By Busayo Onijala

Kenise Hill, Deputy Political and Economic Chief, U.S. Consulate, says including women in climate action will help create a more sustainable and equitable future for all.

Hill said this in a statement made available by the consulate to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos.

She said the consulate recently supported the first Nigerian Climate Resilience Salon that brought together women-led organisations, climate-tech entrepreneurs, representatives from the public and private sectors, who were leading efforts to combat climate change in their communities.

Hill said the Nigerian Climate Resilience Salon was organised by Shelley Taylor, a Silicon Valley technology veteran, and Folawemi Umunna, an alumna of the U.S. Department of State funded International Visitors Leadership Programme, with support from the mission in Lagos.

She said the Salon was a coalition of partners who came together in different countries and regions to support women in finding solutions to climate impacts through events and a growing supportive network.

According to Hill, climate change is a threat that sees no borders.

“We’re glad to enable this dialogue that gives voice to the women with livid experience of climate impacts.

“We’re glad to facilitate their collaboration with women who have developed strategies for creating greater resilience to find shared solutions to our global, shared challenge of climate change,” she said.

Hill explained that the shared priority of protecting the environment was another example of the close relationship and cooperation that existed between the people of Nigeria and the U.S.

Also, Shelley Taylor, Convener, Nigerian Climate Resilience Salon, said that climate change exacerbated gender inequalities and developmental gaps. 

She noted that women had a unique perspective on environmental issues as they often bore the brunt of climate shocks and stresses.

Taylor said that one of the goals of the Climate Resilience Salons was to help some of the women working in non-profits to transform their work into businesses where they could generate profits from climate solutions, increasing their family wealth and influence in society.

“Existing climate tech founders need help scaling their solutions into other regions and across borders too,” Taylor said. (NAN)

Edited by Chidinma Agu/Vincent Obi