Bloomberg: Global clean energy investment fell 18% in 2016

Chinese slowdown and falling costs of solar power were two of the reasons global clean energy investment fell 18% in dollar terms in 2016, according to Bloomberg

 Source of renewable energy: Wind turbines. Global clean energy investment fell 18% in dollar terms in 2016. Photo credit: theenergycollective.com

New investment in clean energy worldwide fell 18% last year to $287.5 billion, despite a record year for offshore wind financings, according to the latest authoritative figures released on Thursday, 12 January 2017 by research company, Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The 2016 setback in global investment, signaled in advance by weak quarterly figures during the course of last year, partly reflected further sharp falls in equipment prices, particularly in solar photovoltaics. However, there was also a marked cooling in two key markets, China and Japan. Clean energy investment in China in 2016 was $87.8 billion, down 26% on the all-time high of $119.1 billion reached in 2015, while the equivalent figure for Japan was $22.8 billion, down 43%.

Justin Wu, head of Asia for BNEF, said: “After years of record-breaking investment driven by some of the world’s most generous feed-in tariffs, China and Japan are cutting back on building new large-scale projects and shifting towards digesting the capacity they have already put in place.

“China is facing slowing power demand and growing wind and solar curtailment. The government is now focused on investing in grids and reforming the power market so that the renewables in place can generate to their full potential. In Japan, future growth will come not from utility-scale projects but from rooftop solar systems installed by consumers attracted by the increasingly favorable economics of self-consumption.”

Offshore wind was the brightest spot in the global clean energy investment picture in 2016. Capital spending commitments to this technology hit $29.9 billion in 2016, up 40% on the previous year, as developers took advantage of improved economics, resulting from bigger turbines and better construction knowhow.

Last year’s record offshore wind tally included the go-ahead for the largest ever project, Dong Energy’s 1.2GW Hornsea array off the UK coast, at a cost of $5.7 billion – plus 14 other parks of more than 100MW, worth anywhere between $391 million and $3.9 billion, in British, German, Belgian, Danish and Chinese waters.

Jon Moore, chief executive of BNEF, commented: “The offshore wind record last year shows that this technology has made huge strides in terms of cost-effectiveness, and in proving its reliability and performance. Europe saw $25.8 billion of offshore wind investment, but there was also $4.1 billion in China, and new markets are set to open up in North America and Taiwan.”

Even though overall investment in clean energy was down in 2016, the total capacity installed was not. Estimates from BNEF’s analysis teams are that a record 70GW of solar were added last year, up from 56GW in 2015, plus 56.5GW of wind, down from 63GW but the second-highest figure ever.

Geographical split

Clean energy investment in the US slipped 7% to $58.6 billion, as developers took time to progress wind and solar projects eligible for the tax credits that were extended by Congress in December 2015. Canada was down 46% at $2.4 billion.

Investment in the whole Asia-Pacific region including India and China fell 26% to $135 billion, some 47% of the world total. India was almost level with 2015, at $9.6 billion, with several giant solar photovoltaic plants going ahead.

Europe was up 3% at $70.9 billion, helped by offshore wind and also by the biggest onshore wind project ever financed – the 1GW, $1.3 billion Fosen complex in Norway. The UK led the European field for the third successive year, with investment of $25.9 billion, up 2%, while Germany was second at $15.2 billion, down 16%. France got $3.6 billion, down 5%, and Belgium $3 billion, up 179%, while Denmark was 102% higher at $2.7 billion, Sweden up 85% at $2 billion and Italy up 11% at $2.3 billion.

Among developing nations, many saw investment slip as projects that won capacity in renewable energy auctions during 2016 did not secure finance before the year-end. Investment in South Africa fell 76% to $914 million, while that in Chile dropped 80% to $821 million, Mexico fell 59% to $1 billion and Uruguay 74% to $429 million. Brazil edged down 5% to $6.8 billion.

One of the emerging markets to go the other way was Jordan, which broke the $1 billion barrier for the first time, its clean energy investment increasing 147% to $1.2 billion in 2016.

2016 investment by category and sector

The biggest category of investment in clean energy in 2016 was, as usual, asset finance of utility-scale renewable energy projects. This totalled $187.1 billion last year, down 21% on 2015. The biggest seven financings were all in offshore wind in Europe, but there were also large deals in Chinese offshore wind (the Hebei Laoting Putidao array, at 300MW and an estimated $810 million), in solar thermal (the 110MW, $805 million Ashalim II Negev plant in Israel), solar PV (the 580MW, 31 Dominion SBL Portfolio in the US, at an estimated $702 million), biomass (the 299MW, $841 million Tees project in the UK) and geothermal (the ENDE Laguna Colorada installation in Bolivia, at 100MW and $612 million).

