Environmental experts warn gas flaring by the Nigerian oil industry in the southern Delta region causes acid rain, respiratory infections, skins diseases and land degradation in dozens of local communities, but some environmentalists defend the country’s right to continue flaring.

“Nigeria produces almost 25 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in Africa from its gas flaring by oil firms in the Niger-Delta,” said Stefan Cramer, director of the Nigeria office of Heinrinch Boll Stiftung, a German environmental NGO, who spoke to IRIN during a UN-organised climate change conference in Accra.

For decades, gas flaring has been used in Nigeria to separate non-commercial grade gases from the market-worthy crude oil. Nigeria emits 13 percent of the global 150 billion cubic metres of gas flares every year, even though it is only the world’s eighth largest oil producer, Cramer said. Most countries generate power with the gas leftover from oil extraction, rather than burn it.

Cramer said Nigeria’s contribution to the global environmental crisis is still insignificant when compared to industrial countries in Europe, Asia and the United States.

Nigeria not to blame

Christian Teriete, a spokesman for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), said the African continent emits around 40 billion cubic metres of carbon every year, which he says is “negligible” when compared to Europe, Asia and the US.
“It doesn’t make sense for Nigeria and South Africa to reduce their emissions while the industrialised nations [which] are largely responsible for climate change do not make any efforts to reduce theirs,” Teriete said.

Ewah Otu Eleri, head of the Nigerian International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development agreed Africa’s emissions are negligible and their reduction should not be used as a tool to deprive the continent of development.

“Emissions reductions should not be used as a ploy to create obstacles on our [Nigeria’s] way to development. The developed countries should help us with low-carbon technology.”

Failed attempts to outlaw flaring

Nigeria outlawed gas flaring in 1979, planning to completely eliminate it by 1984. In February 2008, the government approved the trapping and converting of gas flares to economic use, expected to earn about US$500 million annually, according to Nigerian energy officials.

Nigeria’s government has shifted the deadline to end gas flaring to the end of the year, but Nigerian environmentalist Eleri said he does not think the government has committed itself to a firm flare out date.

IRIN 

Information reaching this paper has it that Mr. Momodou O. Njie, the former Deputy Permanent Secretary (DPS) at the Department for Forestry and the Environment, is now the DPS at the Department of State for Energy.

The paper has learned through reliable sources that Mr. Njie was appointed to this new post on the 4thof August 2008.

It will be recalled that DPS Njie was recently tried for impersonation and giving false information. He was however acquitted and discharged by the courts following a protracted trial.

Health and environment ministers in Africa have resolved to build a strategic alliance to reduce environmental threats to human health and well-being.

Following the conclusion of an historic gathering in Gabon, the ministers signed and adopted the Libreville Declaration which commits governments to take measures to stimulate the necessary policy, institutional and investment changes that should be effected to optimize synergies between health, environment and other relevant sectors.

“The signing of this landmark declaration," said Dr Luis G. Sambo, Regional Director of WHO Regional Office for Africa, "is the first step towards saving the lives of millions of people from the harmful effects of changes in the environment. We will work together to promote strategic alliances between health and environment. I am delighted that we have managed to secure political commitment to catalyse institutional changes needed to improve the health and well-being of communities in the region.”

After deliberations on a range of issues, delegates were convinced that the root causes of global environmental degradation are embedded in social and economic problems such as pervasive poverty, unsustainable production and consumption patterns, inequity of distribution of wealth and the debt burden. These result in malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid, dracunculiasis, helminthiasis, schizosomiasis, asthma, bronchitis and heart diseases that are taking their toll on millions of people living in the region.

"The Libreville Declaration is a milestone for Africa. Nowhere is the human health impact of environmental threats more urgent," said Dr Maria Neira, WHO's Director for Department of Public Health and Environment. “The challenge now is to ensure Africa moves onto the global environmental health agenda."

