Speaker Abbas calls for renewed efforts on climate action - Premium Times

Speaker Abbas calls for renewed efforts on climate action

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has called on parliamentarians across the globe to intensify efforts on action amidst the devastating impact of climate change ravaging communities and food systems globally.

Mr Abbas made this known in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, to mark the International Day of Parliamentarism on Friday.

“Climate change poses a great threat to mankind, hence the need to take concerted action to contain it,” Mr Abbas said.

He explained that the International Day of Parliamentarism, which marks the anniversary of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), is a day that calls for reflection among Parliaments anywhere in the world.

He said this year’s theme: “Parliaments for the Planet”, which focuses on climate action, was apt as the world battles climate change.

The Speaker noted that the Nigerian Parliament, which is a member of the IPU, would continue to work assiduously with other Parliaments around the world to address the issue of climate change through legislation.

He said over the years, the Nigerian Parliament has played a key role in issues related to climate change, saying that would continue in years to come.

Background

According to the United Nations, the International Day of Parliamentarism is celebrated every year on 30 June and was established in 2018 through a United Nations General Assembly Resolution.

It said instituting an international day for parliaments is particularly important at this critical time for parliamentary democracy when people are losing trust in political institutions, and democracy faces challenges from populist and nationalist movements.

The UN said the International Day of Parliamentarism is a time to review the progress that parliaments have made in achieving some key goals to be more representative and move with the times, including carrying out self-assessments, working to include more women and young MPs, and adapting to new technologies.

“Climate action begins at home. Parliaments and those who work in them can take concrete steps to reduce their carbon footprint, both as institutions and individuals,” the UN said on its website.

By adopting greener policies and embracing a culture of sustainability, the UN said parliaments and parliamentarians could help address the climate crisis and pave the way for stronger climate action.

“Climate change is killing people and destroying lives, development, peace and security worldwide,” the UN said.

It explained further that the IPU helps parliaments progress on the Paris Agreement and other climate treaties, accelerate decarbonisation and reduce the carbon footprint within parliaments themselves through its research, tools and meetings.

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“As a first step, they can decarbonise their place of work by putting in place the IPU’s 10 actions for greener parliaments (and those who work in them),” the UN said.

Nigeria’s changing climate

Nigeria’s climate has been changing rapidly in the past decades, and the impact is evident in crop production across the country’s different regions.

Amidst increasing temperatures, varying rainfall patterns, flooding, drought, desertification and land degradation disrupting the country’s food systems and livelihoods, extreme weather events have also affected Nigeria’s freshwater resources and loss of biodiversity in the country’s tropical region.

Data from Nigeria’s Meteorological Agency (NiMet) shows that the duration and intensity of rainfall have increased, causing flooding across Nigeria as witnessed last year between August and October.

In June, the House of Representatives invited the Director-General National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, over the 2023 flood prediction in the country.

This followed the adoption of a motion by the immediate past Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, who had hinted that there was a need for NEMA to brief the House on measures to prevent flood disasters and manage the socio-economic impact on the people in flood-prone areas.

This report is produced in fulfilment of the UNESCO & CIJ London Climate Change in News Media project facilitated by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.

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