Among other categories of investment, small-scale projects of less than 1MW – including rooftop PV – attracted 28% less investment than the previous year, the 2016 total finishing at $39.8 billion. Most of this year-on-year drop reflected falling costs of solar systems rather than a decline in interest from buyers.

Public markets investment in quoted clean energy companies was $12.1 billion in 2016, down 21%. Most cash was raised by Innogy, the renewable power offshoot of German utility RWE, which secured just over $2.2 billion of new money in an initial public offering, and BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle maker, which took just under $2.2 billion via a secondary share issue.

Venture capital and private equity investment in clean energy firms rose 19% to $7.5 billion, with the largest rounds coming from two Chinese electric vehicle businesses, Le Holdings and WM Motor Technology, raising $1.1 billion and $1 billion respectively. US solar developer Sunnova took the third most, at $300 million.

Corporate research and development spending on clean energy fell 21% to $13.4 billion, while government R&D moved up 8% to $14.4 billion. Last but not least, asset finance of energy smart technologies surged 68% last year to $16 billion, helped by a jump in global smart meter spending, from 8.8 billion in 2015, to $14.4 billion.

Taking all categories of investment into account, solar was the leading sector once again, at $116 billion, but this was 32% down on 2015 levels, due in large part to lower costs per MW. Wind saw $110.3 billion invested, down 11%, while energy smart technologies attracted $41.6 billion, up 29%, biomass was more or less level on 2015 at $6.7 billion, and biofuels secured just $2.2 billion, down 37%. Small hydro showed a 1% dip in investment to $3.4 billion, while low-carbon services attracted $4.3 billion, up 5%, geothermal $2.7 billion, up 17%, and marine energy $194 million, down 7%.

Record acquisition activity

Also measured by BNEF, but not included in the figures for new investment, is acquisition activity in clean energy. This totaled $117.5 billion in 2016, up from $97 billion in 2015 and the first time this has broken the $100 billion level. Behind the surge was a rise in renewable energy project acquisitions to $72.7 billion and, in particular, a leap in corporate M&A to a record $33 billion. The top takeovers included Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity for $4.9 billion and Enel’s buy-back of the minority holders in Enel Green Power for $3.5 billion.

*** From Environews

How tobacco use costs countries $1tr annually

A report released in Washington, D.C on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 may have provided a reason why the fight against tobacco must be a priority for countries around the world. The report finds that tobacco use does not contribute to economic development.

According to science, tobacco smoking is dangerous to health

According to the study, tobacco use burdens countries with more than $1 trillion a year in health care costs and lost productivity, while measures to reduce tobacco use are highly cost-effective and do not harm economies

.The report, titled: “The Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Control”, was issued by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is said to be the first comprehensive review of the economic impact of tobacco use and global tobacco control efforts in nearly 20 years.

The report underscores that tobacco use disproportionally harms the world’s most vulnerable populations. In the United States and around the world, tobacco use is increasingly concentrated among the poor and other vulnerable groups and accounts for a significant share of health disparities between rich and poor, the report notes.

These disparities are exacerbated by a lack of access to health care, diversion of household spending from basic needs such as food and shelter to tobacco, and increased health care spending and reduced income stemming from tobacco-related diseases.

Importantly, the report finds that higher tobacco taxes and prices reduce health disparities because they lead to greater reductions in tobacco use among the poor. Contrary to the claims of the tobacco industry, it is tobacco use – and not tobacco taxes – that disproportionately harms poor people, adds the report.

It assesses the impact of tobacco control measures being implemented around the world, including significant tobacco tax and price increases, bans on tobacco marketing, pictorial warnings on tobacco products, smoke-free policies and population-wide tobacco cessation programs. These measures are called for by the world’s first public health treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which obligates 180 countries to implement these proven policies to reduce tobacco use. The report finds that these policies and programmes are highly cost-effective, with significant tobacco tax and price increases being the most cost-effective of these interventions.

The tobacco industry’s deep pockets and deadly tactics remain the greatest obstacle to progress in addressing the devastating global toll of tobacco use. The report notes that in addition to continued implementation of evidence-based tobacco control strategies, vigilant monitoring of the tobacco industry’s ongoing efforts to promote tobacco use and undermine tobacco control is crucial.

The report emphasises that, while tremendous progress has been made in reducing tobacco use, urgent and sustained global action is needed to prevent tobacco use from killing one billion people worldwide this century.

*** From Environews

Why farmers should utilise organic fertilisers, by technologist

Against the backdrop of the widespread use of chemical manure, the Nigerian government has been urged to promote the use of organic fertilisers to produce healthy foods for local consumption and export, as well as check environmental degradation.

An agricultural technologist, Gregory Ohiaeri, made the call recently while taking journalists on a tour of an organic fertiliser manufacturing facility at Odoguyan, Ikorodu, Lagos. The facility is being operated by EarthCare Nigeria Limited.

