Nigeria has said it was in support of the ‘Talanoa Dialogue’ a facilitative dialogue among Parties in the Paris climate change pact which would lead to them taking stock of their collective efforts towards the long-term goals of the pact at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) in Poland.
It also disclosed it wanted other parties to consider a flexible action plan for African countries in their implementation of the climate change pact, perhaps indicating the continent’s growing pressure to use her abundant dirty fuel to develop her economy.
Rich countries had pledged to raise up to $100 billion each year in climate finance but have being able to raise just about $10.3 billion in September 2017.
But speaking at the 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) in Bonn, Germany, Nigeria’s minister of state for environment, Mr. Ibrahim Jibril, said the country expected the dialogue to help progress efforts to get the pact going.
“We welcome the ‘Talanoa Dialogue’ and seek your guidance and direction as we proceed in the spirit of collaboration and trust in line with the Paris Agreement. This will lead us collectively to a common ground for a successful 2018 facilitative dialogue. Nigeria also shares the same circumstance and views with African member states in terms of NDC implementation capacities.
“We are not in any way proposing to re-open the land mark Agreement but we support the call from the African member States that the best way to proceed is to show a demonstration of flexibility for African countries on climate change actions based on the principles and provisions of the convention and to ensure that differentiation is clearly reflected,” said Jibril.
He noted the country would continue to show a profound interest in contributing to effective global action on climate change.
Jibril, equally requested the world to help move away barriers that obstruct the smooth launch of green bonds by African countries.
“We must stand united to ensure that the outcome of this conference comprehensively address what we need to do as prescribed by the Paris Agreement to deal with fundamental challenges of climate change.
“We are prepared to work with all Parties, in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation with a view to achieving the outcome that will be universally agreeable and beneficial to mankind of all generations,” he noted.
He further said: “We need to urgently move to remove barriers that impede developing countries from effectively accessing global climate finance such as the Adaptation Fund, and the Green Climate Change Fund (GCF), amongst others.”
