BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
Ahead of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) and OXFAM in Nigeria have demanded debt cancelation for African countries.
To this end, the environmentalists enjoined world leaders to stop giving African countries loans in form of climate finance, rather it should be grants.
This formed part of the discuss at African Climate Caravan event organised by GIFSEP in collaboration with OXFAM, African Activists for Climate Justice and *350 Africa.org. on Tuesday in Abuja.
The event signaled the commencement of pre-COP activities for the climate change conference scheduled to hold in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22, 2024, with the theme: "In Solidarity for a Green World."
Executive Director of GIFSEP, Mr David Terungwa was optimistic that debt cancelation is synonymous with climate justice, adding that local people needs to have access to climate finance.
He noted that a report released by OXFAM titled: 'Carbon Inequality', revealed that 50 of the world's richest billionaires averagely produce more carbon emissions under three hours compared to the average British person does in its entire life.
Terungwa hinted that climate change reporting for journalists in Africa is very essential for educating the population, driving policy change, empowering communities and fostering resilience.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a critical element of Paris Agreement designed to support developing countries to raise their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) while attaining low-emissions and climate-resilient pathways.
News Rider Reports that the 21st edition of Conference of the Parties (COP 21) which took place in Paris, December 2015 was a breakthrough for obtaining international commitment in addressing climate change.
It produced the landmark 12-page Paris Agreement that mandated all 195 negotiating countries, including Nigeria to limit the global temperature to well below 2°C and make efforts to limit it to 1.5°C pre-industrial levels.
The Country Director of OXFAM in Nigeria, Mr John Makina informed that COP is an opportunity for African countries to unify their voices on how climate change is impacting the region.
"African Climate Caravan is asking all cities in the region to stand with climate affected communities and GCF which has a debt burden on Africa, "he said.
Makina warned that climate finance should not lead to exacerbating climate goals, saying that the Federal Government should double its efforts in addressing climate inequality.
Former President Buhari signed the Paris Agreement on behalf of Nigeria on 22nd September, 2016 on the sideline of the UN General Assembly in New York, since the country accounted for 0.57 percent of global emissions.
As a signatory to the agreement, Nigeria has updated its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC's) by including additional sectors, targeted at reducing Greenhouse Gas (GhG) emissions.
In his keynote address, Special Assistant to the President on Climate Finance and Stakeholders Engagement, Mr Ibrahim Shelleng said that climate change is cross-cutting, as it already manifested in every sectors of the economy in form of food insecurity, desertification, migration flooding, extreme rainfall and erosion.
He informed that since COP 29 strictly centers on climate finance, that the Federal Government has made concerted efforts to bring financing for Nigeria.
Shelleng maintained that the government is fully committed to making sure that climate change is at the forefront of national development agenda.
The event also featured the Arts for Climate and, the maiden Climate Media Spotlight Awards for journalists, targeted at amplifying African voices and redeeming the impact of climate change in the continent.
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