A bag of organic fertilizer produced by EarthCare Nigeria Limited

Organic fertilisers are fertilisers derived from animal matter, animal excreta (manure), human excreta, and vegetable matter (such as compost and crop residues). Naturally occurring organic fertilisers include animal wastes from meat processing, peat, manure, slurry, and guano.

He said: “Nowadays, products exported from Africa are being rejected due to contamination, mainly from the use of harmful chemicals. The only thing that kills people is what goes through the mouth. So people eat this food that is produced or grown with chemical fertiliser; and, because the plants are like humans like us, they receive those minerals.

“These chemicals go into their system and eventually we human beings eat the foods. And we can develop anything; cancer and all kinds of diseases. We can have blindness and others. This also applies to cattle that go around. Since they use inorganic fertiliser to fertilise the grass, the cow eats it and takes the chemicals. They slaughter the cow and we humans eat the meat.”

According to him, Earthcare Nigeria Limited partners with the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) in collecting green wastes from the different markets and even abattoirs in Lagos and the wastes are processed into organic fertiliser.

Ohiaeri, who is the company’s Chief Operating Officer, said inorganic fertilisers not only destroy the soil but also contaminate grasses and foods with deadly chemicals, leading to acceleration of diseases including cancer and eye damage, which are now rampant in the country.

Click links for videos: https://www.facebook.com/innocent.onoh/videos/1278045175589523/

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He said it was high time that the country’s huge farming population was educated on the implications of the types of fertilisers they use, even as there is need to give farmers fertiliser options.

His words: “And if you compare their produces, you will see that for the food produced with chemical fertiliser, the leaves become weak and start to fold within few hours of harvest, while that with organic fertiliser will stay fresh. When it comes to agriculture, the farmers need to be trained and exposed to the best ways of farming to get healthy final products, because food is security for a nation and if the farmers are producing unhealthy food, the people will eat unhealthy food and they will get sick and the nation will be weak.

“Here in Nigeria, the President has been making the effort to support farming. But the problem is that most of the farmers know only rely on inorganic fertiliser that is not very harmful to health. Unfortunately, the sale and application of inorganic fertilisers is not regulated in the country. Because of that, there are challenges. When you go to the western world, you have specialised stores that sell organic produce and inorganic produce, and the people have the choice to choose.

“If you use inorganic or chemical fertiliser over a period of time, it will deplete some of the nutrients in the soil and you have to wait for years to come back to that land. The soil will not have the essential nutrient it needs for particular crops to flourish. And in using chemical fertiliser, you have to apply the right quantity beyond which causes problem to the soil. But with organic fertiliser, there is no overdose. Organic fertiliser will also rejuvenate the soil and generate all the free nitrogen the plant needs. And sometimes when you apply it, because of the biological enzymes that it has, there are living organisms that would continue to revitalise the soil. Take for instance the Ogoni oil spill; organic products would properly revitalise the soil there.”

Ohiaeri, who said the company now produces 200,000 metric tons of fertiliser per annum, however regretted that, inspite of the urgent need to discontinue the use of inorganic fertiliser, Nigerian government was yet to partner with EarthCare to make available organic fertilisers to farmers at affordable cost.

He said: “We are the only outfit that produce organic fertiliser in this country and government has not asked to partner with us. Most of our patrons are coming from the private sector. For instance, right now, we are in partnership with Nigerian breweries. They bring their wastes, we process them and the ultimate goal is to use organic fertiliser and help their farmers to grow the grains it uses for their beer production.

“Most of the time, the organic fertiliser might be a little bit on the high side. But, for people who know the benefit of the different types, money is not the issue. The issue is their health. I think farmers should be given an incentive. But not only incentives but also set aside an outlet for farmers to be able to sell their produces.

“Very soon, EarthCare will come up with EarthCare Foods as part of our long term project. What we do is engage farmers to use Earthcare compost to farm. EarthCare Foods will buy their produces. This will be particularly useful to those farmers in rural areas who find it hard to market their produces. That will be employment for the people because people want to work and get paid.

“So if government wants to make agriculture a priority, they have to be willing to spend time and money to help farmers. And not only help them with any fertilisers, but also give them the option to choose. The farmer wants to make profit and your health is not of importance to him. The bottom line is that I am going to grow crop, I don’t care what I grow it with. What I care is let me get the proceeds quick and sell the output.

“Right now, the company is producing 200,000 metric tons per year. That should be enough for the country and if there is need for more products; there is always room to expand.”

By Innocent Onoh

My Successor Didn’t Want Tinapa And Obudu Cattle Ranch To Work – Donald Duke

A former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke, has accused the administration of his successor, Senator Liyel Imoke, of frustrating his bold vision for Tinapa and Obudu cattle ranch.

Duke

Click here to watch Donald Duke :https://youtu.be/9dk3GRNI_kk

Speaking with journalists after a facility tour of a hotel in Calabar,the state capital, Duke said he hoped the new administration in the state would be different, by sustaining his legacies.