Delegates highlighted the need to address health, environment and economic development issues in an interrelated manner to generate new synergies in poverty reduction and social equity. Ministers expressed their willingness to actively seek partnerships with civil society, including the private sector, and to seek their expertise in effecting change to improve environmental conditions in Africa.
Angélique Ngoma, Minister of Health and Public Hygiene of Gabon, said, "This conference will go down in the annals of Africa as the first to generate a synergy of political action and complementariness between health and environment for sustainable development."

The declaration urges Member States, among other things, to:

1. update their national, sub-regional and regional frameworks in order to address more effectively the interlinkages between health and environment through integration of these links in policies, strategies and national development plans;
2. ensure integration of the agreed objectives in the areas of health and environment in national poverty reduction strategies;
3. implement priority intersectoral programmes at all levels in health and environment, aimed at accelerating the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals;
4. build national and regional capacities to address the linkages between environment and health through the establishment and strengthening of health and environment institutions.

Expressing his appreciation at the outcomes of this landmark inter-ministerial conference, UNEP's Regional Director for Africa , Mounkaila Goumandakoye said: “For too long both health and environment have sought to cope with the downstream consequences of policies regarding environment, health and economic development that have been designed in parallel, not in concert. In valuing the inextricable links between human health and the sustainability of ecosystems along with the goods and services they provide, this historic conference in Africa reasserts that the work of the environment sector is an issue of human well-being and that together health and environment in acting proactively are critical development partners in the achievement of global and national development objectives.”

The four-day event held in Libreville, Gabon, was attended by hundreds of delegates, including health ministers, environment ministers, high-level experts, academics, policy-makers, bilateral and multilateral institutions and NGOs.

WHO

As UN climate talks are coming to a close, WWF applauds an emerging group of visionary countries for showing ways to move the debate towards the right level of focus and detail. While the mandate to agree a new global climate treaty by 2009 remains a gigantic challenge, Accra shows that overcoming the muddle of conflicting views and crafting an effective deal to tackle climate change is possible and depends on the political will to show leadership.

“Currently the glory in the global fight against climate change is reserved for those progressive governments which are getting the debate further down to the essentials”, says Kim Carstensen, Director WWF Global Climate Initiative. “The cumbersome talks in Accra did not stop a first group of determined negotiators from working towards a critical shift in the debate, but a success at the next climate talks in Poznan is far from secured, and we need to see more countries engage seriously in lifting the political ambitions.”

According to the global conservation organisation, governments managed to push their critical discussions closer to conclusions on some key issues: strategies are shaping up to reduce CO2 emissions from the destruction of forests, and talks about financing deep emission cuts and adaptation to climate impacts gain clarity. However, other tracks of the complex negotiations failed to progress in Accra and are falling dangerously behind schedule.

“Smoke grenades thrown by backward parties and an overdose of procedural discussions have paralyzed the climate talks and overwhelmed negotiators for too long”, says Kathrin Gutmann, Policy Coordinator WWF Global Climate Initiative. “In Accra we start seeing the first positive examples of constructive dialogue led by innovative parties, which should become a solid trend in Poznan in December."

Accra also confirmed trends already observed at previous talks: the EU is losing its role as a climate leader to a range of developing countries and creative players like Norway and Switzerland. By improving old proposals or fleshing out new ones, these countries are becoming reliable agents of progress. Together with big emerging economies they form the new engine of the talks, highlighted by South Korea’s pledge in Accra to set emission reduction targets and boost renewable energies.

“The EU disappointed in Accra just like it disappointed at previous talks in Bonn, expressing regret for coming to the negotiation table with empty hands”, says Diane McFadzien, Programme Coordinator WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Poznan should be a home match for the Europeans and a perfect opportunity to live up to their full potential - in order to avoid matching Canada, Russia, Japan, Australia and the US in their lack of ambition.”

WWF

As UN climate talks enter their next round in the Ghanaian capital Accra, WWF encourages governments to have the Olympic spirit in mind when meeting at the negotiation table. In order to protect people and nature from dangerous climate change and gain sufficient ground on the road towards agreeing a new global climate treaty in Copenhagen in 2009, the Olympic motto “swifter – higher – stronger” has to guide the discussions.

