NESREA to impose charges on defaulters

{jathumbnail off}Nigeria's agency responsible for enforcing environmental regulations and standards is to begin imposing punitive charges against defaulters and prosecute cases in court as a last resort.The hint came at the fifth forum of stakeholders, mostly former environment ministers, seeking new mechanism to protect the environment and sustain development.The stakeholders have also recommended that the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, facilitate establishment of special mobile courts to deal with cases of environmental crime.It will also promote environmental governance and give communities greater access to police their environment, the stakeholders said in a communiqu at the end of the forum.Government and businessThe forum, which brought together national, state and local government players, nongovernmental groups and the private recommended that government should initiate regular review of its policies to ensure environmental governance become mainstream.Vice president Namadi Sambo said the environment would take a 'key role in our subregional and global politics' though the recommendations called for government to domesticate all environmental conventions Nigeria has signed up to.But he insisted that sustainable development could not be achieved without first achieving good governance.In addition, the forum called on government to 'provide innovative alternative energy sources particularly for the low-income citizens' as alternatives to fuel wood and charcoal, at the same time studying new approaches to exploit and manage forest resources, including the new policy of Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD).Meanwhile, it wants industries and businesses to drive the concept of going green nationally by instituting what it called 'corporate hallmark policies.'It recommended businesses encouraging the application of the concept of 5Rs'reuse, reduce, repair, recover and recycle.It also said industries and business should promote environmental governance by implementing programmes that extend the responsibility of producers beyond sale, including take-back or buy-back programmes.
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