“Tinapa is embarrassingly simple to get working. First of all, it was well built and it’s still standing, it just needs small renovation here and there, getting the chiller system working, paint the place . There’s a management group that has been begging Cross River State since the past ten years to take over the place and manage it, all you need to do is give it to them and they will arrange the working capital, it’s a political will, it has nothing to do with the facility is the will to make it work, the last administration didn’t have the will, they just didn’t want it to work, they didn’t want Obudu to work. I hope this administration will be different.

Cable Cars in Tinapa

“This State, the strength of this State as I’ve always thought it was is on agriculture and tourism and you could see that came in during the December period. And you know one of the painful thing is not having Tinapa to work, because if we get Tinapa working the traffic you see in December will be year long. This will be the most sort destination in the whole West Africa, not just Nigeria. Now you try and envisage the traffic that came in December is year long, the amount of resources brought into our State.


*** From CrossRiverWatch

Nigeria lacks climate specific law, says Climate Scorecard

Nigeria is yet to have any climate change specific law enacted by the National Assembly (the legislative arm of government) and assented to by the President, the Climate Scorecard has said.

Environment Minister, Amina Mohammed, briefing the press in Abuja recently

Climate Scorecard, a not-for-profit that operates an interactive site where concerned parties can participate in post-Paris Agreement efforts to reduce emissions in the 25 top greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting countries, stated however that the country has adopted several environmental and sectoral policies, strategies, and plans where climate change adaptation could apply. But it adds that, at present, their use in enabling and supporting climate change adaptation is limited.

It points out that, in 2012, the Federal Executive Council adopted a comprehensive strategy policy on climate change: the Nigeria Climate Change Policy Response and Strategy, adding that its overarching objective is to promote low-carbon, high-growth economic development and build a climate-resilient society .

In the meantime it discloses, there is the Department of Climate Change, domiciled within the Federal Ministry of Environment, which is responsible for the handling of climate change issues. The Federal Government of Nigeria is also said to have established the National Climate Change Trust Fund and the Environmental Sustainability Group to design and attract financing mechanisms for adaptation initiatives.

“Given its recent adoption, it is yet to be seen if there is need to increase the capacity of the policy to improve reduction of greenhouse gases and what lessons, if any, there are for possible adoption/adaptation by other countries,” the Climate Scorecard concludes.

Besides Nigeria, the top GHG emitting countries include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland and Russia.

Others are: Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.

*** From Environews

GEF-UNDP biodiversity scheme: Cultural beliefs inspire wildlife conservation

As reported cases of animals facing the threat of extinction daily make the rounds, a contrary scenario is however emerging in certain parts of Nigeria, where wildlife still has a fighting chance of survival.

The revered Sclater’s Guenon. Socio-cultural beliefs are offering wildlife succour and a fighting chance of survival

The revered Sclater’s Guenon. Socio-cultural beliefs are offering wildlife succour and a fighting chance of survival
Conservation of fauna, spurred by socio-cultural beliefs, has become the hallmark of some indigenous communities in the biological diversity-rich Niger Delta region, where animals are revered.

The monkey, tortoise and the even the crocodile are among a few “lucky” animal species that the Niger Delta Biodiversity Conservation Project is assisting local communities to preserve, in the face of increasing threat to their survival. The project is being sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

For example, a scheme domiciled in the community forest of Ikot Uso Akpan Itam, Itu in Akwa Ibom State specialises in the conservation of a monkey species endemic to Nigeria, known as Sclater’s Guenon (Cercopithecus sclateri).

It is an Old World monkey that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1904 and named after Philip Sclater.

The West African Dwarf Crocodile

The council of elders, led by the village head, Chief Asuquo Simon, said the Ikot Uso Akpan community has high regard for the primates, which he stated can only be found in the community forest and no where else.

According to him, hunting of the animals is prohibited because they are sacred to the community.

He said: “We call the monkeys the ‘First Daughter’ of Itam – Awa Itam. The monkeys give us pride; they make us bold to tell people in the world that we are the only community that owns everything because our monkeys stay on top of every animal on the ground. Monkeys that are seen in surrounding communities are from our community and, at the end of the day, they usually return to their home in our forest where they are safe.

“This is the only community that conserves the plants – the trees, fruits that these monkeys eat. We thank the UNDP that gave us money to plant these trees- we have done it and the fruit trees grow very well and very soon the monkeys will start eating the fruits.”
Chief Simon stressed that monkeys have made the community popular, and that there is a cordial relationship between them and members of the community. According to him, the primates mimic the women when they knead ropes.

The women leader confirmed the village head’s assertion, stating that the monkeys are friendly and do not cause them any harm. “We see the Monkeys as our sisters and brothers. They chase away other animals, particularly grasscutters from destroying our crops. The monkeys are a special gift from God. We don’t harm them, and we don’t eat them” she disclosed.

