaining. Inclusive also would be
cititzens/community participation in the form of awareness creation and capacity building. “Nothing is without risk and
even green economy has its own risks, but the question is can Africa deal with these?” the words of Archim Steiner,
Executive Director at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) should be a constant reminder to us that
innovation is a consistent strive for perfection.
As the world look towards better ways of sustaining the environment; established technologies and
regulations/legislation are major impediments that without concerted effort of government and the private sector
(Drivers of Industry) of any nation. There will not be any meaningful achievement in the quest for a greener economy.
Suffix to say, Green Economy is an ideal projection, futuristic, sustainability concept; that its viability rest squarely on the
shoulders of economic and political stakeholders of states, nations and continents. Published in the GREEN-IT magazine, Issue
01, 2011