Once upon a time, environmentalists were universally looked upon as nut cases and weirdos aptly captured in the epithet with which they were derisively referred to in the West: tree-huggers. But of recent, it has become normal, cool, and even progressive to be referred to as green, or eco-friendly. No wonder the late Kenyan Nobel laureate and environmentalist, Dr. Wangari Maathai, proudly showed off her first love of tree huggingfor which she received the envied Nobel Peace Prizein her popular photograph where she is shown in a soulful embrace with a ragged trunk.The major reason for the sudden upgrade of the earth-friendly image is the pains of climate change and the advice from experts concerning the perceived way out of the global predicament: love the earth, care for it, and maybe one day we will completely rid the atmosphere of this carbon poison. This is basically hinged on the generally held view that human activities are likely responsible for most of the observed increase in global mean temperature (global warming) since the mid-20th Century, and this human-induced warming of the climate is expected to continue throughout the 21st century and beyond.On December 11, 1997, to be exact, the whole world made a bold statement in Kyoto, Japan, when they adopted the Kyoto Protocol, a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, aimed at fighting global warming. The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty with the goal of achieving the stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The Protocol came into force on February 16, 2005, and as of September 2011, 191 states have signed and ratified it. Nigeria ratified it on December 10, 2004.Let me state at this juncture that by signing and ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and being a member of the UNFCCC, Nigeria is entitled to a window of opportunity in the fast-evolving climate change-induced economy, known as green economy or green wealth. In fact, an international environmental expert said in February this year that Nigeria is missing about N34bn annually by not selling carbon credit and implementing the Clean Development Mechanism and Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Degradation projects. This revelation was authenticated by the head of the Climate Change Unit of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr Victor Fodeke, when he said that Nigeria was yet to domesticate the Kyoto Protocol, unlike other nations which ratified it with us.The Protocol allows for several flexible mechanisms, such as emissions trading (also called carbon trading), the CDM and joint implementation to allow Annex I countries (forty industrialised nations, of which all but the United States have ratified the protocol) to meet their green house gases emission limitations by purchasing GHG emission reduction credits from elsewhere, through financial exchanges, projects that reduce emissions in non-Annex I countries (developing countries like Nigeria). These Annex I countries nominate a person (called a designated national authority) to create and manage its greenhouse gas inventory. Virtually all of the non-Annex I countries have also established a designated national authority to manage its Kyoto obligations especially the CDM process.The Protocol also reaffirms the principle that developed countries have to pay billions of dollars, and supply technology to other countries for climate-related studies and projects. To illustrate, if for instance a developing nation comes up with a project of, say, a wind turbine to generate electricity, a developed nation sponsors and funds it in order to be awarded carbon credits in the international emissions trading market. At the moment, many developing countries are building thriving low carbon economies that are creating new green jobs for their peoples. It is overwhelming to see the sundry private sector opportunities that are available to countries that are able to lay out clear legislative framework and operational modalities for this purpose. As usual, Nigeria is lagging behind in this emerging global enterprise of new development. In fact, I just read in the papers the other day about an effort by Nigerian environmental stakeholders to organise a brainstorming session on a National Climate Change Policy in Abuja, which they intend to present to the Federal Executive Council next year.In my opinion, we have not domesticated the Kyoto Protocol, and we are seriously losing money, because the National Climate Change Commission Bill has not been signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, who received the harmonised bill from the National Assembly since December 9, 2010. Expectedly, many Nigerians have expressed their disappointment at Mr. Presidents foot-dragging on this very important bill. Meanwhile, our cities are flooded, our farmlands are getting dried up, our backyards are eroded, the rains are not stopping and the weather is becoming erratic. But most importantly, our youths are jobless and roaming the streets while there are green jobs and climate-dollars out there for their picking. The only thing it will cost us is to sit down and get a platform and a policy on climate change, which this bill is poised to do.If the truth must be told, Jonathans ambitious but laudable gas master plan cannot really see the light of day without the political will to stop gas flaring, which actually shall be one of the major functions of the Climate Change Commission. Gas flaring contributes significantly to global emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, two of the green house gases which contribute to global warming. With the governments tepid attitude to gas flaring, we are actually making a statement as a nation through our oil industry that we do not want to join other nations in fighting climate change. But to start with, we must have an agency with the technical competence and regulatory mandate to respond proactively to issues pertaining to global warming, and not the usual knee-jerk response we are used to when emergencies catch up with us.Moreover, the agency is expected to provide room for agricultural insurance cover for Nigerian farmers in the event of produce losses due to the escalating global climate change challenges, including flash floods and droughts that are causing serious havoc to the agricultural sector in Nigeria. It shall also serve as a convener and fulcrum for the inter-ministerial body that shall coordinate a coherent inter-sector response to climate change challenges. This includes enabling Nigeria to generate energy from renewable clean sources like wind, water and the sun, reducing green house gases, turning waste to wealth, enhancing private sector participation in climate change issues and above all reducing Nigerias vulnerability to the impact of climate change.Perhaps, this session shall be the loudest in bringing to our attention the need to have a full-fledged commission to tackle climate change. As Nigeria joins other nations in Durban, South Africa, from November 28 to December 9, 2011 to deliberate on the issue of global climate change and the agreed-upon best practices of mitigation and adaptation, there is a need for a commission that will coordinate and negotiate the countrys activities and involvement at the UNFCCC conference. Without this, our governments participation in this yearly international forum shall end up being nothing more than the usual jamboree, where officials with high-sounding titles and portfolios go to take notes, take tea and take time off for shopping at our expense without adding value to the government and the Nigerian people.Odogwu, an environmental activist and publisher, wrote in from Suite C8 Emab Plaza, Wuse II, Abuja. He can be reached on gregodogwu@yahoo.com or 08063601665
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