The project’s team leader, Dr. Matthew Dore, advised the community leaders to take the monkey conservation initiative a step further by, with the support of the state government, putting their mascot an image of the monkey) at the airport in Uyo.

“This community should declare a Sclater’s Guenon Conservation Day, a day set aside to mark the conservation efforts of this community; when lovers of the primates and those who want to associate with them would come and celebrate them. It should be called the Sclater’s Guenon Day,” the conservationist suggested.

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Dr. Iniobong Ene Essien, spoke in a similar vein with Dore.

His words: “We will give political exposure to that community. If we do a proper package, we should be able to do something close to what has been suggested. We will work closely with the director, take a closer look at the community and see what we can do. This is commendable, considering the fact that, at a time like this, many species are endangered.”

In the Emu Kingdom in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, the West African Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) is cherished by indigenes. According to the king, Johnson Ekpechiulu, the reptile is regarded as “the mother of the land.”

He said: “The crocodile is revered in this society. The reason for this dates back to history. The story is that they protected us very well both day and night, and made it possible for us to have such a big kingdom like this.

“It is a sacred and forbidden animal. They do not harm us; they eat our left-over food and sleep in the neighbourhood. We bury the crocodile as we bury the living dead amomgst us.”

At the Onura Forest in Alesa, Eleme in River State, the community is protecting the tortoise as well as the forest, which villagers are concerned is fast been depleted.

In fact, under the Community Biodiversity Action Plan (CEBAP), a section of the forest will be fenced, essentially to keep the animals from wandering beyond the confines of the jungle onto the highway where they get crushed by vehicles.

Emperor J. D. Nkpe, Paramount Ruler of Alesa-Eleme, said: “The tortoise is sacred to us, and people are not allowed to hunt them. In fact, it is forbidden to kill a tortoise in this community. And we are concerned that some get killed accidentaly by motorists plying the highway; these are usually those that left their abode in the forest.

“So we intend to fence the forest to, among other reasons, prevent further deaths of the cherished animals. Indeed, whenever I see them on the road, either wandering or being offered for sale, I buy them and return them back to the forest.”

The Niger Delta Biodiversity Conservation Project (NDBP) is a five-year biological diversity conservation programme within the Niger Delta region. The programme is being implemented by GEF and UNDP with the support of Ministries of Environment within the implementing states, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the participating communities.

The main aim of the project is to enhance cooperation between the government, the oil & gas industry and local communities within the Niger Delta in building and piloting new biodiversity action planning tools for proactive biodiversity management in the region.

In order to meet this objective, a set of activities were carried out, and among them is the implementation of CBAP, which commenced in 2014 within the participating states – Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers.


*** From Environews

Fresh concern over impending bitumen exploitation

The Nigerian government has been told to reconsider its bitumen exploitation ventures as the mining activity has the tendency to degrade the environment.

L-R: Chief Reverend Okwuaji; Chief Toyin Dmendra, the Lisa of Agbabu; Akinbode Oluwafemi, deputy executive director of ERA/FoEN; and Baale Adepitan Ola James of Ijebu-Mushin in Ogun State, at the Consultative Meeting on Bitumen Exploitation in Akure, Ondo State

This submission formed part of a list of resolutions agreed on by participants at a recent forum in Akure, Ondo State, where the corrosiveness and dirty nature of bitumen extraction was decried.

At the Consultative Forum involving communities in the bitumen belt from Ondo, Edo and Ogun states held last month at the instance of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), government was told to halt any agreements with unknown companies, breaking free from fossils and explore safe and clean renewables that are cheap and community-driven.

They underlined the need for the convening of a national forum of bitumen communities with adequate representation from all communities that fall under the bitumen belt, adding that an institutional structure or agency that the communities can interface or engage with should be put in place.

They also want an updated geo-mapping and conduct of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study in the communities to address the genuine concerns of the communities.
“The Nigerian government should leave the tar in the sand to avoid the crisis in the Niger Delta repeating in the bitumen belt. Before bitumen extraction, there must be a review of the Mining Act 2007 to reflect existing realities and concerns by the local communities. There must be transparency and accountability in the entire bitumen belt,” reads a communique issued at the close of the gathering on December 22, 2016.

The communities, who say that there has been no consultation or formal agreements with them as the Federal Government ploughs deeper into its plans to exploit bitumen within their doorsteps, want the immediate commencement of the process of engaging them in a dialogue so as to create awareness and unity amongst them in their agitation for a better environment.

They likewise clamour for the clean up of Ogoniland as a first step and other communities across the country impacted by fossil fuels, pointing out that, in doing this, the government must ensure the protection of the people and the sustainability of a healthy environment.

The Nigerian bitumen deposit, put at some 42.74 billion metric tons, is said to be the second largest in the world. Discovered in 1900, it covers 120 kilometres costal belts of Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Edo states.