“Progress on substance at the negotiations in Accra must be swifter, the level of ambition by both developed and developing countries higher, and the measures to reduce CO2 emissions stronger”, says Kim Carstensen, Director WWF Global Climate Initiative. “In order to finish the race against climate change with a gold medal, negotiators will have to put concrete ideas and detailed proposals on the table, lifting the debate from playing tactics to talking substance.”

While previous climate talks in Bangkok and Bonn earlier this year were focused on negotiation procedures and on putting together wish lists of issues to be discussed, negotiators in Accra can show their skills in a different discipline: consolidate strong proposals on climate finance, technology transfer, adaptation measures or mitigation policies and work out the details of the most innovative and ambitious options.

“We see a few strong contenders coming to Accra with concrete proposals in their bags, credible due to a decent set of domestic policies on climate change, and ready to craft new alliances for progress”, says Kathrin Gutmann, Policy Coordinator WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Well prepared countries like Norway or South Africa have been in great shape recently, while the US or Japan lag behind and can’t win medals if they stick to old blocking tactics and waste their talent as usual.”

The emerging economies, led by South Africa and Mexico, are overtaking traditional leaders like the EU in terms of courage, creativity and political will. At the recent G8 summit in Japan they showed real leadership by committing to serious deviations from business as usual emission paths, while most industrialized countries have so far failed to commit to reduction targets which would help keeping global warming below the danger-threshold of 2°C.

“While athletes in Beijing are breaking world records in running or swimming, negotiators in Accra can break the deadlock between developed and developing countries”, says Diane McFadzien, Programme Coordinator WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Ultimately all nations need to tackle climate change together, and in Accra the rich countries can live up to their full potential, ideally led by an EU that finds back to its old strength and teams up with the emerging economies.”

WWF

Background:
From 21 to 27 August, governments gather in the Ghanaian capital Accra to continue critical negotiations about a new global climate treaty. The Bali roadmap, agreed at UN climate talks last December, mandates these negotiations to conclude at the UN conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. However, after too little progress at recent talks in Bonn in June and a stalemate between developed and developing countries at the G8 summit in July, the political process has suffered major delays and is far from where it should be at this stage. Accra marks an opportunity to gain ground on the road to Copenhagen and speed up negotiations on crucial building blocks of the new global treaty, such as emission reductions, mitigation mechanisms, finance flows or technology transfer. After the previous talks focused mainly on negotiation procedures and on wish lists of issues to be discussed, Accra provides a perfect stage for progressive players to move the negotiations forward by putting substantial proposals with concrete ideas for the new global treaty on the table.

Key Issues:
Accra can be a positive turning point in the climate negotiations, as more and more parties are lowering their guards and get ready to stop beating about the bush. “Before you can negotiate a contract you need to write a comprehensive and fully-fledged draft,” says Kim Carstensen, Director of the WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Presenting concrete ideas and submitting real substance will be the benchmark for credible leadership in Accra.”

At the G8 summit, the emerging economies took a very pro-active stance and made an offer which would break the deadlock at the negotiation table if the industrialized countries accepted it. “Rich nations have to cut 25-40% of their emissions by 2020 and 80-95% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels,” says Kathrin Gutmann, Policy Coordinator of the WWF Global Climate Initiative. “In turn emerging economies must commit to substantial deviations from business as usual emissions domestically, and to deep emission cuts globally.” Although these targets are not on the agenda in Accra, WWF supports the emerging economies in their progressive stance, expecting other governments to signal support for such an ambitious package.

The fact that the talks are held in Africa, the world’s poorest region which is highly vulnerable to climate change, has to be reflected in the negotiations. “Developing countries need an encouraging signal that industrialized nations will live up to the responsibility resulting from their historic emissions,” says Diane McFadzien, WWF Climate Policy Coordinator for Asia Pacific. “The EU is in the best position to earn the laurels for breaking the deadlock, but must overcome its recent climate fatigue to create fresh dynamics.”

WWF