COP29: EU, FG to train Nigeria’s climate negotiators

Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, scheduled for November 11 to 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan, the European Union is partnering with the National Council on Climate Change to train Nigeria’s climate negotiators.

According to a statement released by the EU on Tuesday, the negotiators have been tasked with effectively advocating for national interests and building consensus, which is crucial for securing meaningful global agreements that align with the priorities and interests of local constituencies.

At the training session for climate negotiators on Monday in Abuja, Massimo De Luca, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, highlighted Nigeria’s leadership following COP28.

According to him, Nigeria was one of the first countries to support the EU’s global pledge to triple renewable energy sources and double energy efficiency by 2030.

He also commended the establishment of the National Council on Climate Change as a key move in advancing Nigeria’s climate agenda.

“This is a significant signal to other African countries, which may look to Nigeria to set the tone and lead the way.

“We believe that building the capacity of Nigerian climate negotiators attending this year’s COP meetings will ensure more productive engagement with a clear national position.

“The EU has initiated an energy and climate dialogue at the senior official level with Nigeria, creating a platform to engage technically, with the goal of feeding this into broader policy dialogue at the political level,” De Luca stated.

He further disclosed that the EU would support the NCCC in reviewing three target sectors of the NDC: waste, energy, and the circular economy.

“This is why the EU is pleased to continue our partnership with the NCCC on climate governance to ensure the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions and other climate actions,” De Luca added.

In her remarks, Dr Nkiruka Madueke, the Director-General of the NCCC, underlined the importance of Nigeria taking the lead in Africa and globally in climate change discussions at COP29, hence the need to train its own climate negotiators. Describing climate negotiation as serious business, she stressed the need for Nigeria to have a solid team for UNFCCC discussions.

“We cannot claim to be the giant of Africa if we are not a major player in climate negotiations,” she stated, adding: “Climate change is the most diverse, multidimensional, multidisciplinary, and cross-cutting challenge we face. If we do not treat it seriously, we will be left behind.”

Also speaking, Martine Sobey, Climate Change and Nature Team Leader at the British High Commission, noted that “the need for well-trained, highly skilled negotiators has never been more critical. The two weeks in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be a defining moment for global climate action, and Nigeria’s role must be strategic and impactful.” Sobey stressed that Nigeria must present a dedicated, goal-oriented team with deep technical knowledge and the ability to build alliances with other nations to navigate the UN-NCCC processes effectively.

In a related development, the EU supported a capacity-building workshop on methane emissions reduction in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The workshop provided stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, including international oil companies, indigenous oil companies, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and others, with knowledge on how to measure and monitor emissions from the oil & gas sector, agriculture, and waste.

In her presentation, Madueke praised the workshop as a significant step in addressing fugitive methane emissions in Nigeria.

“Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with over 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Reducing methane emissions is essential for environmental sustainability and economic efficiency, as methane leaks from oil and gas operations result in significant resource loss,” she said.

“Reducing methane emissions not only mitigates climate change but also represents a highly efficient and cost-effective strategy for achieving significant environmental gains. Nigeria is fully committed to this.”

“In our 2021 NDCs, we committed to eliminating routine gas flaring by 2030 and reducing fugitive methane emissions by 60 percent by 2031. To support this, we have produced three regulatory frameworks,” she added.