Naturally occurring or crude bitumen is a sticky, tar-like form of petroleum which is so thick and heavy that it must be heated or diluted before it will flow. Bitumen is also mixed with granite to produce asphalt, which is the major product used for road construction.
Deputy Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Akinbode Oluwafemi, explained that the meeting was called to examine new developments in the light of President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to finally start bitumen exploitation and exploration.

In a presentation titled: “Time to Leave Tar in the Sand!”, Oluwafemi explained that despite all the government had said about diversification, the kind of diversification community people want in the energy sector is one that is clean, safe, community-driven and cheap. He noted, however, that bitumen is not any of these things since it is heavy crude and considered dirty energy.


*** From Environews

FRCN Lagos vows to protect its studio where King Sunny Ade, others recorded earliest songs

Amosu

The Director Lagos Operations, DLO, of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Mr Adeyinka Amosu today, January 9, 2017, urged members of staff to treat as sacred the organization’s recording studios even as he vowed to continue upgrading them as important national artifact.

He spoke during a meeting with members of the news sub-directorate of the organization, marking the commencement of his week-long interactive sessions with all the departments.

“The studio is not a place for relaxation or for discussing with friends, it is basically for recording”, Amosu told them, as he warned staff members to desist from going to the studio when they have no report to package.

He said, his determination to continually improve the physical state of studios since he took over as DLO last year, was not only to ensure high quality of news output from FRCN Lagos center, but also keep alive memory of the studios, especially the “Win A Million Studio, which is among of the earliest in the country, where some legendary musicians including King Sunny Ade , recorded their song then.

" King Sunny Ade (KSA) recorded his  first album in that Studio (Win a Million Studio) in 1967. The studio was then known and called "Ochestra Studio". Even the Legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti worked in that Studio as a Studio Manager and later also  recorded some of his earliest Albums there.

“The last time that  KSA came here, after all the live chats with him, he insisted to visit the Win A Million Studio because that was where he recorded his first song. Thank God that we were able to give the studio a face-lift before his visit”.

Amosu who described the meeting as one to set agenda towards meeting the organization’s goals of uplifting the people and uniting the nation through a quality programming, told the journalists to brace to the challenge , because the survival of the FRCN lies with the news department.

 “News is sine qua non in the existence of Radio Nigeria. We should consider ourselves very special and privileged to be part of the department. The essence of this meeting is to put things in order- what need to be done, what were not done well and others. All we need from news is the best in terms of news content and delivery”.

According to him, insubordination and refusal of staff members to carry out assigned duties or fail to abide by the rules of engagement in the country’s Civil Service, would not be tolerated in any form.

“For those in leadership, we enjoin you to provide a shoulder for the younger ones to lean on. Mentor the younger ones and support them to grow. But don’t condone any unhealthy behavior from your subjects. If you do, you will have your head on the table. If we refuse to be firm, the system will be compromised. No system can run where there is no order.”, Amosu said.

Sunny Ade

China to ban its elephant ivory trade within a year

The Chinese government has announced that it will close its domestic commercial ivory market by the end of 2017, a move conservation groups are calling a “game-changer” for elephants, which are being rapidly driven toward extinction due to ivory poaching.

“This is great news that will shut down the world’s largest market for elephant ivory,” said Aili Kang, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Asia Executive Director, in a statement. “[This] will help ensure that elephants have a fighting chance to beat extinction.”

“This is a game changer for Africa’s elephants.”

Carter Roberts, President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), added: “The large-scale trade of ivory now faces its twilight years, and the future is brighter for wild elephants. With the US also ending its domestic ivory trade earlier this year, two of the largest ivory markets have taken action that will reverberate around the world.”

China’s General Office of the State Council on Friday laid out a timeline for implementing the ban. By March 31, 2017, commercial processing and sale of ivory will be stopped. By the end of 2017, all trade will be barred. The government will step up law enforcement with the intent of curbing smuggling and illegal sales of ivory. China will also launch a public education and outreach campaign to “raise ecological civilization awareness, to guide the public to refuse to buy any ivory and ivory products, and to develop a good social environment to protect elephants and other wildlife,” according to a statement from the government.

Asian elephant in Sri Lanka. Asian elephant populations are declining less rapidly than African elephant populations. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.

Momentum has been building for such action. Earlier this year the United States enacted a law to close its ivory market and both the IUCN and member states at CITES COP17 passed resolutions to close domestic elephant ivory markets. China and Hong Kong have also taken steps to regulate and reduce the elephant ivory trade, including China’s pledge in 2015 to eventually shutter its ivory market and Hong Kong’s statement last week that it would end the ivory trade by 2021.

The news comes as elephant populations are plunging across Africa. A recent survey conducted over two years by the Great Elephant Census found that Africa’s savanna elephant population declined by 144,000 since 2007, equivalent to an population decline of eight percent per year. An earlier study reported that African forest elephant populations declined by 60 percent in just a decade.

