Sodiq Ojuroungbe
The Federal Government is taking significant steps towards sustainable energy practices by leading efforts to expand the adoption of renewable energy sources across the country.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise.
According to him, the FG through the Ministry of Environment is promoting the widespread use of solar, hydro, and wind energy as alternatives to traditional fossil fuels.
According to the United Nations, fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions.
UN noted that to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
It stressed that there is a need for countries across the world to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and invest in alternative sources of energy that is clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable.
The minister explained that the FG aims to accelerate the transition towards cleaner and greener energy solutions for the country through various initiatives and partnerships.
Salako said the ministry is spearheading several initiatives aimed at facilitating the transition to clean energy, which includes the development of policies, regulations, and awareness campaigns.
He said, “We are doing a lot of work on scaling up renewable energy penetration in our environment. We are promoting solar energy, we’re promoting hydro energy, we’re promoting wind energy as a substitute to energy from gas flaring or energy from burning fossil fuel.”
The environment minister also said the FG is intensifying its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by targeting methane, a potent contributor to climate change.
He added that the government is also promoting initiatives aimed at curbing methane emissions from various sources, including agriculture and waste management.
Salako stressed that by promoting practices that minimise methane release and advocating for sustainable alternatives, the country is actively addressing one of the critical drivers of global warming.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to end the harmful practice of gas flaring by 2030, adding that the ministry is working closely with companies in the oil and gas industry to ensure progress towards this goal.
The minister further said periodic reviews are being conducted to monitor compliance and hold stakeholders accountable.
“We are promoting practices that reduce the release of greenhouse gases, like methane, which are short-lived greenhouse gases that also have a significant impact on the environment.
“We are now doing periodic reviews with all companies to ensure that the target to end gas flaring by 2030, we keep it in view and everybody works in that direction,” he stated.
Speaking on how best to mitigate the effects of climate change, Salako said, “The climate change that we are talking about is caused by mass actions of people and activities of human beings over the years. For us to mitigate these effects and reverse the effect of climate change, we need mass action of people too.
“Nigerians must take positive climate change actions. We have talked about clearing our drains and every one of us must resolve to plant at least a tree per annum.
“My advice to Nigerians is to be more conscious of their environment, be more environmentally responsible and be more environmentally active to ensure that our environment is safe. Without the environment, we will all perish.”
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