What’s with all the noise on climate change? Do we really need to care about sustainability in Nigeria?

By Zainab Titus | September 22 2019

“Perhaps, we are yet to wake up to the reality that our earth is changing; our environment is different today than it was when our forefathers inhabited these lands and if we do nothing about it, generations to come will not find our land worth inheriting.”

Over the past few decades, the word “sustainability” has been adopted in several disciplines to emphasize the importance of developing goods and services for the benefit of people and their environment. Architects now design sustainable buildings, engineers manufacture sustainable cars and even models now showcase sustainable fashion! In the energy industry, sustainability has become the mantra since this sector has been the major driver of the adverse impact of climate change.

An interesting and simple definition of sustainability by Investopedia states that “Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”¹ In essence, it requires taking steps now, while thinking about tomorrow;  it is a practical example of integrating action and thoughts.It is no longer news that the earth is changing at a drastic rate that is faster than we are currently able to manage. According to the 2019 BP Statistical Review of World Energy², carbon emissions grew by 2.0% in the past year, more rapid than it has in over 7 years now. Sustaining the earth we live in has necessitated strategic measures globally by political,

economic and technological leaders, popular among which is the 2016 Paris agreement. The world today has seen major oil and gas companies transition to sustainable energy through rebranding- the Norwegian national oil company StatOil is now known as Equinor and DONG (Danish Oil and Natural Gas) is now Orsted, and also through diversifying to explore alternative, low-carbon or renewable energy resources.

It is fascinating that Scotland, the home country of James Young, who pioneered the production of paraffin oil by distillation of coal is today a global leader in renewable energy. With a vision to phase-out the production of diesel and petrol cars by 2032³, one might imagine how a country, foremost in fossil fuel energy production has redirected its course in the energy evolution. 

A road trip to Scotland avails one the opportunity to capture the scenic views of the Scottish hills and the vast lush green lands of the vikings, amidst which stand tall, white “trees” that man has built. These “trees”, which are usually formed in a community called a wind farm, dance in tune with the melody of the wind to power the surrounding towns. Countless sights between Edinburgh- the administrative Capital of Scotland, and Aberdeen- the Oil Capital of Europe could be mistaken for the Mandara mountains in Borno state or the highlands and plains of Plateau state in Nigeria, the only difference being that man had not built these white “trees” there yet. Indeed, like Scotland, Nigeria has been and still is a major player in the oil industry, and is endowed with rich tradition, history and nature that need to be preserved for generations to come.

Perhaps, we are yet to wake up to the reality that our earth is changing; our environment is different today than it was when our forefathers inhabited these lands and if we do nothing about it, generations to come will not find our land worth inheriting. In the words of BP’s Chief Economist Spencer Dale⁴, “There is a growing mismatch between societal demands for action on climate change and the actual pace of progress, with energy demand and carbon emissions growing at their fastest rate for years. The world is on an unsustainable path”. It seems it is becoming more difficult and expensive even in advanced countries to meet up with the demands of sustainable energy. 

Every part of the world today is experiencing unusually hotter and colder days. Interestingly, scientists have related this to the rise in cooling and heating requirements in buildings as a result of the changes in the weather. This implies that global energy demand will continue to increase as almost a third of energy consumption comes from buildings requiring heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, appliances and electricity production⁵. In different parts of the world, harsh environmental conditions are becoming prevalent. Cities such as Jakarta in Indonesia and Venice in Italy are sinking, lakes in China which are major sources of livelihood (food, transport and occupation) are drying up and coastlines in the USA and Bangladesh are disappearing, rendering millions homeless. 

In past times, the impact of climate change has been far-fetched for most Nigerians. However, it is quite alarming to learn that in North-eastern Nigeria, over 8,800 households and 7,300 emergency/makeshift shelters for displaced persons due to the Boko Haram crisis were reportedly affected by flooding in August 2019⁶. In Southern Nigeria, Port Harcourt, once known as the “Garden City” but now called “the city of soot” with a hanging black cloud has witnessed sky-rocketing number of children and adults with air-borne

diseases and breathing issues since 2016⁸, a situation initiated and exacerbated by air pollution from burning fossil fuels.

For a nation that has been able to thrive with the absence of devastating natural disasters, progress in the light of these impacts of climate change will require an immediate response. There is an urgent need for individuals and communities to adopt practices that are not detrimental to the environment, and for the government to restructure the system to accommodate sustainable development in all sectors. As much as poor infrastructure has largely contributed to the destruction of the environment in Nigeria, practices such as improper waste disposal and waste minimization by members of the society have escalated the impact.

Through platforms such as GreenClub Nigeria, practical sustainability nuggets are made accessible to the populace to enable the society cultivate a cleaner and safer environment for all to enjoy .

It is evident the activities and industry of man have changed the earth intensively and extensively. We have developed systems to protect ourselves and have neglected the duty of nurturing and protecting the environment. More often than not, our engineering feats have been built to fight nature rather than work with the environment. To enhance life here on earth, it is clear that the path of sustainability must be pursued aggressively. 

“If we fail to develop systems and practice methods that are environmentally-friendly, then the present state of the earth, however good or bad, may be the best we will ever have in the future, regardless of all our technological advancement.”

References

1. Grant M. and Kenton W. Sustainability. Investopedia. Available from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sustainability.asp. [Accessed September 12 2019].
2. British Petroleum. BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019. British Petroleum. Report No. 68, 2019. Available from https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy.html. [Accessed September 12 2019].
3. Shehab Khan. Scotland to “phase-out” new petrol and diesel cars by 2032, Available from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/scotland-petrol-diesel-cars-phase-out-ban-2032-nicola-sturgeon-snp-environment-air-pollution-a7930781.html. [Accessed September 12 2019].
4. British Petroleum. BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019: an unsustainable path.  BP press release on June 11 2019. Available from https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/news-and-insights/press-releases/bp-statistical-review-of-world-energy-2019.pdf. [Accessed September 12 2019].
5. International Energy Agency. Transition to Sustainable Buildings: Strategies and Opportunities to 2050, Energy Technology Perspectives. 2013. Available from https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/Building2013_free.pdf. [Accessed September 12 2019].
6. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Nigeria: North East Floods Situation Report No. 1, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Reports. 2019. Available from https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/nigeria-ne_floods_26_august_2019.pdf. [Accessed September 12 2019].
7. Trend News Agency. Flood Kills 4 University Students in NE Nigeria. https://en.trend.az/world/other/3101628.html. [Accessed September 12 2019].
8. Yakubu O. Particle (Soot) Pollution in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria—Double Air Pollution Burden? Understanding and Tackling Potential Environmental Public Health Impacts. Environments. 2017;5(1):2. Available from: doi:10.3390/environments5010002
9. Salami T. The Strange Black Soot: The City of Port Harcourt and “the hanging black cloud”. Available from https://medium.com/@eruditetemi/the-strange-black-soot-the-city-of-port-harcourt-and-the-hanging-black-cloud-c32e28a744a0. [Accessed September 12 2019].