***From mongabay

President Buhari signs Endangered Species Bill into law

President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the ‎Endangered Species Control of International Trade and Traffic Amendment Act 2016.

Sen. Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), made this known while briefing State House correspondents in Abuja.

Ita Enang

He said that ‎the Act was one of the 10 bills forwarded by the National Assembly to the President.

“The President has assented to the bill sent by the National Assembly, The Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Amendment Act 2016.

“This is one of the 10 Bills that were forwarded by the National Assembly to Mr President and he has just assented to this, almost completing every action on all the Bills that were forwarded to him by the National Assembly.

“The intent of this amendment is to bring the penalty provisions in line with economic realities and to act as a deterrent or deter people from trafficking and trading in endangered species because endangered are preserved of the country.’’

The Presidential aide said the intent of the amendment was to bring the penalty provisions in line with economic realities and to serve as a deterrent to people trafficking in endangered species “because endangered species are the preserves of the country”.

According to him, the Act is to discourage trafficking in endangered species and will encourage the culture of the preservation of endangered species, even as it increased the penalties for violations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with the signing of the Act, President Buhari had so far signed 17 bills into law in 2016.

Marrakech was COP of inaction, says campaigner

The popular tag of “COP of action” popularly associated with the recently held UN climate change summit (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco has been countered.

Dr Godwin Ojo (left) at a conference. He has labelled COP22 in Marrakech a COP of inaction

Instead, the global conference that featured the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 12th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP12) and First Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1) has been labelled “COP of inaction”.

Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Dr Godwin Ojo, who made the submission, attributed this to the fact that “all that was achieved in Marrakech was to plan for another COP”.

According to him, the time was nigh for civil society organisations (CSOs) to take a closer look at the entire process.

He said: “We have reached a crossroads, and CSOs should come together to evaluate the COP process; to see if we can work within planetary boundaries, and to see if we can keep the rising earth temperature below 20C. Has the COP the answer to reducing the rising temperature?”

Dr Ojo, who spoke during a recent gathering in Lagos to publicly present the book, “Nigeria beyond oil”, frowned at the carbon market, saying: “Climate change is happening on a monumental scale, but certain parties are busy promoting trade in carbon. This is faulty, as solutions that are monetised will not work. Those responsible for the situation have shied from their responsibility.”

He described Nigeria’s commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement as “zero”.

His words: “We have nothing on ground to reduce emission. Gas flaring continues unchecked, even after several shifting of the goal post. Now, the government is saying flare-out date is 2030. We consider this a serious retrogression and a direct slap in the faces of the people of the Niger Delta.

“International communities are dictating Nigeria’s policy. Indeed, nothing on ground indicates that Nigeria will reduce carbon emission as we are fully dependent on hydrocarbons and there are no alternatives. There is need for a New World Order.

“What is Nigeria’s position regarding the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative? Where is Nigeria’s position here? What have we to show that we are in tune with the initiative? Nigeria at this point is talking about coal, bitumen and nuclear energy sources. This is a retrogressive statement because these are obsolete sources of energy.”

***From Environews

Finalists emerge for 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature

Nine authors have emerged for the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature, a pan-African prize that celebrates debut African writers of published book-length fiction.

 Helon Habila, chair of the judging panel of the contest while announcing the 2016 longlist of nine books, said the list  is made up books  published in the past 24 months.

The longlisted books are Mr. and Mrs. Doctor by Julie Iromuanya (Coffee House Press, USA), The Yearning by Mohale Mashigo (PanMacmillan, South Africa), Piggy Boy’s Blues by Nakhane Toure (Blackbird Books imprint of Jacana Media, SA), The Peculiars by Jen Thorpe (Penguin Random House, USA), Born on a Tuesday by Elnathan John (Cassava Republic, Nigeria), And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile (Farafina an imprint of Kachifo Limited, Nigeria), Dub Steps by Andrew Miller (Jacana Media, South Africa), The Seed Thief by Jacqui L'Ange (Umuzi Publishers, South Africa) and Nwezelenga: The Star Child by Unathi Magubeni (Black Bird Books Imprint of Jacana Media, South Africa).

The Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, endorsed the judges, saying they did a god job.

“The novels in this year’s longlist represent a good number of African publishing companies. Each novel reflects a very interesting and dynamic perspective that will provoke intense conversations about different personal and societal issues.”

The judging panel, comprising Nigerian novelist and poet, Helon Habila (Chair), South African writer/activist Elinor Sisulu and Ivorian writer and Africa39 laureate Edwige Rene Dro, now has the task of selecting three authors for the shortlist, which will be unveiled in December.

The winner of the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature will be announced in March 2017 and will receive £15,000.

