Climate change: Group unveils Nigeria’s maiden carbon literacy programme

A cross section of participants during the unveiling of Nigeria’s first carbon literacy programme in Abuja

By Patricia Amogu

Green Waka, a development and communication-based organisation, in collaboration with the UN – recognised Carbon Literacy Project, has unveiled Nigeria’s first carbon literacy programme to ensure smooth transition to net-zero emissions.

Mr Michael Bisong, Co-founder, Green Waka, who spoke at the event on Tuesday in Abuja, said that the carbon literacy training framework presented a platform to sensitise Nigerians and enable them to contribute to achieving a low-carbon economy fairly and inclusively.

Carbon Literacy (CL) is an awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts on everyday activities as well as the ability and motivation to reduce emissions on an individual, community and organisational basis.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project, which is already widely adopted across the UK and rapidly expanding internationally, will help lay the foundation for Nigeria’s just transition to net-zero emissions.

It will motivate people from all walks of life to devise and deliver their best climate action in order to ensure the nation’s future prosperity.

“This will also ensure that the benefits and burdens of the transition are shared equitably.

“The training will foster widespread low-carbon culture in Nigeria as it is doing in the 26 nations with more than 700 unique Accredited Carbon Literacy courses already being delivered,’’ Bisong said.

Phil Korbel, Co-founder and Director of Advocacy, the Carbon Literacy Project, who delivered a keynote address via a webinar, said that the training propelled everyone in their individual spaces to devise their best action in such a way as to make it do-able.

According to Korbel, carbon literacy is the renewable fuel for a just transition in Nigeria.

“The renewable power that will drive Nigeria towards a net zero future is that of its people.

“Urgent action on climate change is driven by facts agreed by the world’s scientists but this language sometimes needs ‘translating’ so that everyone becomes aware of its relevance to them, whoever and wherever they are,” he said.

Eche Asuzu, Coordinator, Climate Change Unit, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), while speaking on the topic “The Role of Civic Engagement in Accelerating Nigeria’s Just Transition, said that what “Green Waka was doing would greatly translate to action among individual work spaces.

“This is the real action on creating functional awareness in the workplace because we have established that the work place is at the heartbeat of climate change challenges because more than 90 per cent of climate change is emitted in the work place

“Yes, we need to transit and for us at the NLC; this must address the welfare of workers; we must ensure workers are free to express these issues around their work spaces.

“The questions of what will happen to the jobs? What trainings are workers going to be given? How will gaps in the workplace be filled?

“Workers must have some cover; we must create new jobs and create a just transition to achieve net-zero emissions in Nigeria,’’ he said.

Mr Osadebamwen Patrick, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abuja Council, presented the training certificates to the first two Nigerians and co-founders of Green Waka project in Nigeria, who were selected for training in the UK. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo