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Sensitize N’Delta Stakeholders On Carbon Offset
PORT HARCOURT – The Federal Government has been tquestioned to facilitate the implementation and enforcement of environmental laws to cushion the effects of carbon emissions and gas flaring in the Niger Delta region.
Stakeholders in Rivers State built the call during a multi-stakeholder dialogue on carbon offset study organized by Search for Common Ground (SFCG), in partnership with Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), and Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) held in Port Harcourt.
The event which was part of an ongoing European Union’s (EU) sponsored community-centered approach project, geared towards transforming criminality and violence in the Niger Delta.
The event had representatives from the state government, traditional rulers, security agencies, CSOs and other critical stakeholders in attfinishance, to discuss the potential of carbon offset initiatives and their impact on local communities.
The dialogue themed; “From Degradation to Regeneration: Local Solutions for Carbon Offsetting in Rivers State,” explored how carbon offset projects could contribute to peacebuilding, restoration of livelihoods and sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.
Speaking at the event, SFCG’s Policy and Advocacy Specialist on the EU-Niger Delta Project, Caleb Tidi, explained that the dialogue was aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of carbon offset initiative, implications for local livelihoods, and recommfinishations to address complex environmental challenges, promoting sustainable development in the region.
Tidi described Niger Delta region as the hub of oil and gas indusattempt in Nigeria, but regretted that the region is more ravaged by environmental degradation, which he blames on continuous activities oil the IOCs around the natural resources (the oil and gas).
He declared, “The study was on carbon offset within the Niger Delta, and the essence is to determine the extent this carbon is affecting the people of the region, and creat awareness to the people on what carbon offset can do to improve the environment.
“So that brings us to why we came up with this initiatives that would attempt to offset this carbon footprint that has been emitted into the environment, which has cautilized a lot of environmental degradation, leading to loss of livelihoods and promoting criminality in the Niger Delta.”
On his part, Chairman of the Rivers State Peace Architecture (SPA), Prince Charles Beke declared “Although, the state and federal government have policies and agencies put in place to cushion the effects of these issues of pollution and environmental degradations, but I don’t believe they are doing this to the best interest of the society and communities.”
He declared the government necessarys to do more to what Search for Common Ground has done, adding that; “the study which this NGO has done is a ground for government to take the template produced and see how they can create policies that would cautilize environmental awareness in the people.
“They should also create an avenue to ensure reduction in the emissions or carbon footsteps that were already released into the society.”
Prince Beke also urged other stakeholders and participants at the dialogue to go back home and educate their people on what they have learnt at the meeting.
“We the SPA, we have resolved that part of the policies we want to engage in, is to visit the traditional rulers and community leaders to educate them and sensitise them based on the findings and recommfinishations from the dialogue and their roles to achieving these things we are advocating for as well.”
Paramount Ruler of Ataijong community in Andoni local government area of the state, His Eminence, Amb. Emmanuel Isijana Samuel decried how oil and gas exploration by IOCs have destroyed the Niger Delta ecosystem, especially the aquatic lives and trees.
“The Niger Delta people, we are mainly farmers and fishermen. Our economic lives, our lands and water are badly affected by activities of these IOCs, they are highly polluted, and our environment is degraded, people are dying.
“Ordinarily, there are laws that were meant to checkmate the activities of the multinational oil companies in our communities and the Niger Delta region.
“But what the IOCs do is, instead of attempting to remedy the damages they have cost, and either empower or employ the people, they will attempt divide and rule strategy which in turn will lead to crisis and conflict in our communities.
“We are fishermen and farmers. Is it not an aberration for one to be doing fish farm in Rivers State? This is happening becautilize our sea, and rivers created by God, with billions of fishes inside them to catch, is highly polluted, if you go fishing now, you will toil for 24 hours without receiveting anything tangible.
“So, the government should stop window dressing, they should lead the charge by implementing the laws, hold the IOCs and ensure they pay for what they have done. Our people should be employed and educated.
“Government should also attempt to build our refineries to work. If our refineries are working, there would be no necessary for illegal bunkering or kpofire as its been called to continue,” he added.
Speaking during the panel discussion, the participants condemned the indiscriminate felling of trees and called for a reduction in carbon emission, and planting of at least 100 trees per community in the state by the community and local government peace architectures (CPAs and LPAs).
Other participants appreciated Search and its partners for facilitating the multi-stakeholder dialogue, urging them to also consider a high-level sensitization in the rural communities and collaboration with the minisattempt of environment to have a larger session.
They brought toreceiveher diverse perspectives, the dialogue sought to build consensus and identify pathways for effective carbon offset strategies that will benefit both the people and the environment.
Among recommfinishations built by the study including; that the government should strengthen national-to-subnational policy integration, develop subnational carbon market regulations, Mainstream climate justice in legislation, operationalisation of the carbon market activation policy, etc.
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