COP26: Buhari Says Nigeria Will Reach Net-Zero Emissions By 2060

President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged at the ongoing COP26 climate summit in Glasgow that Nigeria will attain net-zero carbon emission by 2060.

This, according to Buhari, is in line with the country’s Energy Transition Plan of achieving universal energy access by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

While delivering his national statement at the high-level segment for heads of government at the ongoing 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), Buhari gave 2060 as the year the country plans to zero out carbon emissions.

During the event broadcast live on the UN Climate Change YouTube and monitored by THE WHISTLER, President Buhari said “Nigeria is committed to net zero by 2060.”

THE WHISTLER’s check on the UN website showed that the date set for attaining net-zero emissions is 2050 and has not been reviewed.

In an opinion article he wrote ahead of COP26, Buhari had said “we can also learn from our friends in Europe and America who do not always practice what they preach. We call on them to lift the moratorium they have placed on fossil fuel investments in Africa.”

Meanwhile, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, had reiterated last month that Nigeria remains committed to net zero emissions by 2050.

“Through the COP26 Energy transition Council process, Nigeria has now developed its Energy Transition Plan, which has the three core objectives of achieving universal access to energy by 2030, net zero emissions by 2050 and industrialization to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth,” Osibanjo had said during an energy summit organized by Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc on October 7, 2021.

Meanwhile, President Buhari had during his speech at COP26, said Nigeria would ensure that it doesn’t make the same mistakes made by the likes Lake Chad who he said moved “from a verse expanse of biodiversity to a shadow of itself” due to environmental degradation.

He said, “We are investing in renewables, hydro-dams and solar projects. Nigeria is not looking to make the same mistakes that are being repeated for decades by others. We are looking for partners in innovation, technology and finance to make cleaner and more efficient use of all available resources to help make for a more stable transition in energy markets.

“The revisedNationally Determined Contributions (NDC) has additional priority sectors. Water and waste, nature-based solutions, adaptions and resilience, vulnerability assessment and a clean cooking gender and green jobs assessment.”

The Nigerian leader further told his foreign counterparts that that the country is more of a gas than an oil producing country.

He, therefore, requested support for financing to help the country transition to clean energy.

“Nigeria has developed a detailed energy transition plan and roadmap based on data and evidence. This plan has highlighted some key facts that face the difficult conversations. Our transition plan also highlights the key role that gas must play in transitioning our economy across sectors.

“The data and evidence show that Nigeria can continue to use gas until 2040 without distracting from the goals of the Paris Agreement.

“Nigeria has an approved national action plan on gender and climate change. This document incorporates priority areas of our economic recovery and growth plan and nationally determined contributions. The implementation strategy for this national action plan has been developed. In a bid to commit to transitional change through climate policy, the revised national policy on climate change was approved in June 2021. This will enable us to implement mitigation measures and also strengthen adaption towards a sustainable climate resilient development pathway in Nigeria.

“Mr. President, I will like to state that attaining national and global climate change goal would require adequate and sustained technical and financial support to developing countries. In Nigeria, in the area of energy access, Nigeria’s commitment to adjust transition is reflected in our ambitious Energy compact, which includes the government’s flagship project to electrify five million households and twenty million people using decentralized solar energy solutions.

“This is a major first step towards closing our energy access deficit by 2030. I will like to state again that attaining national and global climate change goals will require adequate and sustained technical and financial support to developing countries,” he said.

Buhari added that, “The outcome of this conference must result in a quick resolution of all outstanding issues pertaining to the finalization of the Paris Agreement rule book, adaption, mitigation, finance….and loss and damage.”