Nigeria’s INDC amid Akwa Ibom’s transition to blue economy

 

During a panel discussion session at a side-event organised by the Akwa Ibom State Government during the UN climate change summit (COP22) that held recently in the Moroccan city of Marrakech, Johnson Nkem (Senior Climate Adaptation Expert, African Climate Policy Cantre, Special Initiatives Division) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), stressed that, besides the green/low carbon economy, Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria can explore inherent potentials by transiting to a blue economy courtesy of its vast coastline

Akwa Ibom State coastline

There are three institutional tiers for the implementation of the Paris Agreement or Nationally Determined Communications (NDCs) in most countries. These include the national level, state/provincial level, and the sub-national levels.

More broadly, the Intended Nationally Determined Communication (INDC) of NDCs could be considered as a set of toolkits that could be used for structural transformation of key economic sectors if they are properly aligned to national development plans. In the case of Akwa Ibom State, the opportunity includes the transition to a blue economy, taking advantage of its coastline, besides the green/low carbon economy.

The potentials for blue economy transition is huge, especially for Akwa Ibom State that has about 15% of Nigeria’s coastline.

While this is not cited as such, coastal and marine protection provide great opportunities for the blue economy.

They are also underscored by opportunities for new partnerships in undertaking intersectoral activities using joint programming and bringing state and non-state actors together, and also Public-Private-Partnerships.

Johnson N. Nkem (Senior Climate Adaptation Expert, African Climate Policy Cantre, Special Initiatives Division) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

Land-based actions that require ecosystem-based approaches predominates INDC actions in Africa more broadly and same for Nigeria.

There are some key climatic challenges and interventions outlined in the Nigerian INDC that need to be addressed for both adaptation and mitigation.

Just like for other African countries, following the national representation of the INDC, there is need for further contextualisation in order to tailor the interventions to the specific needs and challenges to the states and sub-regions as we move into implementation.

For example, the INDC of Nigeria stresses that the country’s coastline is already undergoing pronounced morphological changes due to sea surges and tidal waves under accelerated sea level rise (ASLR), anticipated to be 0.5-1m this century. To put this into perspective, 0.5m rise in sea level will affect about 35% of highly-productive delta.

Dr. Iniobong Ene Essien, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources

This is even more pertinent for the Awka Ibom State that has a coastline of about 129km with the Atlantic Ocean on the southside of the state. We know the direct implications this will have on tourism, the livelihoods of a majority of the population, and the wider economic implications.

Out of the seven key measures listed in the Nigerian INDC, one is Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and reforestation that is perfectly tailored in addressing the above challenges from sea level rise and coastal erosion.

From the analyses of the INDC actions by African countries in the agricultural sector that we have conducted at the African Climate Policy Centre of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), CSA and reforestation were the topmost actions proposed by most African countries. This is in recognition of the implications of land degradation and soil fertility issues affecting the agricultural sector.
Secondly, about 70% of countries have agriculture as both adaptation and mitigation, and only 30% as adaptation, with none as only mitigation. This emphasises the need for synergistic approaches required for harnessing the multiple benefits derived from the knock-effects the actions such as this one on smart-agriculture and reforestation have for both adaptation and mitigation.

Furthermore, we observed that, with the implementation of the INDCs, it was more strategic to undertake climate-smart investments such as reforestation especially mangroves in the riverine areas. Not only do they constitute natural infrastructures against high tides and stabilisation of coastlines against erosion, they also have significant knock-on effects on other actions such as land and soil fertility, water resource management, ecosystems for fish breeding and so on. This again is crucial for the blue economy especially tourism.
They are in fact, crucial in de-risking investments in the agricultural sectors and other infrastructures prone to inland or coastal flooding and waterlogging.




***From Environews

Lagos Emerges Fifth Largest Economy in Africa

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode

Lagos State has emerged as the fifth largest economy in Africa, consequent upon which, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, disclosed that his administration is in the process of setting up an Economic Management Team, EMT, comprising distinguished individuals from the private sector and the public sector to manage and improve the feat.

Ambode spoke on Tuesday at the Lagos House in Ikeja when he received a delegation from the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce on courtesy visit.

He promised that his government would explore synergy with private sector with the view to catapult the State into a true global city-state in the true sense of the word.

Ambode said: “Very soon we would be setting up what we would refer to as an Economic Management Team to drive the fifth largest economy, because that’s the way we need to envision ourself and this Economic Management Team will involve nominees from the Chambers and other people in the private sector so that we can collaborate because majorly this economy is driven by the private sector."

“Our duty is to create an enabling environment and fuse all that together."

“I think that synergy can just catapult Lagos into that global city-state that we want it to be.”
 

The governor explained that his decision to come up with the Office of Oversees Affairs and Investment, otherwise known as Lagos Global, was part of efforts at encouraging investment in Lagos both from within and outside, among many other initiatives of the present administration.